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How poetry helps us understand mental illness

May 12th, 2016 | Posted by pfmarchive in uncategorized

hooligan5-e1462186786498People who have mental illness challenge society’s typical narrative about what is “natural” or healthy, poet Shira Erlichman says

At the bottom of the sea, just off the coast of Maryland, New York City subway cars have become a new habitat for coral and fish. Poet Shira Erlichman was spellbound when she read about the project: to dispose of old, broken-down subway cars by sinking them to the bottom of the ocean, providing a new surface for coral reef to grow.

Photos documenting the process seem to show pollution on a large scale, the result of industrial excess. But eventually they will help the ecosystem survive. For Erlichman, the project was a way to discuss taking Lithium for mental illness.

Read the rest of this article at PBS NewsHour…

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