Portrait of the Artist as a Young Patient, the first book of non-fiction written by Gerald Alper, is also the first serious attempt to explore in depth the dynamics of the yet-to-be recognized, unfulfilled and usually perplexed fledgling artist. The artist tries to live in two separate worlds: a factual, linear, banal, reality-driven outer world that is best kept at arm's length; and a creatively organized, aesthetically orchestrated, dramatically engaging inner world that is forever being obsessively cultivated. Indeed, facilitating the patient in his or her efforts to forge a usable bridge between these generally discontinuous worlds is no small part of the task of the therapist who elects to work with such young artists.