What's So Funny? The Autobiography of a Professional Schizophrenian, Artist, Public Speaker and Singer

Jude began experiencing her illness at the rather young of 16 but despite some difficult early years, she has been relapse free for over 25 years. Her success in dealing with her illness she attributes to faithfully complying with her medication and listening to her doctors and counsellors. She and her husband, George who also has chronic schizophrenia, have been married for 33 years. Together, they have a daughter who is now in her early 30s and two young grandchildren of 7 and 5. As a self described terminal optimist, Jude has become a successful artist, singer, and public speaker. How she accomplished this when many people with schizophrenia have less success is the subject of her book with many examples of her art work in color. "Jude's writing reflects a triumph of the human spirit over the insidious and poorly understood disease of schizophrenia. This book's major achievement is its power to connect. Our understanding of this illness is transformed as we begin to see people with schizophrenia not as "poor me" people but as people who are bravely confronting and coming to terms with their illness in a society that still desperately lacks insight. This book needs to be required reading for those who genuinely want to make a difference." "Schizophrenian Judy Mersereau writes with humour, poetic cleverness and lively originality. The book is beautifully illustrated with her art. The telling of her story winds and weaves with elements of joy in her memories. An entertaining read, written with honesty and insight, demonstrates Judy's example of a full life despite diagnosis. She found ways to cope and give through her music, art and writing." From Sandra Yuen MacKay, author of My Schizophrenic Life, winner of the Courage to Come Back Award in British Columbia in 2012 and one of the five Faces of Mental Illness in Canada in 2012 "Jude is a master at using literary tools. Her play on words can cause involuntary outbursts of laughter. But most striking is her use of juxtaposition which jars us into thinking from her perception of the world. Her artwork is original and enigmatic and is showcased throughout." Kathy Mochnacki, chair of the board of Home on the Hill Supportive Housing, Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada

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