John Talbott's Paris

An open letter to my readers about chefs' suicides; stress and mental illness.

Dear Readers,

I rarely break my format of reviewing restaurants and summarizing media reviews but the two articles in the New York Times and New Yorker this week have prompted me to seek to bring some science to this issue.

We do not know why Chef Benoît Violier killed himself this week but we do know that Bernard Loiseau killed himself 10 years ago while depressed and with a gun his wife had given him.

It sells publications to romanticize suicides among famous people, attributing them to pressure or losing a star or some other external reason.  The truth is that most suicides are the result of mental illnesses, most frequently depression, and it is disappointing that two of the US's major media, the New York Times and New Yorker, have fallen into the trap of 1). making premature conclusions, pre-autopsy and 2). romanticizing suicide rather than appreciating its usual cause(s).

John A. Talbott MD

Past President American Psychiatric Association 1984-1985

Blogger John Talbott's Paris 2008-present

It is a sad day for Freedom of Speach and all writers, editors & publishers.

Spring and Daniel Rose and wine - Some news

The adventure of Daniel Rose continues.

Last night he hosted a wine tasting of some of the 29 wines he carries at Spring at competitive prices, that is, not like some wine bars/etc., that have sizable markups.

One may buy them after one eats there or drop by when he is open and buy/order them.
The most intriguing is called "Who I am?"; and they include champagnes, Corsican and Portugese wines.

This is a terrific resource for the locals, which is why he said he did it.

Political Note: Nice Nazis Ruling Us: I can't wait.

I don't know about you, but I'm getting tired of these books and articles written by intellectuals in Britain and the US suggesting that we'd be better off if the Germans had won WWII.  Sure.  If you're white and not a black, brown, Jewish, gay, Gypsy, musician or artist type, you're safe.

Safe.  Think about it.  With today's DNA analyses and with our knowledge that almost all of us have some drops of Jewish and/or African blood in us, how long do you think it'd be before the number of Americans in death camps would exceed those outside.

Print publishers are struggling but enough is enough.

Ted Kennedy - NOT a food story

I try to limit my political comments on this food-oriented blog but Ted Kennedy's current state changes the equation.

 

There are few people who know me and greet me by my first name whether 5 or 20 years have gone by, outside my family, but Ted Kennedy is one of them and besides being a legend, he is one of a kind as a human being who cares for others.  I met him at college when he walked onto a squash court where I was practicing and said "May I join you, John?"  Wow!

 

Now, of course, I knew who he was, but at 19, I was supposed to be cool and oblivious to fame but I was big time impressed.  Later, I learned that all the Kennedys had that magical ability to recall faces and names and who were your children and grand children and what they did.

 

In any case, I only saw Ted a few times afterwards - but all the occasions were incredibly incredible.  I remember once skiing at Mad River Glen with goggles and full-dress garb when he pulled up and said softly "Hi John, how are you and.........?" 

 

The last time we met, I was testifying before a Senate Committee he did not chair and only sat on, but he made time to come and greet me and hug me and welcome me.

 

There will be those who say that like Reagan, his support of Barak Obama was the result of brain damage.  I hope like Joseph Welch, however, someone else will say "Have you no sense of decency, sir,...?"

 

I'm an unabashed liberal, ashamed of what happened at Chappaquiddick, but one of the many who has tears in his eyes as I think about what this sort of illness could do to our country in our current perilous state.

 

We need you Teddy, more than you need us - Hang in old friend!