Splash Biography

Hallucinations, delusions, psychosis... We're both confused and fascinated by the experiences of people labeled "schizophrenic", but why? What can schizophrenia teach us about ourselves? Why do we label some people "sane" and others "insane"? And what can an "abnormal" view to the world show us about our own lives? We'll think about schizophrenia as a cultural phenomenon––not just as a clinical diagnosis––taking film, literature, philosophy, and case studies as our guides.

“Bring something incomprehensible into the world!” (Gilles Deleuze) Monsters are powerful, destructive, and terrifying. What’s even more unsettling is that monsters are always mysterious; they can’t be understood. How does stuff that's weird, gross, scary, supernatural, or confusing challenge us in thinking about our world? Can it sometimes be good to be lost, disoriented, and frightened? Topics may include ticks, wolves, the Pink Panther, blackheads, fractal being, lobsters, and Patti Smith.