Recovering from Mental trauma

It’s mental health awareness week and there have been some very good documentaries on TV, including Louis Theroux’s Mum’s on the edge and Nadiya Hussain’s piece on anxiety.

It was shocking to learn that Nadiya didn’t have any friends, as she is such a well known and likeable TV personality.

She was seeking treatment for her anxiety, because she wants to recover.

I have written a book on mental health recovery called Mental Health Recovery Heroes Past and Present exploring how much mental health sufferers can achieve even while taking medication.

It is nice to see Nadiya Hussain showing how it can affect a very successful person and the effect it has on her life.

Unspeakable Things - Laurie Penny Book Review

Laurie Penny has sent me a shiny new copy of her book to review.

It took me a week to read and I have taken a week to think about it to try to give it the review it deserves.

A brave beginning

This book begins with all the charged anger that I would expect from Penny.

She throws a gauntlet down to tamer forms of feminism and gets stuck in, even to the point of shocking me once and believe me that isn't that easy.

In all, this is a brutally honest book that comes out fighting: covering eating disorders, the feminist tradition, sex, the internet and female stereotypes.

Easily digestible, but with difficult ideas, bravo.

She refuses to offer a template for living, which is wise given that it is the message offered up so often to women.

And she is brave enough to encompass men into her thinking, wise to fight the men hating image.

Sexy lady

However, she observes that the only value a woman is allowed to have is her sexuality.

While I agree there is some weight to this argument I feel the way she has tackled it refuses to confront the problem sufficiently.

Women do manage to transcend to greater power Ms Penny, which is probably why the press try to drag them back down to talking about their clothes and eye bags.

She views unequal objectification and not objectification itself to be the problem.

Is not objectification destructive, and in danger of de-humanising everyone: after all you wouldn't be very happy if I was writing this review only of the cover of your book.

That is what objectification does, you of all people should know this.

Does looking at men like an object empower us or them?

Is this the area in which you really want more equality?

Parting shot

You say you want to re-write the old stories about work and power and sex and love, great.

How?

Do not misunderstand me, this is one of the best and bravest books that I have read in a while and equally one that merits re-reading.

You unpack some uncomfortable truths about what it still means to be a woman in today's society and for that I can only applaud you.

I just sometimes feel I may have to fight against you in the same moment as I stand with you and believe me, I'd rather stand with you.

Do you want to burn the past or evolve it?

Gaiman's milk odessey

I was kindly invited to a reading of Fortunately, the Milk on Tuesday night.

It's a kid's story, but trust me it doesn't matter.

The compère was good value; the punk act, a little more dicey – but I've never been that sure about punk.

Fortunately, the Milk

But from almost as soon as the author, Neil Gaiman, stepped on stage I was certain I was in for a treat.


Chris Riddell, the illustrator, was also in attendance to do some live pictures; impressive stuff, believe me.

And there were special guests helping with the readings (Lenny Henry being the last minute surprise).

Living books

And so it was that a select cast of brilliant orators got together to read this fabulous book.

I was jealous of the kids in the audience: what would it have been to be a child at this event?

There should have been more of them, maybe you should do another one at the weekend Neil...

The story

Fortunately, the Milk tells of a father's journey to fetch some milk.

However, this father battles pirates, monsters and ghouls on his not so humble quest.

It's beautifully written, with moments for adults and kids alike.

You may not laugh out loud (yes I'm going to write it in full), but you will certainly smile.

Verdict

I feel privileged, go buy it (even if you don't have a kid).

Bubble gum lit

I was talking to a creative writing student the other day and the topic came round to 'chick lit'.

I'm not a great consumer of the form, preferring instead to read Kafka (at the moment at least).

However, I did confess to dipping into quite a few when I was studying my MA.

I described the books as being like bubble gum, in that, when you got to the end you didn't know whether to spit it out or swallow it (no jokes please).

In essence if you spit it out, reject the simplicity of the story and the wildly happy ending you are left feeling unsatisfied and empty.

Whereas, if you swallow it, accept the ending and allow yourself to feel that warm fuzzy feeling, you are left with the risk of it sticking in your stomach giving you overly sweet expectations of life that are liable to make you very sick at some point.

To sum up, chick lit is dangerous.

It either leaves you feeling empty and hollow or walking around in a constant fairy tale daze where every cloud is simply sparkly and pink.

Enjoy.