Hello
one and all! How are you today? I hope everyone is doing well and
happy! It’s so great to be with all of you again. Welcome back
everyone to my writing blog where I try to share whatever I think may
interest you: Whether it is writing information, interviews with
other authors, and anything or anyone connected to writing. I just
love introducing, welcoming and interviewing authors. Welcome to an
interview with Martha Graham-Waldon, author of the memoir, Nothing
Like Normal—Surviving a Sibling’s Schizophrenia.
Author Martha Graham-WaldonMartha is a writer, spiritual entrepreneur and armchair activist who resides in the Santa Cruz Mountains of California with her family and a menagerie of pets. Her articles have been published locally, internationally and online. She is a winner of the 2015 Women’s Memoirs contest for a vignette based on her memoir in the anthology Tales of our Lives. Her memoir Nothing Like Normal—Surviving a Sibling’s Schizophrenia was published by Black Opal Books and is available on Amazon, other on-line retailers and independent booksellers. A member of the National Association of Memoir Writers, Martha also loves travel, the outdoors, Jazzercise and music. For more information, please visit www.nothinglikenormal.com
In case anyone isn't aware, the month of May has been designated as Mental Health Month by NAMI, the National Association on Mental Illness https://www.nami.org/
During May and year-round, NAMI and participants across the country are bringing awareness to mental health by fighting stigma, providing support, educating the public and advocating for equal care for mental illness. As an author and mental health advocate, Martha Graham-Waldon has helped to bring awareness to mental health issues within families through her memoir, Nothing Like Normal: Surviving a Sibling’s Schizophrenia.
How about you? Have you experienced mental –illness in a loved one?
Martha will be giving away an e-edition of
her memoir to a reader selected at random from the comments below.
We’d love to hear from you. Please leave your comments below~Now to the interview....
SJ: It must have been very difficult to live in your sister's shadow of ill health. It certainly was a personal issue. What made you decide to share your story with others?
Martha: It has been very personal for me and when I first began writing on this subject, it was mainly as a form of therapy for me as I tried to come to terms with my past and what had happened to my family. However, I soon realized that I was not alone in my experience. In fact, each year millions of Americans face the reality of living with a mental health condition in either themselves or in a loved one. I decided that I could be a voice in the important national conversation on mental health and that my insights might help others in similar situations.
SJ: What do you hope to
accomplish with the publication of Nothing Like
Normal?
Martha: I have
already received lots of positive feedback from readers because my
story resonates with so many others. People tell me about their
siblings, parents and friends who have struggled with schizophrenia
and other mental health conditions and how reading the book has given
them a helpful perspective on their past and present struggles. I
have also joined a NAMI speakers bureau called LETS (Let’s End the
Silence) and we travel to local high schools and educate the students
on mental health and suicide prevention. This has been incredibly
rewarding for me and we hope that our efforts will save lives.
SJ: Looking back now, was
there ever any warning, a red flag that may have signaled to you or
others that your sister was ill before it actually occurred?
Martha: In my
memoir, I describe some incidents that I remember from our childhood
which where warning signs that something was amiss with my sister
Kathy. She had a few violent outbursts which were puzzling and
upsetting to me as a younger sibling, such as breaking things.
Unfortunately, there was not a lot of awareness about mental illness
in the 1960s and 70s, and no one recognized this as anything other
than a child’s tantrum.
SJ: Were there any issues
you had to overcome in being able to write this story? If so, how did
you overcome them?
Martha: Writing my
story was painful because I had to relive many difficult parts of my
past in order to better understand them. I found that I was
experiencing many memories, some joyful and some painful, and as they
arose for me I would jot them down, sometimes in the middle of the
night or at odd times. I took my time with each memory, processing
one at a time so they would not be overwhelming as I re-created
scenes that had taken place in my past.
I discovered and poured
through old journals, poetry, prose and family letters and then
created and referred to a timeline of important turning points in my
life that helped me to be objective in understanding my past.
SJ: Now that you've
published non-fiction, is there a writing genre you would ever like
to try writing in? Why or why not?
Martha: I am
currently working on a novel which is nice break from the intensity
of memoir writing. It feels very powerful to create characters from
scratch and control their destiny with a wave of my hand!
SJ: What is a favorite book
you enjoyed reading and would recommend without hesitation? Why?
Martha: I have
enjoyed escaping from reality and the present through historic novels
such as The Other Boleyn Girl by Phillipa Gregory.
In terms of memoir, The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls is
an inspiring coming of age tale about overcoming the hardships of
poverty and a tough childhood.
SJ: Any advice for those
interested in writing a memoir? Is there anything you know now that
you wished you had known before your book was published?
Martha: Read as many
memoirs as you can. Study the memoir writing genre and connect with
the memoir community online or through the public library. There are
lots of memoir workshops and seminars that you can participate in
online and in person. Look at old photos and journals to ignite your
memories. All these things will help you find your own voice. Don’t
get discouraged and try to write a little each day, even if it’s
only for 15 minutes.
SJ: In closing, Martha, can
you give us a hint into your next project?
Martha: Lair
of Love (temporary title) is the story of two young people forced
into homelessness. They rely on ingenuity to survive--first in a
makeshift dwelling in the redwood forest and later in the concrete
jungle of city streets. It is a love story that is innocent and
idyllic until their love is interrupted by a series of challenges.
Will they be able to find a real home and build a life together or
will the harsh reality of homelessness drive them apart?
SJ: Sounds
terrific, Martha! Can't wait to see it in print. Right now, before
we say goodbye we have to share the blurb for Nothing Like Normal:
In
Nothing
Like Normal, after
an idyllic childhood, the strains of adolescence send one sister
spiraling down into a mental breakdown, leaving her younger sibling
and family to cope with the aftermath. The younger sister must now
face her fears and find her own truth or be pulled in the same
downward direction as her former mentor. How she survives while
navigating the ups and downs of their volatile teen years leads to an
inspiring and endearing tale.
Interested?
Want to learn more? Here's a brief excerpt for Nothing Like Normal:
Excerpt:
As I stepped over the threshold, the heavy metal door to the psych unit swung shut with a resounding and decisive slam that made me jump. My eyes swept over the drafty expanse of the ward as I searched for her. The faded checkered floor was lit by afternoon shadows. Light spilled into the room like shards of crystals piercing through the tight wires imbedded in the thick shatterproof glass. I looked at my sister Kathy as she walked down the corridor toward me, thinking back on all that had happened to us both. My once fit, athletic sister was now obese. Her dark hair hung stringy down around her face, usually uncombed and dirty. Her teeth and nails were stained brown with nicotine. Suddenly I was caught up short in astonishment. Who was this metamorphosed girl in front of me? Why was she here? Why not me? And I reflected on the past and all that has brought us here…
Kathy Cat and Martha Mouse lived together
in a great big house.
It was always the two of us. The "little
girls" we were called.
As close as we were, we were far apart, too,
different in so many ways. She was brave and outgoing; I was quiet
and introverted. She had long, dark hair that she wore down almost
always, tucked behind her ears and flung behind her shoulders. She
wore hang-ten T-shirts like a uniform, a different one each day.
She was dark and beautiful, like an American Indian. Somehow that
tiny bit of our Cherokee ancestry was born out in her. In junior
high once, a boy signed her yearbook, “To the best Indian girl I
know”, and we wondered about that. She was all right till the
bump of adolescence sent her careening over the edge. I lost her to
a cruel illness that invaded; slowly taking her over her bright
mind.
When your
sibling becomes mentally ill, you feel powerless. The adults are
making the decisions; there is not much you can do. It’s like
being a passenger on a train pummeling towards a certain wreck,
witnessing your family plunge into disaster and not being able to
step off or change course…
That
sounds heartbreaking. It certainly got me interested. Of course, I
already read the book and think everyone should, especially if
someone you know has a mental problem. It's important to know that
you're not alone. I gave Nothing Like Normal 5 stars because it
was a story from the heart that touched my heart while reading it.
Thank
you, Martha. For allowing us to take some time out of your busy
schedule and interview you as you share your personal experience
about living with a sibling's mental problem.
Readers,
take note you may purchase a copy of Martha's memoir, Nothing
Like Normal—Surviving a Sibling’s Schizophrenia at
online retailers and independent booksellers:
How
about you? Have you experienced mental –illness in a loved one?
Martha will be giving away an
e-edition of her memoir to a reader selected at random from the
comments below.
We’d
love to hear from you. Please leave your comments below~
Feel
free to connect with Martha at:
www.nothinglikenormal.com
twitter:
https://twitter.com/marthagw
Thank
you all for visiting with us. It's always a pleasure meeting with
every one of you.
Until
next month...every one please stay safe. Smile. Be happy. Show
compassion. Be nice to others. Put a little love into your heart.
Please speak up for those without a voice, whether it be a dog, cat,
elephant or monkey. One person, one voice can make a difference. Read
a book and pass it on. Leave a review. Reviews are important for
authors. Believe me. I know. Thank you!
Regards,
S.
J. Francis
Advocate
for the underdog, and cat, and supporting writers, et al.
In
Shattered Lies: "Good and bad, it's All About Family." Available now from
Black Opal Books and for sale at all on-line retailers and
independent booksellers.
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