Chipmunka Author Interview: Jarrad Dickson

Chipmunky's delighted to see out it's first month with this exculsive interview with Chipmunka author Jarrad Dickson. Jarrad's book Roseum Thornycum is available now:

Roseum Thornycum by Jarrad Dickson

Chipmunky:
Why did you want to write a book?

Jarrad:
I wrote the writing in this book without thinking it would be a book, for example I wrote Cain and Abel, my play, to develop my skills in meter and play writing; and I wrote the poetry to express my sadness at unrequited love as an escape. I ended up writing more once I had found out about Chipmunka, the two short stories The Holy Products of Pandora and Chinalalbino, which have more of a mental health focus than my earier writing. But I am writing "books" now, and I write them to develop something in society.


Why Chipmunka and how did you find out about the publisher?

I found out about Chipmunka on the internet, when I was searching for mental health publishers; that was intended to be my newest genre, and I needed a mental health publisher like The Cairn or Chipmunka to publish Roseum Thornycum and my forthcoming autobiography and novels.


What do you feel is the biggest hurdle for people with mental health problems to overcome today?

The biggest hurdle is the idea of treatment. We are taught that we have an "illness," but rather it is a condition. And the final treatment is not a leucotomy, but a suicide. Suicide is the final treatment for mental "illness." And we have this because we are taught that we have an illness. Hua Nian, who I wrote about, committed suicide as a final treatment for her pure obsessional disorder, and it was a mistake. She had a condition, though she was not ill. She wanted to be a writer, but couldn't write "properly," since academia in universities teaches us writing is not in one sense from a mental condition, but from sanity, and rather, it is the opposite. If we had Homer here I'm sure he would side with me. We can write from our conditions, we don't have to push them away. Psychosis and schizophrenia provides valuable sources for plots, characters and storylines and manic depression is one of the themes of the greatest poetry in human history, the psalms.


How did you feel about being published?

Being published is amazing. It is thrilling, and empowering.


Overall how has the reaction to your book been?

I'm not sure. I have always written disturbing literature, for I started writing when I started listening to Marilyn Manson. Writing about Lily Cole, an albino God, a chinese who killed herself because of China and God commiting suicide is disturbing. But I love disturbing themes in literature, it brings down taboos. And the taboo I want to bring down is the taboo of suicide in New Zealand society.


What do you do to relax/ what’s good for your mental health?

Exercise, getting up early in the morning, eating properly. We can institutionalise ourselves and not live in hospital. And it's that which gives us our sanity to achieve well in life.


How do you feel about the ‘cannabis causes mental health’ debate?

Cannabis was the reason I had a psychotic relapse. Or was it? Who knows. I think there is a relationship between memory and psychosis, often it is memories which are the voices that we hear and I think psychotic drugs act as memory come-back hallucinogens. I think there has to be a bridge between mental health sciences and neuroscience, if there's not already.


How do you feel about some peoples view, that people who have mental health problems and are claiming welfare are ‘scroungers‘?

If they didn't want us to recieve treatment, then they can first as a people stop making it compulsory, then taxes wouldn't be spent on mental health wards. That's the truth of the argument.


What are you currently working on?

I'm currently working on an autobiography, Thank You For This Beautiful Experience and two novels, The Dilworthian and The Grave of the Chinalbino Hua Nian. The Dilworthian is science fiction with the main character's beauty shaped around the beauty of the supermodel Lily Cole. And my school is in it with a cannibalistic Harry Potter spin. And the chinalbino novel is about Hua Nian, based on a true story, where a Chinese girl falls for a white male but kills herself because she is Chinese.


Any advice for aspiring authors?

Yes, don't solely aim to be published in your own country, often that is the way to go, but there's other paths out there.


If you could change one thing about the mental health service, what would it be?

They shouldn't be allowed to commit anyone. It's a crime against humanity.


Thank you very much for being interviewed by Chipmunky Jarrad.

Jarrad's new book is available in e-book format at Chipmunka's shop now

Jarrad's interview is the very first in a line of Chipmunka author interviews that will be exclusive to Chipmunky post. Please come back regularly to make sure you don't miss out!

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New Book's This Week

Here's the latst book released by Chipmunka this week!:


The Weatherman Has Stolen the News - Andy Cattrall

"Persecution, I think, is my Big Issue. Danny Sharrot – freak, fake, an' even pedo – has had a hard loner's furrow to plough, like. He's had to tackle potential lynch packs of giants all on his petrified back. An' he's had to forgive, wit' hugely strange optimism, like Christ on the Cross. A plague X was scratched into his door in a delusional manic hostel, a long vacant-eyed time on from hilarious death in the devious Planet Factory, but well before the pointlessly negative spike in the princely Tower of Cameras. One hundred words? One million, even? Wasted... "

New Music By Dolly Sen

Dolly Sen, the First Lady of Chipmunka, and author of the acclaimed 'The World Is Full Of Laughter', has been discovering a rythum for her drum!

Her alter-ego Sugar Psycho Sis has uploaded some more tracks on her myspace music page. You can check out her mysterious psychodelia here:

Sugar Psycho Sis

Which tune is your favourite? I'm liking 'Did You Sleep Will?' :)

Keep up the great work Dolly!!

New Books This Week

Here'a the new e-books from Chipmunka this week, worth checking out!:

Unspent Possibilities - Jennifer Syrkiwicz

"‘Unspent Possibilities’ is Jennifer’s first volume of poetry. It explores the impact which Bipolar Disorder has upon those who have the condition, and works through these effects to ultimately realise a position of hope. "

Greengrey's Rambles: How To Remember North America - Marc Latham

"The Greenygrey proclaims itself Britain’s most famous werewolf. It has been a prolific rise in fame for the greenygrey one, and the GG brand is now known all over the werewolf world. Like a cross between Loki and Scooby Doo on the dog side, and Kerouac and Joanna Lumley on the human, the vegetarian werewolf helps the reader escape the restrictions of the body on an epic virtual travel across North America. As well as being an entertaining read as GG meets its heroes and lots of new characters across the continent, the book also has an educative angle, as the shape-shifting and chameleonising but mentally a bit muddled superhero creates an acronym map of North America that should help you remember your Newfoundland from your Nunavut and your Idaho from your Iowa. "

FREE E-BOOKS FOR ALL!!

To celebrate World Mental Health Day, throughout the month of October, Chipmunka are offering two of their best selling e-books to download for free!

See here: World Mental Health Day specials

New Books For October

Here are some brand new books for October (please click on the book's title for more information on the book!)

Choose Life - By Paul Johnson

Choose Life tells of a journey of personal growth and development, set against the realities of a stressful modern lifestyle. It shows the search for meaning and fulfilment in life, and takes a refreshingly honest and holistic approach to living the life that you want to live - one that is easily accessible, and very different from the usual 'ten easy steps to fulfilment' or promises of 'enlightenment in 30 days'

Roseum Thornycum - By Jarrad Dickson

'Roseum Thornyum' is a phrase Jarrad Dickson gained from seeing a gigantic rose in his bedroom when he was so delusional that he thought he turned into a Roseum Thornycum albino with twenty two fingers that had black, white and red nails.

This book show's the authors writings, mainly from the age of 16-18, showcasing his poetry as well as a short story and his play titled 'Cain and Abel', which he wrote in iambic pentameter when he was 18.

Knocking On Haven's Door - By Barbara Goulden
Barbara Goulden has worked as a journalist on weekly and evening newspapers for most of the past 35 years.

She still remembers the sense of relief she felt after finally being given a name for the condition which was creating such mystifying and upsetting thought patterns in a close relative.
Even though the diagnosis of schizophrenia probably helped Barbara more than the relative who was actually doing battle with the illness, at least it was a starting point for gaining some understanding.
She went on to join the National Schizophrenia Fellowship – now Rethink – and became one of the founding members of the Coventry group.

Launch

The idea for this blog was concieved on October 10th 2009, World Mental Health Day. The blog will essentialy be a "bulletin board" to find out the latest works from Chipmunka authors, as well as any successes that they would like people to know about.

Chipmunky hopes to bridge the gap between the authors or Chipmunka Publishing and their audience. Helping the authors to achieve their vision, while promoting Chipmunka Publishing.

Chipmunka Publishing is the worlds leading brand on producing books and biographies from people who have experienced mental health difficulties and is a leading name in promoting better mental health care and understanding in society for people who experience mental ill health.


www.chipmunkapublishing.com


Chipmunky is not affiliated with Chipmunka Publishing, but is an unofficial promotional window for Chipmunka authors.