Unholy Ghost: Writers on Depression

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This unique collection of essays about depression vividly expresses an elusive illness affecting over one in five Americans. Unlike other memoirs, it features multiple voices, providing a comprehensive portrait of the condition. Lauren Slater shares her perilous experience as a pregnant woman on antidepressants, while Susanna Kaysen critiques the excessive focus on the illness since her previous work, Girl, Interrupted. Larry McMurtry recounts the despair following his quadruple bypass surgery, and Meri Danquah discusses the intersection of racism and depression. Ann Beattie reflects on melancholy as a byproduct of her writing life, and Donald Hall fondly remembers the emotional ups and downs of his relationship with his wife, Jane Kenyon. The collection also includes illuminating companion pieces, such as Russell Banks's and Chase Twichell's essays, which offer husband-and-wife perspectives on depression. Rose Styron writes about her husband's struggle, paired with an excerpt from William Styron's Darkness Visible. Editor Nell Casey juxtaposes her essay about supporting her sister through depression with Maud Casey's account of the same experience. These pieces highlight the complex bonds formed between depressives and their family members. With an introduction by Kay Redfield Jamison, this collection beautifully captures the bewildering experience of depression, offering solace and enlightenment to readers.