Category: mental illness

‘Lost Connections’ and ‘A Heart That Works’

Dec 6, 2023

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Pen

in Andrew Solomon’s The Noonday Demon, Democracy, depression, Dorothy Rowe, humour as medicine, Inequality, Inequality – Australia, Johann Hari’s Lost Connections, mental illness, National Health Service UK, Public Good, Rob Delaney – A Heart That Works

How to find hope in a world gone mad During a week at the coast recently with four others, one of the books I’d brought was Johann Hari’s Lost Connections: Why you’re depressed and how to find hope (Bloomsbury, 2018). Three of those friends at different times picked up the book and couldn’t stop reading…
Tools for self-destruction – Max Fisher’s The Chaos Machine

Oct 15, 2023

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by

Pen

in capitalism, dangers of social media, digital technology, Inequality, mental illness, miscarriage of justice, politics, value of the arts

The manipulation of neural pathways The weekly radio co-hosting preparation was swallowing too much time and compelling me to spend most of it on current affairs. I’m doing it only once a month now. Without the radio over-commitment, I limit current affairs consumption to basic knowledge of what’s going on. What’s going on is always…
Thirty Two Words for Field and Sand Talk – Irish and Indigenous wisdom

May 12, 2023

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Pen

in arts and health, Australia behind, Blasket islands, Books, capitalism, Common Good, Democracy, Indigenous wisdom, Inequality – Australia, Living creatively, Manchan Magan, mental illness, Nature writing – Irish, rural Ireland, Sand Talk, sustainable living, value of the arts

Connecting with a better world Apart from reading some fantastic books, I’ve been having fun with my new Kick-Start creative writing workshops. They’ve been zipping along with the poetic contributions of talented students, filling the BRAG room on Tuesday nights with laughter and creative verve. BRAG stands for Braidwood Regional Arts Group and you can…
Lost Focus – Johann Hari’s feasible solutions to our burning problems

Apr 13, 2022

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Pen

in capitalism, Democracy, depression, digital technology, dreams, Leisure, Living creatively, media negativity, mental illness, stress management, writers’ health

Tsunamis of information are drowning us We’ve lost our ability to focus. Tsunamis of information are coming at us, drenching us every minute of every waking hour. We can’t keep up with it, mentally or emotionally. What we sacrifice when we try is depth. Not to mention sanity, peace of mind and our democracy. In…
The Salt Path by Raynor Winn

Feb 23, 2020

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by

Pen

in mental illness, miscarriage of justice, optimism, Simplifying, wild camping

Nothing left to lose I’m travelling through Ireland, en route to a writing residency in County Kerry and the bookshops here are brilliant. A favourite one is Charlie Byrnes Bookshop in Galway. My favourite book from there is The Salt Path by Raynor Winn (Penguin, 2018). Sitting before roaring log fires in Shankill Castle’s drawing…
Drinking the days: biographies and oysters

Jan 28, 2020

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by

Pen

in Australian memoir, Christina Stead, Democracy, Dennis Glover, Kay Schubach, Living creatively, mental illness, optimism, value of the arts

‘Set wide the window. Let me drink the day.’ American writer Edith Wharton (1862-1937) wrote that. I love it and would often think of it after opening the curtains first thing. But her words took on a tragic tone in the mornings after the bushfires began. We could no longer open windows. Canberra’s air quality…
Reinventing our lives: surviving with the help of literature

Dec 28, 2019

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Pen

in Andrea Goldsmith, Australia behind, Bookshops, capitalism, Charlotte Wood, creativity, depression, Inequality – Australia, mental illness, optimism, value of the arts, writers’ health

When I was in Dublin in September I bought some wonderful books. A favourite is the intriguing, personal and beautifully written Hidden City: Adventures and explorations in Dublin by Karl Whitney (Penguin, 2014). (I’ve lent it and others to friends and can’t take a photo of its cover or some other favourites at the moment!)…
A struggle with mental illness – I Am Brian Wilson: A memoir

Feb 5, 2017

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by

Pen

in creativity, depression, mental illness, song writing, writers’ health

Pet Sounds When I was fourteen my older brother gave me the new Beachboys’ Pet Sounds album for Christmas. It was and remains my favourite. I’d never heard anything like those sophisticated, layered compositions and sublime harmonies – and neither had anyone else. No one had ever put together sounds like that before. It had…