Episode tells a story about mental illness in an uplifting and often humorous way. I believe it can not only entertain but help and inspire those who live with mental illness and those who have a loved one who does.
Episode differs from many other popular memoirs on the subject of mental health in that it retells the experience of one single bipolar episode, a ten month time span rather than a lifetime of illness.
The narrative opens with my escalation into mania. Whether I’m interacting with fairies who are posing as the police or protecting my home from a serial killer I invented and believe is real, I bring the reader inside my mind. Then, once there, I emphasize the hilarity that abounds. I analyze the absurdity of my escalating delusions.
The second part of Episode details my hospitalization and subsequent depression which reaches suicidal lows.
I have an atypical father. I’m the daughter of Monty Python’s Eric Idle which means my life’s “normal” is one others might deem “abnormal.” It also means humor has been an integral part of every day since birth. (Kids don’t generally sing the song “Sit On My Face” in McDonald’s at age six, but I sure did.)
In Episode, I utilize this humor to make a very serious condition with life or death stakes approachable to a reader.
Episode is humorous and harrowing in equal measure and often at the same time.
Most importantly, Episode looks on the bright side of life.
When I was psychotic, I believed 2 cops I interacted with were really fairy messengers from the Fairy King disguised as humans.
If you find this as absurd as I do and would like to hear more about it, please enjoy this Episode excerpt.
I am thrilled that Episode has the representation of Matt Bialer at Sanford J. Greenburger Associates.
He isn’t just an agent, but a mental health ally.
I received my bipolar I disorder diagnosis in 2005. If you’d told 14-year-old me that I’d someday have a page on my website that put my bipolar diagnosis on display, I’d have deemed you crazy and referred you to my psychiatrist. In almost 10 years, I told no more than 5 people about my diagnosis. And then the 2014 events I describe in Episode occurred...
After those events, which included ample insane facebook posts (some included below), I’ve spoken openly and honestly about bipolar disorder, in-person, at events, and on all my social media platforms. I do so because I believe the only way to break down mental health stigma is to normalize the experiences lived due to mental health disorders. I want to someday see no difference in the shame attached to a stay in a psych ward and a recovery from a complex stomach surgery.
I hope to see Episode: The Chronicle of an Unintentional Bipolar Adventure contribute to the dialogue surrounding mental health. I hope it can bring hope to readers, hope for their loved ones, hope for themselves.
