The Piling of Tophet

The Piling of Tophet is the autobiography of John T. Fowler.

John Fowler was born in Flushing, Long Island, New York in 1843. After developing delusions and hallucinations of hearing at the age of twenty-nine, he was committed to the Hudson River State Hospital in Poughkeepsie, New York, where he lived for seven years. One year before leaving the asylum, he wrote his life story, The Piling of Tophet.

The resulting book is an introspective, contrarian, and deeply philosophical coming-of-age story, and a rare first-hand account of the experience of madness in nineteenth-century America.

In a 1889 review of The Piling of Tophet, the neurologist Dr. Frederick Peterson wrote, “It is remarkable for its excellent literary style, and for its keen reasoning and psychological analysis…It is as fascinating as a novel."

Woven into John Fowler’s life story are five additional chapters — covering his life philosophy, his views on religion, his experience of hearing voices, and a record of his dreams —providing rich context for understanding his life and thought.

Now in print after 145 years, this unabridged edition of The Piling of Tophet includes a historical introduction, editorial notes and photographs.