Marbles
Books | Biography & Autobiography / Personal Memoirs
3.8
(115)
Ellen Forney
Cartoonist Ellen Forney explores the relationship between “crazy” and “creative” in this graphic memoir of her bipolar disorder, woven with stories of famous bipolar artists and writers. Shortly before her thirtieth birthday, Forney was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Flagrantly manic and terrified that medications would cause her to lose creativity, she began a years-long struggle to find mental stability while retaining her passions and creativity. Searching to make sense of the popular concept of the crazy artist, she finds inspiration from the lives and work of other artists and writers who suffered from mood disorders, including Vincent van Gogh, Georgia O’Keeffe, William Styron, and Sylvia Plath. She also researches the clinical aspects of bipolar disorder, including the strengths and limitations of various treatments and medications, and what studies tell us about the conundrum of attempting to “cure” an otherwise brilliant mind.Darkly funny and intensely personal, Forney’s memoir provides a visceral glimpse into the effects of a mood disorder on an artist’s work, as she shares her own story through bold black-and-white images and evocative prose.
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Author
Ellen Forney
Pages
256
Publisher
Penguin
Published Date
2012-11-06
ISBN
1101617195 9781101617199
Community ReviewsSee all
"I definitely could relate to this book in a way I hadn't expected which I'm not sure worries me or not. I have never been diagnosed as bipolar or even with depression. but I definitely have experienced the depressive and manic states the author describes--I've seen several therapists on and off in my adult life so the fact that none have ever suggested medication would suggest my bouts of depression and mania are on a smaller scale, but I still could relate to those feelings and how in whichever state you're in you feel "this is the <i>real</i> me." And seeing myself as a "creative" I also could understand that fear of taking medication and no matter how much trouble your moods may cause you you cling to them as a part of yourself, the root of your creativity. <br/><br/>Also, I just re-read [b:The Bell Jar|458288|The Bell Jar (Everyman's Library)|Sylvia Plath|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1388849581s/458288.jpg|1385044] and had picked up [b:Belzhar|20821376|Belzhar|Meg Wolitzer|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1395326170s/20821376.jpg|40167214] for its connection to it, only to find this book also discusses Sylvia Plath and The Bell Jar. I love when things connect like that. <br/><br/>Definitely a good book to read to have a better understanding of being bi-polar.<br/><br/>On a personal note: I also related to the author's connection to her mother: "I called mom almost every day to hear he say she loved me, to be reminded of any reason for using up air..." for I myself called my mom for the same thing, which adds another layer of difficulty for dealing with the grief of losing her, since the very person I need to call to remind me she loves me and I'm ok, is the reason I feel so low."
Liesl Prentice
"Hmmm, I'd say the part where the author has everything worked out. It's always great to see people pull through the hardships that come with mental illness."
M M
Marlene Moore