Deschutes Public Library

I'm telling the truth, but i'm lying, essays by Bassey Ikpi

eng

no index present

essays

I'm telling the truth, but i'm lying

1101639650

essays by Bassey Ikpi

"From her early childhood in Nigeria through her adolescence in Oklahoma, Bassey Ikpi lived with a tumult of emotions, cycling between extreme euphoria and deep depressionsometimes within the course of a single day. By the time she was in her early twenties, Bassey was a spoken word artist and traveling with HBO's Def Poetry Jam, channeling her life into art. But beneath the façade of the confident performer, Bassey's mental health was in a precipitous decline, culminating in a breakdown that resulted in hospitalization and a diagnosis of Bipolar II. In I'm Telling the Truth, But I'm Lying, Bassey Ikpi breaks open our understanding of mental health by giving us intimate access to her own. Exploring shame, confusion, medication, and family in the process, Bassey looks at how mental health impacts every aspect of our liveshow we appear to others, and more importantly to ourselvesand challenges our preconception about what it means to be "normal." Viscerally raw and honest, the result is an exploration of the stories we tell ourselves to make sense of who we areand the ways, as honest as we try to be, each of these stories can also be a lie."--, Amazon.com

The first essay is to prove to you that I have a childhood -- When they come for me -- the hands that held me -- Young girls they do get weary -- Yaka -- Becoming a liar -- Tehuti -- The quiet before -- Take two for pain -- Like a war -- This is what happens -- What it feels like -- Beauty in the breakdown -- It has a name -- Side effects may include -- Life sentence -- As hopeless as smoke -- The day before -- We don't wear blues -- Some days are fine -- When we bleed -- Searching for magic