Essay by Ron Merkin. All names, except the author’s, have been changed. Part One: Drugs “How do you feel about the use of psychotropic medication in the treatment of psychiatric patients?” she asked. Her question caught me completely unprepared. It was my first...
Short fiction by Ron Merkin, Montpelier The Jaltsens lived in New Jersey. Walking through Manhattan after a concert we attended with them one night, my husband asked if they’d be taking the George Washington Bridge home. “Oh, no!” Alice responded. “It’d be...
The bandshell at Burlington’s Battery Park hosted speakers from across the state on Mad Pride Day. Excerpts follow. Chris Hansen, Burlington My chief qualification for being here is my own history of being seen as mad enough to lock up at a significant time in my...
Reflection Lakeby Raven Joy Crispino, RutlandYou came to me in a fragmentLess than a sentence drew meIntrigued, I opened the door to a worldThat could hold our weightIn pain, in laughter, in heart-hardening silence. I promised to cry less… Was told I saved you from...
Story by Anne Donahue Kristy Hommel knows firsthand how the right kind of police intervention can be not only life-saving but also life-affirming. The positive supports she received in several past experiences with police while she was in crisis has led her directly...
