I Go From Bad to Verse (Paperback)

by D Rubin (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
By Donna S. Rubin

ISBN: 978-1-84747-180-2
Published: 2007
Pages: 93
Key Themes: poetry, manic depression, bi-polar disorder, humour, self-harm, North American author

Description

I've written a book, but it's not the usual kind of "I've got this disorder, this is how I deal". My book is funny and it rhymes. I think it helps people. Those I've shared it with said it's made it easier to understand the illness without making it obvious that that's what I am doing. I rhyme a lot, make fun of psychiatry and talk about the hospital as an imperfect place that doesn't promise a cure, but does the best it can. I make fun of the food, my own doctor, and talk about friends I've made, and lost. My last poem talks about self-injury, which to some people might be disturbing, but it is a part of my illness, so I write about it.

I Go from Bad to Verse is not like any other book - it makes my story approachable; in between readable verses, I explain how I came to write each poem. I think anyone can pick it up and grasp what someone with a chronic illness goes through. Just because an illness is a mental one shouldn't stop it from being understandable and have people relate to it. Donna S. Rubin

About the Author

Donna S. Rubin is 48 and lives in a suburb of New York City. She was diagnosed with bipolar-disorder approximately 12 years ago and her poetry reflects issues dealing with having a mental illness. She is a college graduate and even though she wasn't diagnosed in college, in retrospect she went through a major depression in her freshman year. Currently she is between jobs, trying to figure out what her next step is before becoming a famous author!

Book Extract

I wrote this poem during my freshman year in college, when I first encountered depression and all the uncertainty it brought. This was before I was ever even in therapy, and the questions that I ask in it are so much the struggle I came to later that I had to include it here. It is one of the few poems I've ever written that doesn't rhyme.

Product Details

• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: Chipmunkapublishing (February 2, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1847471803
• ISBN-13: 978-1847471802
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 4.8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,728,119 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gentle and Humorous Insights Into Black Days , April 10, 2007

By	Shoshana A. Simon (San Bernardino, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

It is said that one of every four Americans will suffer some mental illness in this life. This gentle book is for those 25% and their families.

"I Go From Bad to Verse" is an insightful yet compassionate peek into some of the experiences commonly encountered by those who are designated by our society as "mentally ill." Anyone who has shared the experience of seeing a therapist or taking a prescribed mood-altering medication will be head bobbing along with the verses...and laughing.

I plan to share this sweet book with my former therapists, friends and family and to keep a few copies on hand for those newly inducted into the "mental health" process in hopes that the journey will be less painful with the help of this guide.

5.0 out of 5 stars For Those With Their Own Issues and Those That Love Them, April 10, 2009

By	Dennis L. Kubelle "TheAtomicAnchovy" (Florida) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I have issues with Clinical Depression, PTSD, among others. This Book of Poetry will bring a smile, but will also give insight. You will say "Yeah!! I Feel Like That Too", Donna Rubin has penned a masterpiece in my opinion, one that you will reread and share with others, in need or not. You Are NOT Alone!!!!

5.0 out of 5 stars Insightful, April 4, 2009

By	Roger E. Shea "dvdadonis" (Abington, MA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book is a must for anyone who experiences depression or for anyone whose family or friends have depression. I found this book to be insightful and honest. It really helped me and I have shared it with friends and associates.