The Matter of Mental Health

It's been some time since I felt well enough to put pen to paper with a view to publishing again. But thanks to my decision to work more aggressively on my health issues, I am now able to do just that. Only I didn't begin work on The Brownstone, the novel I've been promising to complete for nearly three years now. Instead, I sat down and began scribbling a story that's been hanging around inside me for almost two decades (maybe even longer), and it's been the most cathartic experience! The words spilled out of me faster than I could even write them, so I had to resort to typing this particular work (I prefer to write manuscripts out by longhand). I happen to think that, for me, it is--and will always be--my most important work ever.

K My Name Is Kendra (Pen Poised Press, Fall 2007) is the story of a young woman whose life begins to spiral out of control when she finds herself facing what she only learns later is a severe bout of Depression. Alone and powerless against this sudden onset of mental turmoil, Kendra falls into a twisted relationship with a young uncle, the one person in her life who seems sympathetic to her plight.

So why am I posting about this book in my blog? Well, in an earlier post, I said I'd write here about all sorts of things related to health and wellness. And since I, along with so many other women of color, have suffered from severe bouts of Depression for as long as I can remember, the topic fits right in with the mission of this online journal, which is to shed light on health and wellness issues plaguing our communities. Mental health is one such issue, and it continues to be ignored, misunderstood, ridiculed and whispered about--to the point where people who lack it often don't seek the help they need to deal with it. At the very least, it can lead to their suffering needlessly or being victimized by people with less than honorable intentions (to put it nicely). Even more sadly, in extreme cases (which seem to be on the rise these days), it can lead to a person's death...sometimes one's own, and sometimes that of others.

In my dedication, I write: To all the girls for whom a story like this is not fiction. To reach those girls now might just save the life of a woman later.

Click here to read excerpts at my official website.