Melanie Gibson
5 Questions: Melanie Gibson
Why did you decide to write a memoir? I come from a creative family and creative background. My dad’s a painter and my brother’s a musician and my mom cooks and knits and everything. I transitioned from drawing to writing, and, with writing, I get the ideas in my head, and at some point, I just have to get them out. It’s kind of like an exorcism but in a good way. So, that’s how I started writing my blog.
And then I realized that there’s a story in there. And it’s a little unusual. You don’t hear a lot about women doing martial arts. And what we hear about mental illness is not always an accurate portrayal. We see the extremes of people being hospitalized or attempting suicide, but we never hear stories about people who are just suffering in silence. So, I wanted to tell that story.
So, like you just said, this book deals with a lot of heavy issues, especially when it addresses mental illness. Did you consider it cathartic to write? Yes, I did. And now that I’m publicizing it, and it’s out to the world, it’s kind of a new type of catharsis because I’m speaking publicly about having mental illness. And so, this is an opportunity to raise awareness and really come to terms with some of my own bias and stigma about mental illness. Which is why I’ve hidden it for so long.
So, did your mental illness have any impact on writing the story? Did it make it any more difficult? I don’t think it did. Maybe it’s an urban legend, but I’ve heard that people with bipolar disorder have a spark of creativity to them. So, maybe that gave me the creativity to write it, and that’s what I can appreciate about it. I think one thing I can appreciate about mental illness is that it does make you very sensitive, and it can help you become very introspective and gain a lot of insight about yourself and about life — if you put in the effort to do so.
While the book jacket says that it’s a memoir of madness and martial arts, when I read it, I really thought, ultimately, it’s about finding joy in something. Would you like to speak to that? Yeah, I’d love to, and I love the way you phrased it as finding joy because that’s what I found with taekwondo; I found a way to be happy and sustain happiness. I mean, I still have my ups and downs, but I found something that I could truly enjoy. I found a sense of community, of purpose, and it gave me confidence, self-esteem, a sense of responsibility, and contentment. I’m able to deal with the ups and downs of life a little more evenly now.
What ultimately do you hope people will take from this story? I hope a couple of things. I hope they’ll be entertained; it’s always nice to read a good book. I hope they will laugh, as it’s dark, but it’s also funny. And, I hope that it will be an inspiring story. So, for the people who were like me going to work every day and having mental illness, it’ll make them feel like they’re not alone and that there is hope. And even for people who don’t suffer from [mental illness], it’s an interesting slice of life. I think a good memoir is a good human nature story, whether it’s something outrageous like climbing Mount Everest or if it’s just somebody going to work every day and dealing with a personal problem.
Kicking and Screaming: A Memoir of Madness and Martial Arts by Melanie Gibson
Addressing mental illness in a frank and entertaining way, first-time author Melanie Gibson writes honestly about her struggles with bipolar disorder (as well as other mental illnesses, substance abuse, relationship difficulties, etc.) and how a love for taekwondo helped her through her darkest days. And keep your eyes peeled for some fantastic anecdotes about living in Fort Worth. In fact, Gibson says the book is as much a love letter to Fort Worth as it is a memoir about taekwondo and mental illness.
Just as I Am by Cicely Tyson
The late actress, Cicely Tyson, penned this beautifully written and thoughtful memoir in the 95th year of her life. The Academy Award-nominated performer passed just two days after the book’s publication, making this outstanding book an exclamation mark to a remarkable life. It’s an expansive book (432 pages), but the poetic prose and stirring life lessons will keep the pages turning.
I Had a Miscarriage by Jessica Zucker
Described as “memoir meets manifesto,” Los Angeles-based psychologist who specializes in reproductive and maternal mental health, Jessica Zucker, makes no qualms that she’s out to squash the stigmas surrounding miscarriages. Zucker approaches the book as both a specialist in the field and as someone who has, herself, experienced a miscarriage. The book will educate those looking to become more knowledgeable of pregnancy loss while providing comfort for those who have miscarried.
