Melody Moezzi

Warwick's and the International Bipolar Foundation present Melody Moezzi, blogger for The Huffington Post and Ms. Magazine, who will be at Warwick's on Wednesday, September 25th at 7:30pm to discuss and sign Haldol and hyacinths: A Bipolar Life.

With candor and humor, a manic-depressive Iranian-American Muslim woman chronicles her experiences with both clinical and cultural bipolarity.

Melody Moezzi was born to Persian parents at the height of the Islamic Revolution and raised amid a vibrant, loving, and gossipy Iranian diaspora in the American heartland. When at eighteen, she began battling a severe physical illness, her community stepped up, filling her hospital rooms with roses, lilies, and hyacinths. But when she attempted suicide and was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, there were no flowers. Despite several stays in psychiatric hospitals, bombarded with tranquilizers, mood-stabilizers, and antipsychotics, she was encouraged to keep her illness a secret--by both her family and an increasingly callous and indifferent medical establishment. Refusing to be ashamed, Moezzi became an outspoken advocate, determined to fight the stigma surrounding mental illness and reclaim her life along the way.

Both an irreverent memoir and a rousing call to action, Haldol and hyacinths is the moving story of a woman who refused to become torn across cultural and social lines. Moezzi reports from the front lines of the no-man's land between sickness and sanity, and the Midwest and the Middle East. A powerful, funny, and poignant narrative told through a unique and fascinating cultural lens, Haldol and hyacinths is a tribute to the healing power of hope, humor, and acceptance.

About the International Bipolar Foundation: International Bipolar Foundation is a not for profit organization based in San Diego whose mission is to eliminate Bipolar Disorder through the advancement of research; to promote and enhance care and support services; and to erase associated stigma through public education. To learn more visit www.internationalbipolarfoundation.org.

Location: Street: 7812 Girard Ave City: La Jolla, Province: California Postal Code: 92037 Country: United States (added from IndieBound)… (more)

Join Avid Bookshop in welcoming Melody Moezzi, author of Haldol and hyacinths: A Bipolar Life. She'll be at the bookshop on Wednesday, 8/21/13, from 6:30pm - 7:30pm. About the Book: Iranian-American activist Melody Moezzi speaks out on behalf of the mentally ill with a bracingly funny and poignant tale of her own suicide attempt, bipolar disorder diagnosis, and reclamation of her life. About the Author: Melody Moezzi is an Iranian-American Muslim activist, attorney, writer, and award-winning author. She is a UN Global Expert and a blogger for "The Huffington Post "and "Ms." magazine. Moezzi is also a featured columnist and blogger for "Bipolar Magazine, "and her writings have appeared in "The Washington Post, The Guardian, The Christian Science Monitor," and many other publications worldwide. She has provided commentaries for CNN, NPR, BBC, HLN, PRI and other media outlets. She lives in Raleigh, North Carolina. PRAISE: Haldol and hyacinths: A Bipolar Life is like the brawling, big-hearted, and hilarious little sister of Darkness Visible and The Noonday Demon. But Melody Moezzi is no imitator and she doesn't write in anyone's shadow. She stands alone and speaks her brilliant, fierce, inimitable mind, and we're better for it." --Josh Hanagarne, author of The World's Strongest Librarian "Intelligent, accurate, entertaining, culturally relevant, and a little sassy...." --New York Journal of Books "Affecting...Moezzi's vivid descriptions of being pulled against her will in a swirl of impulsivity, hallucinations, and paranoia are riveting. . . . A poetic portrait of life on the lines of sanity and a mind on the edge of cultures." --Publishers Weekly "Moezzi's candor about her experiences in and with the medical establishment is bracing. . . . A bold, courageous book by a woman who transforms mental illness into an occasion for activism." --Kirkus Reviews

Location: Street: 493 Prince Ave. Additional: City: Athens, Province: Georgia Postal Code: 30601 Country: United States (added from IndieBound)… (more)