Personal Essay/Memoir
Not That Sweet
Stephanie Thoma
Category
Trigger Warnings
No triggers
In Not That Sweet, Stephanie candidly shares her story of growing up in a chaotic home, shaped by a police sergeant father seeking to “fix” her defiance and anger at home by sending her away to mental health institutions, juvenile hall, among other places. As she navigates her unconventional childhood, readers are invited to explore a pressing question: Is she a ‘troubled teen’, reacting to an unhealthy environment, or both?
Heids Up
Neil Renton and Mark Fleming
Category
Trigger Warnings
Violence, language, references to sex, drugs, child abuse, sectarianism. Descriptions of psychiatric institutions.
Neil Renton and Mark Fleming met at a mental health support group. Neil was candid about the depression which prompted suicidal thoughts, while Mark opened up about spells in psych wards. Finding out they both used creative writing to document harrowing experiences and maintain wellbeing, they collaborated on an anthology. Flash fiction, longer short stories, memoirs and essays intertwine to conjure snapshots of life; dark and disturbing, sometimes hilarious, always life-affirming.
A Paper Orchestra
Michael Jamin
Category
Trigger Warnings
some adult language
In his debut collection of personal essays, Emmy-nominated screenwriter Michael Jamin (King of the Hill, Just Shoot Me, Beavis and Butt-Head, Wilfred, Maron, Rules of Engagement, Tacoma FD) recounts the true stories of a sensitive, anxious man searching for the things that are most important in life.
“Good lord, how it made me feel happy, sad, and connected all at once… it’s a triumph.”
—Vulture, Best Comedy Books of 2024
