Torment Saint: The Life of Elliott Smith

From Publishers Weekly Starred Review. In this detailed biography of Elliott Smith, the gifted singer-songwriter who was beloved by the indie-rock world and praised for solo albums such as Either/Or, Schultz opens a window on the musician who died from a fatal stab wound in 2003 at age 34. Schultz—editor of the Handbook of Psychobiography and author of books on Truman Capote and Diane Arbus—brings to his work a deep understanding of how inner and outer landscapes can affect unique and sensitive artists. Schultz follows the uncanny intersection of the lives of Smith and fellow Pacific Northwest rocker Kurt Cobain: both witnessed domestic violence and divorce during their childhoods, with resulting feelings of abandonment and loss of security showing up regularly in songs; both suffered from lifelong bouts of depression; both hung out in Portland bars where the prevailing mid-1980s zeitgeist included punk, indie, anything-goes aesthetics; and both used hard drugs such as heroin. But no matter how dark Smith's story gets, Schultz never loses sight of the beauty of his music. Agent: Betsy Lerner, Dunow, Carlson & Lerner. (Oct.) From Booklist Elliott Smith is what some call a cult artist. He achieved mainstream fame of sorts when he was nominated for an Academy Award for his song “Miss Misery,” from the film Good Will Hunting, but he has mostly lived his life on the edge in Portland, Oregon. Smith suffered from depression and alcohol and drug addiction, and these topics appear frequently in his music. Schultz’s thorough biography examines Smith’s difficult childhood, his years in numerous bands, and his solo career. He offers thoughtful observations on Smith’s songs, which are notable for their profound melancholy and deep sadness. Before his death in 2003 from a stab wound to his heart, which occurred under mysterious circumstances, Smith was working on a double album. Schultz describes his music as “extraordinarily accomplished,” and Smith himself as sweet and compassionate. “Elliott was very deeply loved by many, many people,” writes Schultz. “The largest mystery of all is why he so often could not believe that.” Fans of Smith’s ethereal music will appreciate this book, published on the tenth anniversary of his untimely death. --June Sawyers From Bookforum In Torment Saint , William Todd Schultz has written his own kind of love song—an account of Smith’s life that does full justice to his memory and the impressive legacy of his art. Schultz makes good on the promise of his subtitle by focusing on the life of Elliot Smith—largely ignoring the cottage industry of lurid speculation about the circumstances of the songwriter’s violent death in 2003. He doesn’t dwell unduly on his subject’s depression, his darkness, or his inability to recognize his own talent and innate goodness. Those traits were, of course, integral to Elliott’s personality, but they aren’t the final word on his life, and so Torment Saint is both a persuasive reckoning with Elliott’s inner demons and –much more important—a full appreciation, and celebration, of his undeniable genius. —Rhett Miller “[Schultz] has obviously internalized Smith's work and honors its spirit through precise, descriptive notes and observations... [It's a portrait] as heartbreaking and well-crafted as one of Elliott Smith's songs.” ― Los Angeles Times “In Torment Saint , [Schultz] has written his own kind of love song--an account of Smith's life that does full justice to his memory and the impressive legacy of his art... Both a persuasive reckoning with Elliott's inner demons and--much more important--a full appreciation, and celebration, of his undeniable genius.” ― Rhett Miller, Bookforum “ Torment Saint will likely go down as the definitive biography of the singer/songwriter... Schultz uncovers a great deal of new information that further humanizes [Smith]... [It's] a full portrait of a troubled man who made beautiful music and left us far too soon.” ― Paste “ Torment Saint is a highly readable, headlong dive into the far end of a tormented artist's head space. It's a cloudy, gray place at times, but even the saddest, darkest moments contain a beautiful silver lining.” ― Willamette Week “Persuasive... Exposes surprises across the songwriter's body of work... Essential for fans of Smith [but] more than worthwhile for any pop music fan.” ― Library Journal “Schultz brings to his work a deep understanding of how inner and outer landscapes can affect unique and sensitive artists... But no matter how dark Smith's story gets, Schultz never loses sight of the beauty of his music.” ― Publishers Weekly, starred review “Fans of Smith's ethereal music will appreciate this book.” ― Booklist Online “Elliott Smith, whose soul presides over the lives of melancholy indie rockers, gets the wake song he deserves in William Todd Schultz's Torment Saint .” ― Vanity Fair “ Torment Saint is the most comprehensive and detailed account of the life of America's most under-heralded musical talent.” ― Examiner.com “This is an epic poem to a true musical antihero, a tale as complex, dense, and poetic as Elliott himself, complete with harrowing details of every stop in his heartrending artistic odyssey.” ―Amanda Palmer, songwriter, performer, artist, most recently on Theatre is Evil, with the Grand Theft Orchestra“William Todd Schultz knows that the music is the key to understanding Elliott Smith, but he doesn't settle for what the songs alone will tell him. In Torment Saint , the author goes deep, crafting an engrossing tale of a troubled young man with a great gift whose complexity rendered him a puzzle to his ardent fans and even his closest friends. Schultz does a valiant job of putting the pieces together, through intensive research and insightful analysis. That Torment Saint is the definitive final word on such a brilliant artist should be viewed as a triumph, even as it confirms the tragedy of losing that artist. Filled with beauty and pain and clearly put together with tremendous care and deep respect, this is the book Elliott Smith deserves.” ―Mark Baumgarten, author of Love Rock Revolution: K Records and the Rise of Independent Music“Schultz's Torment Saint offers a candid, heavily researched and truly empathetic look into a troubled genius's life. As someone who knew Elliott Smith, I was grateful for the whole life arc and the connection of dots. It's a sensitive and inquisitive look at a beautifully talented soul.” ―Sluggo, guitarist for the Grannies“Schultz personalizes and universalizes Elliott Smith. His balance of authorial distance with compassion is unsurpassable. All of the tiny details are rendered with great skill to form a moving, compact encyclopedia for those of us who knew Elliott Smith personally and those who did not.” ―Nelson Gary, author of A Wonderful Life in Our Lives William Todd Schultz is a professor of psychology at Pacific University in Oregon, focusing on personality research and psychobiography. He edited and contributed to the groundbreaking Handbook of Psychobiography , and curates the book series Inner Lives , analyses of significant artists and political figures. His own book in the series, Tiny Terror, examines the life of Truman Capote. Todd Schultz blogs for Psychology Today . Read more