Parallel Lives: From Freud and Mann to Arbus and Plath

In this episode of Biographers in Conversation, Jeffrey Meyers chats with Dr Gabriella Kelly-Davies about *Parallel Lives: From Freud and Mann to Arbus and Plath*  Here’s what you’ll discover in this episode: - Jeffrey Meyers adopted Plutarch’s parallel lives approach in *Parallel Lives*, pairing famous figures to uncover common threads of creativity, ambition and struggle across different fields. - Jeffrey selected subjects based on their creative genius and discovered connections, whether through direct relationships or shared psychological and artistic patterns. - Jeffrey structured chapters by interweaving the two biographies chronologically from the start rather than alternating focus between subjects. - Jeffrey  used personal interviews and unpublished sources as most revealing, including conversations with Sylvia Plath’s mother and unpublished manuscripts. - Jeffrey adjusted his authorial voice when writing about different subjects, recognising that Hitler required a different tone than Sylvia Plath.