Voluntary Madness

Norah Vincent talked about Voluntary Madness: My Year Lost and Found in the Loony Bin (Viking; December 30, 2008). In her previous book Self-Made Man, she assumed the role of a man for eighteen months. Struggling with conflicts about that time period, she checked herself into the psychiatric ward of a hospital. Then, to explore the current state of the mental health indusry as weel as attending to her own mental health, she also spent time in a rural private psychiatric hospital and an alternative-treatment program. In the book she presents the disparate care she received in the different facilities. Following her remarks she responded to questions from members of the audience.

Norah Vincent’s writing has appeared in several publications, including the New Republic, the Village Voice, and the Washington Post. She also formerly wrote an op-ed column for the Los Angeles Times. close