Andrew Solomon is a writer whose works delve into politics, culture, and psychology. His memoir, "The Noonday Demon: An Atlas of Depression", won the National Book Award and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. It is listed in the London Times' One Hundred Best Books of the Decade and is widely regarded as the definitive text on depression.
In 2016, Andrew published "Far and Away", a collection of essays spanning twenty-five years of international travel. The book captures his experiences in regions undergoing significant political, cultural, and spiritual changes, offering insights into major social transformations of the past quarter-century.
"Far From the Tree: Parents, Children & the Search for Identity" is another acclaimed work by Andrew. This book explores how families adapt to children with physical, mental, and social disabilities, highlighting the love and resilience in these unique situations. Andrew spent a decade researching, interviewing over 300 families, and compiling more than 40,000 pages of notes. NPR praised the book as “a work of genius,” and Vanity Fair commended his empathy and intelligence. The book was adapted into a documentary described as “passionate” and “life-affirming.”
Andrew is also an activist and philanthropist who advocates for LGBT rights, mental health, family, disability issues, education, and the arts. He founded the Solomon Research Fellowships in LGBT Studies at Yale University and is a Professor of Clinical Psychology at Columbia University. He holds a PhD in Psychology from Jesus College, Cambridge, and is a former President of PEN American Center. In 2021, he began lecturing at Yale Medical School.
In this talk, Andrew Solomon discusses the varying levels of understanding and severity of depression, drawing from his highly acclaimed international study of depression, "The Noonday Demon" which won the 2001 National Book Award.
