NPR

'The Collected Schizophrenias' Conveys What It's Like To Live With A 'Hidden' Illness

In her new book of riveting, honest, courageous essays, Esmé Weijun Wang provides a series of lenses through which to observe schizophrenic disorders and, by extension, our (mis)understanding of them.
Source: Amr Alfiky

"Some people dislike diagnoses, disagreeably calling them boxes and labels," writes Esmé Weijun Wang in the first essay of her new book, The Collected Schizophrenias." [B]ut I've always found comfort in preexisting conditions. I like to know that I'm not pioneering an inexplicable condition."

One of the more frightening things about any painful experience that isn't outwardly obvious to the people around us — like some mental and physical illnesses or disabilities — is how difficult it is to communicate

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from NPR

NPR5 min readIndustries
China Makes Cheap Electric Vehicles. Why Can't American Shoppers Buy Them?
American drivers want cheap EVs. Chinese automakers are building them. But you can't buy them in the U.S., thanks to tariffs in the name of U.S. jobs and national security. Two car shoppers weigh in.
NPR2 min readInternational Relations
Netanyahu's Cabinet Votes To Close Al Jazeera Offices In Israel
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that his government has voted unanimously to shut down the local offices of Qatar-owned broadcaster Al Jazeera.
NPR7 min read
Unions Double-down In The Deep South: Can Alabama Pave The Way?
Three high-profile labor disputes have unfolded in central Alabama over the past several years, with Amazon warehouse workers, coal miners and autoworkers all speaking out for change.

Related Books & Audiobooks