Welcome to Litsy!

I raved about Thorogood's graphic narrative over the weekend & it has displaced one my selections for #bestof2025 (Barry Windsor-Smith's raw & gritty Wolverine: Weapon X). It's Lonely etc was a ceaselessly surprising, deeply touching portrait of an artist's lifelong mental health struggles & the solace & freedom they were able to find in art. This is one I will be recommending for awhile.

I loved this graphic narrative of a young artist as they struggle with their own work & mental health issues. It's Lonely At etc is one of the most creative graphic narratives I have read in awhile, but there is a strong emotional & personal core throughout so it never becomes tedious or overly cerebral. Instead, it is a surprising exploration of mental health & the power of art. Just absolutely remarkable.

#TuesdayTunes

Bears Den, “Spiders”
https://youtu.be/QLYdoN6pEHg?si=DWiyiSaT62pS4Ze5

Love, I‘m trying.

It was so touching. Very interesting topic. It is so sad that Elizabeth sadly passed away and we cannot read new writngs from her.

#MentalHealthMonday check in

1. I‘m tired & disappointed I didn‘t sleep well. But I‘ll be OK. I have to remind myself it‘s not a moral failing to be tired.
2. I used to think feeling sad for ANY reason meant I was mentally unwell. I now know mental health (for me) isn‘t about feeling happy vs. feeling sad. It‘s about emotional regulation. Processing & expressing my feelings in healthy ways rather than ignoring them or trying to erase them. ⬇️

“For fans of Kristin Hannah‘s The Four Winds and Lisa Wingate‘s Shelterwood comes a heartwarming historical novel following a homeless young girl as she struggles to survive during the Great Depression.

Told in three voices, A TINY PIECE OF BLUE is a gripping and heartwarming story about the meaning of family.”

FULL SPOTLIGHT AND GIVEAWAY LINK ON MY BLOG: https://tinyurl.com/5amfbmrk

 @chsummie

A very enduring story. This one captures a human's ability to learn how to give. How to be kind in the face of hardships. To be compassionate even when they fight it will all they have. To grow in ways they didn't think possible.

Full review: https://lsmoore49.blogspot.com/2025/02/a-tiny-piece-of-blue-by-charlotte.html

@charlottewhitney65
@shewritespress

During this blog we turn the Authors Spotlight onto Lukas Klessig and his book “Words With My Father: A Bipolar Journey Through Turbulent Times”.

Words With My Father offers a gripping portrait of the evolution of a young man's mental illness and how it manifested into a dramatic and often dangerous existence through the turbulence of the Civil Rights, Peace and Conservation movements.

#wordswithmyfather Lukas Klessig #bookstoread ⬇️

After seeing a TED Talk, I had the local library order this book for me. That was 5 years ago. I have my own copy now. It's been a huge help in finding my way back on my own. It was never me. It was how I dealt with how I allowed people to treat me. And I can change that. I have. It's an ongoing struggle against my natural inclination to trust, believe, and look for affirmation. I wish my wife had read it before she surrendered her life to Prozac.