By Frank Sinatra, AAP Editor
M.J. Patterson has written about her journey dealing with bipolar disorder in her first book, “Coloring the World with Broken Crayons.”
“It’s about my lifelong struggle as an African American woman with mental illness,” explained Patterson. “Even though I didn’t know it at the time, I was showing signs of mental illness at the age of eight.”
“Coloring the World with Broken Crayons” shares Patterson’s experiences through the story of fictional character Esmene Munroe, someone who seems to have the perfect life on the outside, while facing an internal, ongoing battle. Then, according to the book’s description, “the lock on Esmene’s closet broke and all the skeletons of her childhood came tumbling out. From then on, Esmene allowed herself to be consumed by the mental illness that she had always managed to keep at bay. Just when it looked like Esmene, a victim of pedophilia, lost her will to live, she accepted the fact that she needed help and embarked on a journey of self-discovery, truth, and acceptance.”
“Each chapter is a mini story about my life,” explained Patterson, who attended St. Cecilia’s School and is a member of Pennsauken High School’s Class of 1993. “I had been trying to write this for 20 years. I had to piece it together linearly, but It was still a sporadic mess. You could tell that someone with bipolar disorder wrote it.”
To help M.J. properly tell her story, she reached out to her old AP English teacher from PHS, Paul Kasselman.
“He had retired, but we kept running into each other,” said M.J. “He showed me the errors that I made. He really gave it structure. I couldn’t have done this without him.”
The goal of the novel, which is geared for young adults, is to help break through the stereotypes associated with illnesses like bipolar disorder.
“There’s a stigma with mental illness in the African American community. I want black and brown girls know they’re not alone when they go through this. It’s not a dirty little secret. Had I known that stuff like this existed, I could have better fought for myself. Bipolar disorder cost me my job. It almost cost me my life. Children and their parents need to recognize these things.”
“Coloring the World with Broken Crayons” can be found on Amazon and Kindle.
