Exile: Homelessness and Northampton State Hospital Christopher J. Sparks, historian and writer Wednesday, March 17, 2021 | 7 pm | via Zoom Christopher J. Sparks will compare 19th century thinking about the root causes of psychiatric disorders, which led to the establishment of the Northampton State Hospital, with 20th century ideas about mental health, which culminated with the closing of the hospital. The program will explore two documents: Dr. Edward Jarvis's "Insanity and Idiocy in Massachusetts" from 1855 and video segments from Frontline's "A Place for Madness," produced in 1994, on the closing of Northampton State Hospital. Learn More | Register