The official re-release of my debut book, Crazy, is just a few days away, and I’m honored that my publisher, Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, deems it worthy of such attention. The world is not the same place as it was ten years ago when the book first came out. The need for mental health advocacy in this post-Covid era is greater than ever, and continuing the dialogue about positive pathways to rehabilitation and recovery for those suffering from mental illness strengthens the fabric of our society. I’m energized that my story of how one teenage girl in the sixties searching for answers to understand her mother’s bipolar disorder can further the conversation and fight the stigma of mental illness in the twenty-first century.

In my own journey, writing Crazy has led to a plethora of blessings and opportunities I could not have imagined ten years ago. Plugging into advocacy groups like National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) was my first stop, which led to facilitating a monthly drop-in center called Providence Place for persons with mental illness and their families. It didn’t take long to realize that a monthly program wasn’t enough, and when two other advocates and I brainstormed the possibilities, the Clubhouse International model began flashing on our mutual radars.

In October, 2022, the three of us and a handful of volunteers launched Charlotte Clubhouse, a nonprofit, evidence-based program that offers persons with mental illness a safe place to gain self-efficacy, form meaningful relationships, experience socialization, develop new skills, and acquire a more stable quality of life. I will be featuring the members and the management of the Clubhouse in future letters. Before then, I hope you will check out our website, subscribe to the wonderful member-crafted newsletter, and consider supporting the cause with a donation.

Until next time,

Linda