Marbles: A Graphic Memoir

I read Marbles: Mania, Depression, Michaleangelo, and Me in December 2012. I remember thinking  that the images were arresting and intense. Forney definitely presents an interesting examination of one woman's experience with bipolar disorder from diagnosis to treatment to making sense of what the label/treatment mean for her creativity. I appreciated how she explored the link between mental illness and creativity via various deceased poets, writers, artists who are thought to have suffered from unipolar depression or bipolar disorder.

I've asked to teach this graphic memoir in my graphic novel elective (comic books). I'm not sure if it'll get approved by my principal since it's such a sensitive topic. Here's hoping!

I'm in the process of re-reading the memoir. And coming off of a manic high, I recognize a lot of myself in Forney's words. It's eery how the disorder manifests in the same way in different people.

Here's her blog. And here are some of the arresting images from her book. If you want an illustrated glimpse into bipolar disorder, I highly recommend this book.

If I do get to teach this text, I crafted a trigger warning disclaimer to read before we begin:

“This is a sensitive topic and it affects our community. Other than Health and Wellness, mental health is not addressed in our school community. Maintaining confidentiality is important. I’m not asking anyone to self-disclose if they suffer from any disorders. But full disclosure: I have bipolar disorder. Be respectful and mindful about the comments you make. I’ve had it since graduate school and have been hospitalized three times for manic episodes. I’m not ashamed to have this diagnosis. I also don’t want to make this about me. So we’re going to watch a documentary where you’ll get to hear multiple voices talk about their experiences. The one drawback to the documentary is that there are no people of color represented. They are affected too. There also is a failure to discuss challenges for lower income communities and folks with limited access to affordable health care to find proper care for mental afflictions. If the next few weeks raise any triggers for you, I encourage you to speak to one of the nurses or social workers. Remember: smart women use their resources.”