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Zusatztext “A stirring anthology of the best and most searing writings that brightly illuminate the dark side of so many women’s lives.”— Kirkus Reviews “A startling! stunning! wise! heartbreaking! and most useful collection . . . a book for soulful and literary people of all genders! everywhere.” —Phyllis Chesler! Ph.D.! author of Women and Madness and Letters to a Young Feminist “The wide range of work includes arresting first-person descriptions of mental illness.” — Library Journal “A rich mosaic of historical! social! and political perspectives on mental illness . . . Ms. Shannonhouse has performed a profound service in bringing these women’s voices—outraged and compassionate! strong and stricken—to our attention.” —Carl Sherman! author of How to Go to Therapy Informationen zum Autor Rebecca Shannonhouse is a freelance writer and editor. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times , the San Francisco Chronicle, USA Today , and other publications. She lives in New York City. Klappentext "Out of Her Mind, edited by Rebecca Shannonhouse, captures the best literature by and about women struggling with madness. A remarkable chronicle of gifted and unconventional women who have spun their inner turmoil into literary gold, the collection features classic short stories, breathtaking literary excerpts, key historical writings, and previously unpublished letters by Zelda Fitzgerald. Shannonhouse's recent anthology, "Under the Influence: The Literature of Addiction, is also available as a Modern Library Paperback Original.A century ago, in a genteel neighborhood of Montgomery, Alabama, a child was born who would eventually embody the freewheeling spirit of the 1920s flapper. Lavish and impulsive, Zelda Fitzgerald offered an alluring mix of privilege and melodrama to complement her young novelist husband, E Scott Fitzgerald. The couple stormed through the New York and Paris party circuits, cutting a lasting image of beauty and flamboyance. He produced great works of literature; she wrote fiction and essays, painted, and dreamed of being a dancer. Before she turned thirty, however, Zelda's life would take an abrupt turn as she experienced the first of several mental breakdowns. To those who knew her, the great American flapper had slipped behind a veil of madness. Like Zelda Fitzgerald, generations of other gifted, unconventional, and tormented women have seen their lives eclipsed by mental illness. They have suffered from depression, schizophrenia, manic depression, and other psychological disorders. Their life ambitions have been derailed by illnesses that bring sadness, delusions, and fears leaving one, as Zelda once described herself, "heart-broken, grief-stricken, spiritually sick." Other talented, outlandish women have been labeled "mad" simply for defying societal norms. They are the ones, in the not too distant past, who were considered lunatics for rejecting their socially imposed roles as homemakers. They are the ones who were dragged to institutions for disagreeing with their husbands about religion. They are the ones, like Ann Hopkins, the seventeenth-century politician's wife, who, according to one observer, became insane after "giving herself wholly to reading and writing." So what is "madness"? When is it mental illness? Or when is it the circumstances of a woman's life driving her "out of her mind"? These are the fundamental questions that first inspired this anthology. In looking for answers, my instincts guided me to literature and history. Ever since I first read about Zelda Fitzgerald some twenty years ago, her life has felt unresolved to me, like a stranded traveler in the back of my mind. Was she destined to be mentally ill, or was she overshadowed by her marriage, driven mad by her unfulfilled aspirations? My purpose in creating this anthology was twofold: to compile ...
