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William Todd Schultz

An Emergency in Slow Motion: The Inner Life of Diane Arbus Hardcover – September 6, 2011

by William Todd Schultz (Author)

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Diane Arbus was one of the most brilliant and revered photographers in the history of American art. Her portraits, in stark black and white, seemed to reveal the psychological truths of their subjects. But after she committed suicide in 1971, at the age of forty-eight, the presumed chaos and darkness of her own inner life became, for many viewers, inextricable from her work.

In the spirit of Janet Malcolm's classic examination of Sylvia Plath, The Silent Woman, William Todd Schultz's An Emergency in Slow Motion reveals the creative and personal struggles of Diane Arbus. Schultz veers from traditional biography to interpret Arbus's life through the prism of four central mysteries: her outcast affinity, her sexuality, the secrets she kept and shared, and her suicide. He seeks not to diagnose Arbus, but to discern some of the private motives behind her public works and acts. In this approach, Schultz not only goes deeper into Arbus's life than any previous writer, but provides a template with which to think about the creative life in general.

Schultz's careful analysis is informed, in part, by the recent release of some of Arbus's writing and work by her estate, as well as by interviews with Arbus's psychotherapist. An Emergency in Slow Motion combines new revelations and breathtaking insights into a must-read psychobiography about a monumental artist-the first new look at Arbus in twenty-five years.

Print length

256 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Bloomsbury USA
Publication date

September 6, 2011
Dimensions

5.79 x 0.99 x 8.52 inches
ISBN-10

1608195198
ISBN-13

978-1608195190
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Absorbing analysis of [Arbus's] life... The book builds up to its final theory that Arbus's art served as an "accelerant" for her suicide. The dark nature of the work sucked her deeper into her personal abyss." --The Independent

"Armed with interviews with her psychotherapist as well as autobiographical fragments, this new "psychobiography" sheds light on Arbus's opaque personality. Above all, [Schultz] shows how the photographer projected her inner torment and sense of estrangement onto her unsuspecting sitters." --The Economist

"Schultz sifts and shapes his material with flair, working towards [Arbus's] death with all the planning of a good thriller. The temptation with any artist suicide, he warns us, is to find the "dark calculus" in their art. His triumph lies in making her suicide the one thing you don't see when you return to her images. -The Telegraph

"Poignant and provocative, An Emergency in Slow Motion offers an entirely new way of relating to and understanding one of the most revered and influential postmodern photographers, in the process raising timeless and universal questions about otherness, the human condition, and the quest for making peace with the self." -Brain Pickings

"Like her pictures, this dark inner life is not pretty... but it is discomfortingly enlightening." --Shelf Awareness

About the Author

William Todd Schultz is a professor of psychology at Pacific University in Oregon, focusing on personality research and psychobiography. He edited and contributed to the groundbreaking Handbook of Psychobiography, and curates the book series Inner Lives, analyses of significant artists and political figures. His own book in the series, Tiny Terror, examines the life of Truman Capote. Todd Schultz blogs for Psychology Today.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Bloomsbury USA; 1st edition (September 6, 2011)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 256 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1608195198
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1608195190
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 12.3 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.79 x 0.99 x 8.52 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #2,960,665 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #5,459 in Artist & Architect Biographies
- #14,791 in Medical General Psychology
- #69,173 in Psychology & Counseling

Customer Reviews:
3.9 38 ratings

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William Todd Schultz

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William Todd Schultz is a personality psychologist who specializes in profiles of artists. He’s published four books—Tiny Terror on Truman Capote, An Emergency in Slow Motion on Diane Arbus, Torment Saint on Elliott Smith, and The Mind of the Artist—along with numerous articles and book chapters. He curates and edits the Oxford book series Inner Lives. He’s appeared in VQR, Huffington Post, Poetry Foundation, Salon, Slate, The Spectator, Seattle Weekly, and other venues. In 2015, Schultz was awarded the Erikson Prize for Mental Health Media; from 2016-2017 he was a Shearing Fellow at the Black Mountain Institute in Las Vegas; and in summer, 2021, he completed a Yaddo Artist Residency. He lives and teaches in Portland, Oregon.

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3.9 out of 5

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Khris Gochenour

An interesting perspective on her

Reviewed in the United States on January 9, 2013

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Considering Diane Arbus intriqued me so as a photographer, I had to read this book. She was an interesting lady, too bad she took her own life, I would love to see how her work would continue to develop.

One person found this helpful

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Charlotte Haze

A Book For Scholars

Reviewed in the United States on August 27, 2012

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I would like to begin by addressing the book reviews of less than satisfied readers. It would appear that people looking to read just an ordinary biography may find Shultz's psychobiography a bit over their heads. There are significant differences between the two genres (biographies and psychobiographies) and a reader unaware of this may find themselves befuddled by what the more ignorant of readers have deemed "psycho babble." However, for the scholars and the more careful readers, this book is an absolute gem. It is an articulate, honest analysis of both Arbus' work and psyche by a man more than qualified to write on the subject matter, as Psychology Today refers to Schultz as "one of the world's most respected practitioners of psychobiography." A book of this caliber appeals to the intellectual and the scholar. Unfortunately, those looking for an easy read with pictures galore will find themselves bemused by Shultz' intellect, vocabulary and subject matter.

8 people found this helpful

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abeytasally@gmail

Disaster Ahead

Reviewed in the United States on December 14, 2011

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This talented woman was so ill, it's a wonder she could have created any art worth seeing. This story was so depressing, I finally had to stop just short of finishing it. Dealing with my own issues re: depression, I found that Diane's trek was more than I could bear.It was not necessarily enlightening, as I hoped it might be, but, instead, served to drag me down even further than I already was. I can't imgine what her therapist was trying to accomplish with her, short of ka-ching. Sad sad,sad.

2 people found this helpful

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Ariel

👍

Reviewed in the United States on January 18, 2020

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A tragic story, but very well written. My professor wrote it and assigned it for his Mind of the Artist class last year. Overall a pretty decent read.

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Kathleen

Slow motion is right, could not finish this book

Reviewed in the United States on February 11, 2014

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Though there is some interesting information about the talented photographer Diane Arbus, this author rambles on and on, often repeating information to beat a point to death. After reading awhile I just became bored with the insinuations and amateur psychological profile and moved on to a more interesting, better written book...could not finish this one.

9 people found this helpful

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Rita

a gift

Reviewed in the United States on December 28, 2012

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This was a gift wanted by my son in law so hopefully he enjoys the book. It arrived safe and undamaged.

Reviewed in the United States on March 30, 2015

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A novel and refreshing approach to Arbus.

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Terry F Hall

This book will likely remain a secret.

Reviewed in the United States on September 2, 2019

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If you are interested in the life of Diane Arbus, I would recommend Reading the Bosworth biography. I did not find this book very compelling or illuminating and often redundant speculation. There are a few interesting points but none very telling. Schultz was brave for attempting it but his research material seemed to thin, the ideas just didn’t quite “gel” for me.

One person found this helpful

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marikel LAHANA

Livre TB mais issue d'une bibliotheque publique !!!

Reviewed in France on September 7, 2020

Verified Purchase

Il s'agissait d'un livre subtilisé dans une bibliotheque. Action même pas maquillée. il restait le tampon de la bibliotheque et les code de rangement ... honteux
Sinon le livre est Tb et je le recommande

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Martin P WIlson

A useful adjunct to Patricia Bosworth's biography

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 1, 2016

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A useful adjunct to Patricia Bosworth's biography. It helped me make some sense of Arbus' work even though I am in the "not convinced" camp. But I still need to read the Aperture Monograph and Revelations to complete the [picture.

3 people found this helpful

Justice Gorana Bulat

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 17, 2015

Verified Purchase

Brilliant. As described. Recommended seller. Thank you

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An Emergency in Slow Motion: The Inner Life of Diane Arbus Hardcover – September 6, 2011

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