Andy Warhol Was a Hoarder

December 7, 2015
Kalb examines a diverse collection of 12 notables, including Marilyn Monroe and Albert Einstein, who suffered, or may have suffered, from mental health conditions. According to Kalb, Monroe purportedly had borderline personality disorder, Andy Warhol was an inveterate hoarder, and famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright exhibited narcissistic personality disorder. While Kalb can definitively describe the mental health conditions of some of the more contemporary figures—Betty Ford (alcoholism), Princess Diana (bulimia nervosa)—she needs to resort to speculation on historical figures, and the language suffers from the necessary caveats: Abraham Lincoln “likely suffered from clinical depression”; “it could be argued” Charles Darwin had anxiety; “Was Einstein on the autism spectrum?” Kalb’s training as a journalist, not a psychiatrist, occasionally shows in less than clinical descriptions: “People with depression... are wired for despondency.” Still, Kalb fruitfully employs diverse sources, including psychology studies and published biographies, to tell the undeniably fascinating stories of her subjects. This is an informative compilation and it’s certain to provide readers with fascinating stories to share about an array of famous names. Agent: Gail Ross, Ross Yoon Agency.