Torment Saint: The Life of Elliott Smith (56 page)

12
. Interview Jerry Schoenkopf, March 27, 2012.

13
. I have seen these two letters, and read each closely, taking written notes on them.

14
. It arrived in the mail the day he died.

15
. An initial police report erroneously gave the name on the note as “Elliot,” as if it had been misspelled. That was a simple recording error. The note in fact was signed “Elliott.”

1
. The L.A. County Coroner’s report is available online, in partial form, including the autopsy report. See:
http://www.thesmokinggun.com/documents/crime/rockers-autopsy-doesnt-rule-out-homicide
.
Accessed April 7, 2013.

2
. Interview Lisa Scheinin, May 2011. This was an e-mail correspondence spanning one full week. Scheinin was interviewed again in early 2013 on two separate occasions.

3
. For this and more from a letter Gowing wrote to an Elliott Smith fan who had questioned his initial article in
SPIN
magazine, see
http://www.myspace.com/justiceforelliottsmith/blog/537716700
.

4
. Ibid.

5
. Schoenkopf told me that, in his view, if Elliott had wanted to commit suicide, he would have done it by heroin overdose, not stabbing.

6
. de Wilde,
Elliott Smith
, 221.

William Todd Schultz
is a professor at Pacific University in Oregon. 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 writings of Truman Capote. He is also the author of
An Emergency in Slow Motion
, a study of the art and personality of Diane Arbus. He blogs for
Psychology Today
. His personal website is williamtoddschultz.com. Follow him on Twitter at @WTSchultz.

Handbook of Psychobiography
(2005; editor)

Tiny Terror: Why Truman Capote (Almost)
Wrote
Answered Prayers
(Inner Lives series)

An Emergency in Slow Motion:
The Inner Life of Diane Arbus

Copyright © 2013 by William Todd Schultz

All rights reserved.
You may not copy, distribute, transmit, reproduce or otherwise make available this publication (or any part of it) in any form, or by any means (including without limitation electronic, digital, optical, mechanical, photocopying, printing, recording, or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the publisher. Any person who does any unauthorized act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages. For information address Bloomsbury USA, 1385 Broadway, New York, NY 10018.

Published by Bloomsbury USA, New York

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Schultz, William Todd.
Torment saint : the life of Elliott Smith / William Todd Schultz. —First U.S. edition.
       pages cm
Includes bibliographical references.
eISBN 978-1-62040-378-5
1. Smith, Elliott, 1969–2003. 2. Rock musicians—United States—Biography. I. Title.
ML420.S668S38 2013
782.42166092—dc23
[B]
2013014534

First U.S. Edition 2013
Electronic edition published in October 2013

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