My Lobotomy
From Sound Portraits
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Producers: Piya Kochhar, Dave Isay
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Review of My LobotomyThis portrait of a man who got a lobotomy when he was 12 years old is disturbing and fascinating. Usually lobotomies are referred to in historical terms, "This is what happened, this is why they stopped performing them" and the story stops there. However, this piece looks at the lasting effects of this horrible practice to see what now, what has happened to the survivors? I love the contemporary view that this piece takes, as the man in the story reconstructs what happened to him and why. It's a terribly moving piece, culminating in a gorgeous song that encapsulates the mood expertly. |
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Review of My LobotomyMy Lobotomy left me as numb as if I'd just had one. This piece is told with truthful honesty. The man in the story, Howard, must be a very brave person. The music running underneath the piece adds an element of experiencing a horror flick come to life and then moves toward a reflective mood. A very well rounded piece. Even Howard helps us laugh as he jokes about how affordable his lobotomy cost. Also the flow in and out of scenes is smooth and clear. |
Broadcast History
NPR, All Things Considered, 11/16/05
Transcript
MY LOBOTOMY
On January 17, 1946 a psychiatrist named Walter Freeman launched a radical new era in the treatment of mental illness in this country. On that day he performed the first-ever transorbital or "ice pick" lobotomy in his Washington DC office. Freeman believed that mental illness was related to overactive emotions, and that by cutting the brain he cut away these feelings....
Freeman was equal part physician and showman and became a barnstorming crusader for the procedure. Before his death in 1972, he performed ice pick lobotomies on no less than 2500 patients in 23 states.
One of Freemen's youngest patients is today a 56-year old bus driver living in California. Over the past two years he has embarked on a quest to discover the story behind the procedure he received as a 12-year-old child.. His story "My Lobotomy" was produced with Piya Kochhar and Dave Isay......
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Content Advisory
A warning: some of the material broadcast in the following documentary may not be suitable for children.
Musical Works
* Philip Glass, "Metamorphosis Two" (piano music by Aleck Karis)
* David Helfgott Plays Rachmaninov, "Mad Rush"
* Philip Glass, Dracula
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Additional Information
- Produced: Nov 16, 2005
- Added to PRX: Dec 02, 2005
- This piece is in English
Polly Edington
Posted on January 02, 2007 at 04:10 PM | Permalink
Review of My Lobotomy
It was an excellent piece of work--I never knew someone could come out of a lobotomy without being a vegetable...what a blessing he could get his answers and find peace for his soul!