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Mania, Depression, Michelangelo, and Me
Gotham Books
November 2012
On Sale: November 6, 2012
256 pages
ISBN: 1592407323
EAN: 9781592407323
Paperback
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Graphic Novel | Non-Fiction Memoir
Cartoonist Ellen Forney explores the relationship between βcrazyβ and βcreativeβ 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 OβKeeffe, 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 βcureβ an otherwise brilliant mind.
Darkly funny and intensely personal, Forneyβs memoir provides a visceral glimpse into the effects of a mood disorder on an artistβs work, as she shares her own story through bold black-and-white images and evocative prose.
 Media BuzzAll Things Considered - January 11, 2013
Morning Edition - November 26, 2012
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