The Monster and the Mirror

Mental Illness, Magic, and the Stories We Tell

von K J Aiello

272 Seiten, Taschenbuch

Kurzbeschreibung des Verlags

Revelatory memoir and cultural criticism that connects popular fantasy and our perceptions of mental illness to offer an empathetic path to compassionate careGrowing up, K.J. Aiello was fascinated by magical stories of dragons, wizards, and fantasy, where monsters were not what they seemed and anything was possible. These books and films were both a balm and an escape, a safe space where Aiello’s struggle with mental illness transformed from a burden into a strength that could win battles and vanquish villains.A unique blend of memoir, research, and cultural criticism, The Monster and the Mirror charts Aiello’s life as they try to understand their own mental illness using The Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones, and other stories as both guides to heroism and agency and cautionary tales of how mental illness is easily stereotyped as bad and violent. Aiello questions who is allowed to be “mad” versus “sane,” “good” versus “evil,” and “weak” versus “strong,” and who is allowed to tell their own stories. The Monster and the Mirror explores our perceptions of mental illness in a way that is challenging and tender, empathetic and knowledgeable, and offers a path to deeper understanding and compassionate care.

• Themen: Gesellschaft und Sozialwissenschaften Gesellschaft und Kultur, allgemein Soziale und ethische Themen Soziale Aspekte
• ISBN: 9781770417083
• Sprache: Englisch
• Erscheinungsdatum: 24.09.2024
• Größe: 198 x 137 mm
• Verlag: ECW Press