Could Anyone Have Saved John B?

I listened to "S-Town," a serial podcast produced by the producers of "This American

Life," with increasing alarm, wishing that the question on my mind would be answered but

slowly acknowledging that it would not. Why did an entire society, including the investigative

journalist at the heart of the story, not try to assist a man with signs of major mental illness who

repeatedly discussed suicide?

In "S-Town," reporter and producer Brian Reed describes his unusual connection with

John, which began when John contacted Reed about corruption in his small Alabama town and

grew over time. Reed tells how John discussed suicide with numerous friends and acquaintances,

including Reed. He also explains John's lengthy history of unpredictable conduct, which Reed

relates to causes such as John's eccentric nature, possibly mercury poisoning, and societal shame

around his sexual orientation.

Reed is dismissive of the possible influence of mental illness on John's capacity to

operate. Reed speaks at length about John's ingenuity, the dynamics of life in rural Alabama,

John's mystic finances, the conflict between John's friends and family after his death, the

philosophical meaning of time, John's connection to pain, his sexual orientation, and other topics

throughout the podcast. However, he does not address mental health, the elephant in the room, in

any significant way.

At least one of John's acquaintances, according to Reed, advised him to seek professional

psychiatric assistance, but he refused. Reed discusses how John's problems in many of his closest

relationships undoubtedly contributed to his feelings of alienation and loneliness. One of the

implied themes of "S-Town" is that John's suicide is inevitable, even if it is never spoken out

loud. If John had received therapy, it's conceivable that he still would have passed away, but it's
also possible that getting help for his mental health or even knowing where to call a hotline to

prevent suicide may have saved his life.