Episode 11: Stephen Fried - Benjamin Rush & A Life In Journalism Keep Talking

Stephen Fried is an author and investigative journalist. During our conversation, Stephen talks about his life and work in Philadelphia, and his most recent book "Rush: Revolution, Madness, and Benjamin Rush, the Visionary Doctor Who Became a Founding Father." "Rush" details the life of one of America's most important early citizens: an abolitionist, the uniter of the acrimonious relationship of John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, and the founder of American psychiatry.
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Show notes
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(00:00) Intro
(00:49) Stephen shares where his initial interest and talent in nonfiction history comes from
(13:35) How Stephen spent years of his life researching and writing books
(18:35) About Stephen’s first book, "Thing of Beauty: The Tragedy of Supermodel Gia"
(39:25) Stephen explains how he learned about Benjamin Rush
(56:39) Stephen notes that Benjamin Rush was somebody who was well ahead of his time. He explains his understanding of Rush and how he was able to create a new perspective on people who had mental illnesses and addiction
(01:15:00) Stephen explains why bleeding someone who’s psychotic is the craziest thing in the world
(01:27:34) Stephen’s advice for people learning about Patrick Kennedy’s story
(01:37:30) Stephen shares his thoughts on modernity
(01:45:06) What Stephen thinks is the best thing we as a country could implement to ease some suffering and improve the mental health crisis