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Article: Mad geniuses? Johnston, Van Zandt and the trouble with the myth.(SHOW)(ON THE EDGE)
- Article from:
- The Washington Times (Washington, DC)
- Article date:
- March 31, 2006
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2006 The Washington Times LLC. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Byline: Scott Galupo, THE WASHINGTON TIMES
In my amateur-songwriter second life, I often find myself consciously avoiding confessional language and reverting to the observational, sometimes the abstract. The reason is simple: My life is for the most part blessedly ordinary.
Daniel Johnston, meanwhile, claims to have written 100 songs, maybe more, about a single person - Laurie Allen, an art college friend whom he never dated, never kissed and yet passionately loves today from a decidedly impersonal distance. (He is now 45 and living under the care of his elderly parents.)
Daniel Johnston suffers from severe bipolar disorder and functions with ...