Marbles by Ellen Forney

Marbles by Ellen Forney

Shortly before her thirtieth birthday, Forney was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Flagrantly manic and terrified that medications would cause her to lose creativity, she began a years-long struggle to find mental stability while retaining her passions and creativity.

Searching to make sense of the popular concept of the crazy artist, she finds inspiration from the lives and work of other artists and writers who suffered from mood disorders, including Vincent van Gogh, Georgia O'Keeffe, William Styron, and Sylvia Plath. She also researches the clinical aspects of bipolar disorder, including the strengths and limitations of various treatments and medications, and what studies tell us about the conundrum of attempting to "cure" an otherwise brilliant mind.

Darkly funny and intensely personal, Forney's memoir provides a visceral glimpse into the effects of a mood disorder on an artist's work, as she shares her own story through bold black-and-white images and evocative prose.

Shortly before her thirtyth birthday, Ellen Forney was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. She published Eisner Award-nominated comic books I Love Led Zeppelin and Monkey Food: The Complete I Was Seven in '75 Collection, and collaborated with Sherman Alexie on the National Book Award-winning The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. She is an instructor at Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle, Washington, where she teaches comics.