Must Read Monday: Wally Lamb

In honor of World Suicide Prevention Day last Friday, I wanted to think a little but about the intersection of my two worlds: mental health and literature. And I'll come right out and say it: for my money, no one writes about mental illness with a gentler hand or more authentic voice than Wally Lamb. I've so far only read She's Come Undone and I Know This Much Is True, but both of those books are, to me, such staggering achievements in character and voice that I can't wait to read more from him.

One of the first things that caught my attention in She's Come Undone is how authetically female Dolores's voice was from a male author. Though there are certainly exceptions, it seems most authors stick to writing from the perspective of their own gender, even if they experiment with other types of "other." So when an author breaks with that, and does it extremely sensitively and deftly, it's that much more of an accomplishment. Dolores's issues with body image, sexual assault and ensuing questions about her sexuality, questions of satisfaction and gender roles in marriage, are are thoughtfully addressed in HER voice.

The voice in I Know This Much Is True is very different, but no less powerful. Dominic struggles with the issues so many family members of those with mental illness struggle with, heightened because he and Thomas are twins: Why them and not me? And really, isn't it still me because I'm here living it with them, caring for them, trying to keep them together? One of my undergrad professors, David Karp, wrote a book called The Burden of Sympathy about the family experience of mental illness. The themes that those real family stories are all present in the Birdsey saga.

Both books have an interesting perspectives on mental health treatment. As a clinician, I'm always interested in how my profession is portrayed in the fictional realm. I get frustrated with the crazy portrayals in shows like Cupid where no real treatment happens and ethical lines are continuosly not just stepped over, but left in the dust. Deinstitutionalization, forensic responsibility, and the relative merits of different forms of psychotherapy that have come in and out of fashion over the sprawl of Lamb's character's lives all run through his narratives. I think he has one of the most accurate and favorable depictions of mental health pros I've read.

But what I love most about Lamb is that none of his characters are JUST their mental illness. Even in classics like One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, themes of mental illness can overtake the overall sense of character, and people become their diagnosis. By giving his characters so many layers, Lamb challenges the notion that mental illness is "all encompassing." Which is, of course, how it works for those in the "real world," coping.

I have a lot more I'm thinking about with relation to this topic. I'll get my thoughts organized and continue with this later this week. Stay tuned!