Sandy Ernest Allen
“The book is an attempt to contend with the fact that facts don’t always square; that there isn’t an ultimate answer to many of the big questions; that a work of nonfiction can’t make good on its promises unless it acknowledges that the record might not add up, or that there might be radically incompatible versions of the truth.”
“To pay great attention and devote steady care to the perspective of another is, in itself, almost miraculous—especially when the Other has been cast as mad and dangerous. Sandy Allen has brought forward their uncle’s life, rendering in exquisite detail what his experiences as a stigmatized, struggling man allowed him to see. This is a truly original piece of work. I urge you to read it.”
“Insightful . . . Allen offers readers an incredible glimpse into the life of a person battling with schizophrenia.”
“Deeply affecting . . . Evokes what it’s like to try to make sense of a troubled loved one from afar . . . The picture of a distinct but impenetrable life.”
Sandy Ernest Allen (he/they) is a journalist and author whose work focuses on gender and mental health. His debut book, a critically acclaimed work of nonfiction called A Kind of Mirraculas Paradise: A True Story about Schizophrenia, was published by Scribner. Sandy has written for many publications, including Esquire, The Cut, Bon Appétit's Healthyish, CNN Opinion, Them, and BuzzFeed News, where he was once a features editor. He has appeared on This American Life and produced stories for 99% Invisible. He is trans and queer and lives in the Catskills. He writes a newsletter about staying alive on earth called What's Helping Today.
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