Sylvia Frumkin
Encyclopedia
Sylvia Frumkin is the pseudonym given for the schizophrenic
subject of Susan Sheehan
's 1982 Pulitzer-prize
winning biography Is There No Place On Earth For Me?
, first published serially in The New Yorker
. Her behavior during her periods of schizophrenia was colorful, to say the least. A quotation from the book, giving some of her dialog, gives some of the general flavor of her behavior:
As a result of the publication of her history, she was given more effective treatment. Nonetheless, she continued to go in and out of mental hospitals and died in 1994, according to a follow-up article in The New Yorker titled "The Last Days of Sylvia Frumkin". The same article disclosed her legal name as Maxine Mason, sister of U.S. Democratic Party
activist Trudy Mason.
Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by a disintegration of thought processes and of emotional responsiveness. It most commonly manifests itself as auditory hallucinations, paranoid or bizarre delusions, or disorganized speech and thinking, and it is accompanied by significant social...
subject of Susan Sheehan
Susan Sheehan
Susan Sheehan , is an American writer.Born in Vienna, Austria, she won the Pulitzer Prize for General Non-Fiction in 1983 for her book Is There No Place on Earth for Me?. The book details the experiences of a young New York woman diagnosed with schizophrenia...
's 1982 Pulitzer-prize
Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
winning biography Is There No Place On Earth For Me?
Is There No Place On Earth For Me?
Is There No Place On Earth For Me? written by Susan Sheehan and published in 1982 by Houghton Mifflin, it won the 1983 Pulitzer Prize for General Non-Fiction. This book recounts the lonely, harrowing life of Sylvia Frumkin who is diagnosed schizophrenic....
, first published serially in The New Yorker
The New Yorker
The New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast...
. Her behavior during her periods of schizophrenia was colorful, to say the least. A quotation from the book, giving some of her dialog, gives some of the general flavor of her behavior:
- "There's no such thing as schizophrenia, there's only mental telepathyTelepathyTelepathy , is the induction of mental states from one mind to another. The term was coined in 1882 by the classical scholar Fredric W. H. Myers, a founder of the Society for Psychical Research, and has remained more popular than the more-correct expression thought-transference...
. I once had a friend named Camilla Costello. She was Abbott and CostelloAbbott and CostelloWilliam "Bud" Abbott and Lou Costello performed together as Abbott and Costello, an American comedy duo whose work on stage, radio, film and television made them the most popular comedy team during the 1940s and 1950s...
's daughter. She said to me, 'You know, Sylvia, I have a lot of friends, but you're my best friend.' I'm working here. I'm an intern at CreedmoorCreedmoor Psychiatric CenterCreedmoor Psychiatric Center is a psychiatric hospital in Queens Village, Queens, New York, United States that provides inpatient, outpatient and residential services for severely mentally ill patients...
. I'm in the Pentecostal ChurchPentecostal Church of GodThe Pentecostal Church of God is a trinitarian Pentecostal Christian denomination headquartered in Joplin, Missouri, United States. As of 2006, there were 117,000 members and 2,870 clergy in 1,170 churches in the United States. Sixty churches and missions exist among the Native Americans...
, but I'm thinking of changing my religion. I have a dog at home. I love instant oatmeal. When you have JesusJesusJesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
, you don't need a diet. Mick JaggerMick JaggerSir Michael Philip "Mick" Jagger is an English musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist and a founding member of The Rolling Stones....
wants to marry me. I want to get out the revolving door. With Jesus Christ, anything is possible. I used to hit my mother. It was the hyperactivity from all the cookies I ate. I'm the personification of Casper the Friendly GhostCasper the Friendly GhostCasper the Friendly Ghost is the protagonist of the Famous Studios theatrical animated cartoon series of the same name. As his name indicates, he is a ghost, but is quite personable...
. I used to go outside asking the other kids to be my friend when I was little. CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
's the most beautiful state in the Union. I've been there once, by television. My name is Jack WardenJack WardenJack Warden was an American character actor.-Early life:Warden was born John Warden Lebzelter in Newark, New Jersey, the son of Laura M. and John Warden Lebzelter, who was an engineer and technician. He was of Irish and Pennsylvania Dutch ancestry...
, and I'm an actress."
As a result of the publication of her history, she was given more effective treatment. Nonetheless, she continued to go in and out of mental hospitals and died in 1994, according to a follow-up article in The New Yorker titled "The Last Days of Sylvia Frumkin". The same article disclosed her legal name as Maxine Mason, sister of U.S. Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
activist Trudy Mason.