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A review by casskrug
The Collected Schizophrenias by Esmé Weijun Wang
5.0
god i love a good essay collection. this was the perfect mix of personal writing about esme weijun wang’s own experience with schizoaffective disorder, and research into the history, treatment, and perception of the group of mental illnesses known as the collected schizophrenias. i’ve read a few women’s accounts of being hospitalized for mental illness, but none have been about this specific disorder, which is widely mischaracterized and even villainized by the media.
wang educates the reader on many different aspects of life with schizoaffective disorder, including yale’s mishandling of her condition while she was a student, the way trauma and chronic illness compound the negative effects of schizoaffective disorder, and her connection to spirituality. her voice is frank and to the point, making a difficult topic very engaging and providing a perspective that is often overlooked and unheard.
i came out of this collection feeling like i truly learned something, and very in awe of wang’s resilience and poise. there is something so special about an essay collection that perfectly strikes the balance between personal and educational, and i was absolutely enthralled by this one.
wang educates the reader on many different aspects of life with schizoaffective disorder, including yale’s mishandling of her condition while she was a student, the way trauma and chronic illness compound the negative effects of schizoaffective disorder, and her connection to spirituality. her voice is frank and to the point, making a difficult topic very engaging and providing a perspective that is often overlooked and unheard.
i came out of this collection feeling like i truly learned something, and very in awe of wang’s resilience and poise. there is something so special about an essay collection that perfectly strikes the balance between personal and educational, and i was absolutely enthralled by this one.