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Through The Looking Glass: Reflecting on Madness and Chaos Within Paperback – May 17, 2021
John W. Leys (Editor) Find all the books, read about the author, and more. See search results for this author |
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Full of hope and despair, acceptance and rebellion, the creativity contained within these pages reflects the reality that we cannot walk around or behind the looking glass, but must walk through it unflinchingly to educate, foster compassion, and reduce the stigma so often associated with mental illness.
- Print length560 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- Publication dateMay 17, 2021
- Dimensions6 x 1.41 x 9 inches
- ISBN-101951724089
- ISBN-13978-1951724085
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Editorial Reviews
Review
"Perhaps one of Indie Blu(e)'s most vulnerable anthologies, much like We Will Not Be Silenced, this latest anthology opens our eyes and hearts to the struggles of mental illness, without judgement... This is another reason to admire the work achieved by this indie publisher. The individual is cradled in an anthology but their truth and their story are never stifled. And so, it is a pleasure to read and enjoy Through the Looking Glass; to lend your eyes and ears to a myriad of talent all reminding us we are far from alone and that there is hope."
Kristiana Reed, author of Between the Trees and Flowers on the Wall.
"Many editors of anthologies might balk at publishing such raw material, but the commitment of Indie Blu(e) is to give voice to what is so often silenced, sanitized, hidden, and there is in this enterprise something that gives us all hope. For by speaking out our deepest experiences of trauma, abuse and unhappiness there comes a sense of freedom, a sense of the possibility of recognition, connection, acceptance. And thus healing. We are not alone. Others are battling similar enemies. We are lovable. Our feelings are valid. We belong to the human race. We deserve to live.
. . . Many readers will nevertheless see the book as providing a bleak picture of the state of mental health and the paucity of effective support across the world. Indie Blu(e) Publishing, in describing itself as a progressive force, might hope that this collection becomes a resource in the path to social reform. Or perhaps they are more ambitious than that - honoring these voices from chaos and pain demands nothing less than a revolution."
Rhoda Thomas taught psychology, sociology and counselling for nearly 40 years. She is co-founder of Live Poets Society, a socialist poetry group in Wales, UK. Imago is her most recent poetry collection.
"The poems collected in Through the Looking Glass represent stories of human reality courageously told. The life truths revealed are often hidden and completely misperceived by the outside world. Here is the chance to recognize some of ourselves in these pages, our loved ones, colleagues, neighbors, the people we see casually in our cities, our towns and our communities every day. Only with understanding will empathy and compassion follow. These poems feel both painful and triumphant. To meet these talented and brave poets halfway, to do our part in obliterating the stigma of mental illness, can only make this world a better place."
Virginia Watts, Author of The Werewolves of Elk Creek and Shot Full of Holes, (Moonstone Press).
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Product details
- Publisher : Indie Blue Publishing (May 17, 2021)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 560 pages
- ISBN-10 : 1951724089
- ISBN-13 : 978-1951724085
- Item Weight : 1.79 pounds
- Dimensions : 6 x 1.41 x 9 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #1,761,317 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1,015 in Coping with Bipolar Disorder
- #1,266 in Mood Disorders (Books)
- #1,625 in Death, Grief & Loss Poetry (Books)
- Customer Reviews:
About the authors
Grace R. Reynolds is a native of the great state of New Jersey, where she was first introduced to the eerie and strange thanks to local urban legends of a devil creeping through the Pine Barrens. Since then, her curiosity with things that go bump in the night bloomed into creative expression as a dark poet, horror, and thriller fiction writer.
Grace has previously been published through Blood Rites Horror, Indie Blu(e) Publishing, and the Quill and Crow Publishing House for her short fiction and poetry. When Grace is not writing she can be found dreaming up macabre scenarios inspired by the mundane realities of life. Her debut collection of poetry “Lady of The House” will be released on 15 December 2021 through Curious Corvid Publishing.
John W. Leys is an indie-poet who been writing poetry since he was 14 years old, inspired by the words of John Lennon and Bob Dylan. His major poetic influences include Allen Ginsberg, Walt Whitman, Lord Byron, Erica Jong, Arthur Rimbaud, Sylvia Plath, Taliesin, the Poetic Edda, Catullus, Sappho, Leonard Cohen, George Harrison, John Milton, and Bob Dylan.
John was born on Long Island, New York and raised in Albany, Oregon. He served five years in the U.S. Army as a personnel clerk, received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Religious Studies from the University of South Florida in Tampa and studied for his master’s degree in Judaic Studies at the Graduate School of the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York City. He currently lives in Albany, Oregon with his dog, Cosmo.
He has had poetry published in Omnibus, Byronmania, Nicholas Gagnier's All the Lonely People, Avalanches in Poetry: Poetry, Stories, and Art Inspired by Leonard Cohen (Edited by David L. O'Nan), and As the World Burns: Writers and Artists Reflect on a World Gone Mad (edited by Kindra M. Austin, Candice Louisa Daquin, Rachel Finch, and Christine E. Ray).
He has also contributed to a variety of poetry-blogs, including Blood Into Ink, GoDogGo Café, and Free Verse Revolution.
His first collection of poetry, The Darkness of His Dreams, was published in July 2019 by Broken Wing Publishing.
When not writing poetry John is usually playing one of his many ukuleles or reading ancient Hellenistic philosophy for fun.
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While I'm grateful to have my pieces selected to represent my experience in dealing with anxiety and depression over the years, it isn't about me. Each and every one of the pieces presented by the poets and writers in this anthology has experienced or been a witness to the devastating effects of the various forms and varying degrees of mental illness. For many of us, being open about how we were truly feeling was difficult as most of the population just doesn't discuss a perceived weakness. It would be shameful, even embarrassing, and unproductive, something I dealt a lot with when I was younger. So I was quiet about it. I didn't even have a name for it until I was much older.
This book certainly doesn't celebrate the things which affect us but it does openly discuss how a person reacts to it, feels about it and how to even celebrate the byproducts of it. Adversity can foster empowerment, especially when one is supported throughout the process and beyond.
To anyone who truly wants to understand how a person with mental illness feels, I would recommend this anthology for valuable insight.
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