Synopses & Reviews
"Few books nourish the psyche and stir the heart as much as
My Brother's Madness."-David Unger, author of
Life in the Damn TropicsMy Brother's Madness is based on the author's relationship with his brother-who had a psychotic breakdown in his late forties-and explores the unfolding of two intertwined lives and the nature of delusion. Circumstances lead one brother from juvenile crime on the streets of Brooklyn to war-torn Vietnam, to a fast-track life as a Hollywood publicist and to owning and operating The Tin Palace, one of New York's most legendary jazz clubs, while his brother falls into, and fights his way back from, a delusional psychosis.
My Brother's Madnessis part thriller, part exploration that not only describes the causes, character, and journey of mental illness, but also makes sense of it. It is ultimately a story of our own humanity, and answers the question, Am I my brother's keeper?
Paul Pinesgrew up in New York City and is the author of five books of poetry, including his most recent, Adrift on Blinding Light. His novel, The Tin Angel, was critically very well received. He currently lives with his wife Carol and daughter Charlotte in Glens Falls, New York, where he teaches American literature and creative writing at Adirondack Community College, practices psychotherapy at Glens Falls Hospital, and hosts the annual Lake George Jazz Weekend.
Review
"One of the most moving, familial, shocking and, ultimately, healing tales." E.M. Broner, author of A Weave of Women
Review
"Take what pain, hope, sorrow, and madness there is in this world, pass it through the alembic of an educated sensibility and a deep, informed compassion, and you might be lucky enough to reach My Brother's Madness. Paul Pines has achieved just this: a story both profoundly personal and universal, an exploration of the trials of family, the breaking points in our psyche's powers, and yet the capacity of compassion to ride the worst of storms all the way home." James Hollis, Ph.D Jungian Analyst, and author of Why Good People Do Bad Things
Review
"An uplifting and gut-wrenching book...books by Paul Pines are like the films of Terrence Malick. They don't come around often, but when they do, you owe it to yourself to check them out." Rob Wilson, Associate Producer of Oliver Stone's Comandante and World Trade Center
Review
"With unflinching honesty, My Brother's Madness charts the impossible tangle of loyalty, kindness, bravery, and bitter conflict in the terrible intimacy between the ill and the well. In calm, lucid prose, Pines has much to say about the pains of responsibility and the lurching paths of hope. A remarkable book." Joan Silber, author of Ideas of Heaven: A Ring of Stories
Review
"Often when I read the first lines of a Paul Pines poem, a shiver goes through me as though I have been touched by something elemental and mysterious in my own soul, a secret truth I didn't quite know that could change my life. In My Brother's Madness, Pines has focused his lyrical power on a story of family dysfunction that will have an aching familiarity to readers. This tender and troubling book captures the hilarities, poignant victories and deep regrets that define our lives." Fred Waitzkin, author of Searching for Bobby Fischer
Review
"In this beautifully written, achingly honest memoir, Paul Pines explores one of the crucial questions of all time: Am I My Brother's Keeper?...Few books nourish the psyche and stir the heart as much as My Brother's Madness." David Unger, author of Life in the Damn Tropics
Review
"The author's deep love for his sibling is evident on every page of this intense, painstaking chronicle...a searing portrait." Kirkus Reviews
Synopsis
My Brother's Madness is a gripping personal saga of a family striving to cope with mental illness. It is based on the author's relationship to his brother who had a mental breakdown in his late 40's. The book explores the unfolding of the intertwined lives of the brothers. Circumstances lead one brother from juvenile crime on the streets of Brooklyn to war-torn Vietnam, to a fast-track life as a Hollywood publicist and to owning and operating one of New York's most legendary jazz clubs, The Tin Palace, while his sibling falls into, and fights his way back from, a delusional psychosis.
The fact that the humanity of the protagonist is never dwarfed by the illness, never reduced to a set of symptoms, gives a much needed perspective to the reality of a condition that is so often stereotyped.
My Brother's Madness is part thriller, part an exploration that not only describes the causes, character, and journey of mental illness, but also makes sense of it. It is ultimately a story of our own humanity, and answers the question, "Am I my brother's keeper?"
Synopsis
My Brother's Madness is based on the author's relationship with his brother-who had a psychotic breakdown in his late forties-and explores the unfolding of two intertwined lives and the nature of delusion. Circumstances lead one brother from juvenile crime on the streets of Brooklyn to war-torn Vietnam, to a fast-track life as a Hollywood publicist and to owning and operating The Tin Palace, one of New York's most legendary jazz clubs, while his brother falls into, and fights his way back from, a delusional psychosis.
About the Author
Growing up in New York City, Paul Pines is the author of six books of poetry, including his most recent Taxidancing (IKON). His novel, The Tin Angel, was a critical success. He currently lives in Glens Falls, NY, with his wife, Carol, and his daughter, Charlotte, where he teaches American Literature and Creative Writing at Adirondack Community College, practices psychotherapy at Glens Falls Hospital, and hosts the annual Lake George Jazz Weekend.