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Mad Genius

@honeydewhaiku / honeydewhaiku.com

29. he/him. neutrois/demiboy. PhD in psychology. I study autism & severe mental illness. I also write memoir & poetry. My dx: autism, ADHD, bipolar 1, dyspraxia, chronic catatonia, maybe DID. PokéManiac. Check out /about

My name is Dr. Elliot Gavin Keenan. My second memoir, Luminous Mind, is being published on March 30! That's also World Bipolar Day (and Vincent van Gogh's birthday). I'm a transmasculine poet with autism, ADHD, and bipolar disorder — among other things.

Elliot Gavin Keenan arrives as a first-year PhD student in psychology at UCLA. He is autistic and bipolar, aspects of himself he has learned to work with; however, under the sunny Los Angeles sky, something changes. Manias become darker, more distressing, and the cycle of mania and depression accelerates until the boundaries of each state are indistinguishable. By April, Elliot decides to commit suicide. He wakes up in an ICU three days later. Luminous Mind is about one young trans man's struggle with mental illness and the paradoxical trauma experienced by suicide attempt survivors. His rhapsodic prose captures hope, despair, ambivalence, and everything in between. Deeply introspective and honest, Luminous Mind is a story of healing.

Do you know anyone with bipolar disorder? This book might just give you the insight to understand that person a little better. Or, if you have bipolar, maybe you'll learn something about yourself!

Have you ever attempted suicide? Luminous Mind explores healing after experiencing things few people can relate to.

Do you like poetry? There are several original poems in the book! In addition, poetic logic is used throughout the book, which is focused on relaying subjective experiences through language.

Are you transgender? Are you autistic (or ADHD)? This book is a tiny piece of our shared history. I'm sharing my story in hopes that we cannot be erased.

Print edition will be released March 30!

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