Foolishness for Christ appears several times in the novels of Dostoevsky. "The Idiot" explores the ramifications of placing a holy fool (the compassionate and insightful epileptic Prince Myshkin) in a secular world dominated by vanity and desire. According to Joseph Frank "though the gentlemanly and well-educated prince bears no external resemblance to these eccentric figures, he does possess their traditional gift of spiritual insight, which operates instinctively, below any level of conscious awareness or doctrinal commitment." In "Demons", the madwoman Marya Lebyadkina displays many of the attributes of the holy fool, as do the characters of Sofya Marmeladova and Lizaveta in "Crime and
Myshkin (singer) member of The Road Dog Diva's, Ez Bake Organs, and the Mike West Band. Myshkin and Mike West toured as a duo for a decade, playing approximately 300 shows a year throughout the U.S., Europe, Canada and Australia, and were recipients of several of the city's music industry awards. In 2001 Myshkin formed a new band, Myshkin's Ruby Warblers, with John Lutz on upright bass and Scott Magee on drums. The first record, "Rosebud Bullets", was a well received farewell to New Orleans for Myshkin, garnering spots on the 2003 best records top ten lists of the Village Voice and