Whoo hoo!
I just got some great news...my editor bought my new book! Well, there's no actual book yet. Just a really long outline and some poems.
I think it will be out in Summer 2010. Okay, I know that sounds far, but it's not. It's practically 2009 now.
Check back for more info soon. I'll try to update about the writing process. And maybe even post some early poems.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Prepare yourself...the images below are from a collection of poems that I wrote (and illustrated!!!) in the 6th or 7th grade. I am equal parts amazed and embarrassed at the writing. I was one SERIOUS middle schooler.
Not included is an image of the contents page and dedication page. PS: It was dedicated to my dead dog. Seriously, I am laughing so hard right now I am about to cry.
Here's the cover. Note the spiffy red ribbon binding.
No clue what this was about. Maybe I had just learned about the Holocaust or something.
Hatred like a virus takes a long
time to develop.
Left untreated it can be dangerous
and hard to cure.
It grows bigger and stronger
infecting other victims.
More time passes, it grows
more serious, more powerful.
The final stage is reached it's
hard to be reversed.
The only cure, is time.
This poem is about the girlfriend of the boy I "loved."
She is a beast.
Ripping slowly at my insides,
yet leaving no trace of injury.
Her effects are everlasting
and untreatable.
It hurts to the point where
I want to die.
Yet there is no prescription for
my sickness, no pill, powder or
liquid.
Only her absence makes my
ailment fade.
Oh dear. I am laughing really hard again.
Love is like logic,
it can leave you lost.
But love can also resemble
life,
and leave you lucky.
No clue what this was about...
The window is the gate-
way to the outside world.
It can let in light when
you're sad
or chase the clouds away
when you're happy.
Such a simple pane of
glass has such a hard job.
To change your mood.
Wow. This is about death...pretty dark, but the fish and sun really lighten things up (or not).
I lay on the beach,
the sun beating down
on me.
The tide is slowly
coming in.
At first my feet get
wet, then my legs and
then before I know it
I'm totally submerged.
It is so peaceful
under the water,
with the fish and
coral reefs.
Down here I have no
need for air.
This is where I
belong.
This is where I want
to be.
Feel free to post amazing and embarrassing (or amazingly embarrassing) poems in the comments section below!
Not included is an image of the contents page and dedication page. PS: It was dedicated to my dead dog. Seriously, I am laughing so hard right now I am about to cry.
Here's the cover. Note the spiffy red ribbon binding.
No clue what this was about. Maybe I had just learned about the Holocaust or something.
Hatred like a virus takes a long
time to develop.
Left untreated it can be dangerous
and hard to cure.
It grows bigger and stronger
infecting other victims.
More time passes, it grows
more serious, more powerful.
The final stage is reached it's
hard to be reversed.
The only cure, is time.
This poem is about the girlfriend of the boy I "loved."
She is a beast.
Ripping slowly at my insides,
yet leaving no trace of injury.
Her effects are everlasting
and untreatable.
It hurts to the point where
I want to die.
Yet there is no prescription for
my sickness, no pill, powder or
liquid.
Only her absence makes my
ailment fade.
Oh dear. I am laughing really hard again.
Love is like logic,
it can leave you lost.
But love can also resemble
life,
and leave you lucky.
No clue what this was about...
The window is the gate-
way to the outside world.
It can let in light when
you're sad
or chase the clouds away
when you're happy.
Such a simple pane of
glass has such a hard job.
To change your mood.
Wow. This is about death...pretty dark, but the fish and sun really lighten things up (or not).
I lay on the beach,
the sun beating down
on me.
The tide is slowly
coming in.
At first my feet get
wet, then my legs and
then before I know it
I'm totally submerged.
It is so peaceful
under the water,
with the fish and
coral reefs.
Down here I have no
need for air.
This is where I
belong.
This is where I want
to be.
Feel free to post amazing and embarrassing (or amazingly embarrassing) poems in the comments section below!
Monday, September 22, 2008
Below is a piece that I wrote for the LA Times about living with an anxiety disorder. Check it out!
Sam
------------
http://www.latimes.com/features/health/medicine/la-he-myturn22-2008sep22,0,6812450.story
MY TURN
Anxiety disorder leaves parts of life in limbo for author Samantha Schutz
But her commitment to therapy and willingness to try new medications to stave off panic attacks gives her ever-increasing control.
By Samantha Schutz, Special to The Times
September 22, 2008
In the last few years, whenever I tried to talk about my experiences with an anxiety disorder, I ran into the same problem. I couldn't describe myself as having an anxiety disorder because I'd gone months without having a panic attack. And I couldn't say I used to have an anxiety disorder because I still felt its effects.
Trying to find the right tense was more than just a matter of semantics. For many years, having an anxiety disorder shaped nearly every bit of my life -- where I went, who I went with, how long I stayed. I do not believe that anxiety disorder can be flipped off like a switch and, accordingly, simply using present or past tense did not accurately reflect how I was feeling. The body has an unbelievable capacity to remember pain, and my body was not ready to forget what I had been through.
It was only about a year ago that I settled on saying, "I am in recovery from anxiety disorder."
I was diagnosed with panic disorder a few months into my freshman year of college. My first attacks were scattered and seemingly without pattern. But it wasn't long before the attacks picked up speed and I was having several a day. I often felt nervous, not in control of my body, convinced that I was going to die. As the frequency of attacks increased, it became difficult to do normal things such as go to class, the dining hall or parties.
It was textbook panic disorder. Only I didn't know that. I thought I had gone crazy and that all the things I hoped for in my life -- that my parents hoped for -- were gone.
I am thankful that I possess two qualities: being forthcoming about my feelings and being proactive about my health. I believe these are a big part of the reason that I was able to ask for help. And getting help was surprisingly easy.
One fall afternoon, I went to my college's counseling center and asked for an appointment. Within days, I was seeing a therapist and a psychiatrist and was on medication.
That was more than 10 years ago. Since then, I have seen more than half a dozen therapists and taken as many medications. I have gone months without panic attacks and medication. I have also "relapsed" and nearly checked myself into a hospital.
I have been to yoga and meditation classes, swung tennis rackets at pillows, practiced the art of breathing, tried hypnosis and herbal remedies. And slowly, I've begun to do things that once seemed impossible -- going to crowded concerts or sitting with relative ease in a packed lecture hall.
People want to know why I'm better. They want to know the formula. This is not a simple question with a simple answer. For sure, hormonal changes, growing older, moving out of my parents' house and becoming more confident and secure with myself have all aided my recovery. The only thing I can say with certainty is that my commitment to therapy and my willingness to try new medications have made the most difference.
Samantha Schutz is a children's book editor in New York City and the author of "I Don't Want to Be Crazy," a book about her experiences. You can visit her at www.samanthaschutz.net.
Sam
------------
http://www.latimes.com/features/health/medicine/la-he-myturn22-2008sep22,0,6812450.story
MY TURN
Anxiety disorder leaves parts of life in limbo for author Samantha Schutz
But her commitment to therapy and willingness to try new medications to stave off panic attacks gives her ever-increasing control.
By Samantha Schutz, Special to The Times
September 22, 2008
In the last few years, whenever I tried to talk about my experiences with an anxiety disorder, I ran into the same problem. I couldn't describe myself as having an anxiety disorder because I'd gone months without having a panic attack. And I couldn't say I used to have an anxiety disorder because I still felt its effects.
Trying to find the right tense was more than just a matter of semantics. For many years, having an anxiety disorder shaped nearly every bit of my life -- where I went, who I went with, how long I stayed. I do not believe that anxiety disorder can be flipped off like a switch and, accordingly, simply using present or past tense did not accurately reflect how I was feeling. The body has an unbelievable capacity to remember pain, and my body was not ready to forget what I had been through.
It was only about a year ago that I settled on saying, "I am in recovery from anxiety disorder."
I was diagnosed with panic disorder a few months into my freshman year of college. My first attacks were scattered and seemingly without pattern. But it wasn't long before the attacks picked up speed and I was having several a day. I often felt nervous, not in control of my body, convinced that I was going to die. As the frequency of attacks increased, it became difficult to do normal things such as go to class, the dining hall or parties.
It was textbook panic disorder. Only I didn't know that. I thought I had gone crazy and that all the things I hoped for in my life -- that my parents hoped for -- were gone.
I am thankful that I possess two qualities: being forthcoming about my feelings and being proactive about my health. I believe these are a big part of the reason that I was able to ask for help. And getting help was surprisingly easy.
One fall afternoon, I went to my college's counseling center and asked for an appointment. Within days, I was seeing a therapist and a psychiatrist and was on medication.
That was more than 10 years ago. Since then, I have seen more than half a dozen therapists and taken as many medications. I have gone months without panic attacks and medication. I have also "relapsed" and nearly checked myself into a hospital.
I have been to yoga and meditation classes, swung tennis rackets at pillows, practiced the art of breathing, tried hypnosis and herbal remedies. And slowly, I've begun to do things that once seemed impossible -- going to crowded concerts or sitting with relative ease in a packed lecture hall.
People want to know why I'm better. They want to know the formula. This is not a simple question with a simple answer. For sure, hormonal changes, growing older, moving out of my parents' house and becoming more confident and secure with myself have all aided my recovery. The only thing I can say with certainty is that my commitment to therapy and my willingness to try new medications have made the most difference.
Samantha Schutz is a children's book editor in New York City and the author of "I Don't Want to Be Crazy," a book about her experiences. You can visit her at www.samanthaschutz.net.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Remember how a few months ago I said I was writing a new book? Well, up until very recently I haven't done very much (you know, aside from going to that dang full-time job I've got). Well, I can finally say that I am actually writing my new book. See? This photo proves it. Sort of, anyway.
Fiction is really challenging. People tell me that it should be easy compared to writing a memoir, but it's not. I didn't have to outline my memoir. I didn't have to come up with a plot or characters. I already knew it all. But writing fiction can be very overwhelming. I need to construct this world, filled with people who have actual lives and feelings... But I'm getting there. I've been working steadily for a few weeks and I pretty much think about the book, its plot, or the characters everyday. That NEVER happened before and I've been toying with the same concept for 2 years.
In short, this new book is about a teenage girl named Annaleah whose sort-of-boyfriend has just died. (They would hook up and hang out, but he was a flake and never called and could never really be depended on. But when they were together, just the two of them, it felt perfect. Special.) The first page of the book takes place the morning of his funeral.
Right now I have about 17 typed pages of poems. The pic above is from my journal. I use it on the subway during my commute, if the mood strikes.
The inspiration for this book came from a lot of different places:
* The first is an experience I had when I was about 19. One of my closest friend's friend died suddenly. While I had only met her a few times, it had a huge imapct on me. (this is in my memoir)
* Another inspiration comes from my general fascination with loss and death and how people deal with each. Okay, let's not mince words . . . what I actually mean is my fear of death.
* The next reason it pretty simple. I've had a few "sort-of-boyfriends" and have plenty of experiences to draw from.
* The last reason (for now anyway) is that there are people who I've dated (or been friends with) who are no longer part of my life. I don't talk to them or see them and that feels like a death to me.
I think I might post some early poems from the book. That, and scanned images of a collection of poems I wrote AND illustrated when I was in 6th grade. There's a good chance it might make you laugh so hard you'll cry.
Fiction is really challenging. People tell me that it should be easy compared to writing a memoir, but it's not. I didn't have to outline my memoir. I didn't have to come up with a plot or characters. I already knew it all. But writing fiction can be very overwhelming. I need to construct this world, filled with people who have actual lives and feelings... But I'm getting there. I've been working steadily for a few weeks and I pretty much think about the book, its plot, or the characters everyday. That NEVER happened before and I've been toying with the same concept for 2 years.
In short, this new book is about a teenage girl named Annaleah whose sort-of-boyfriend has just died. (They would hook up and hang out, but he was a flake and never called and could never really be depended on. But when they were together, just the two of them, it felt perfect. Special.) The first page of the book takes place the morning of his funeral.
Right now I have about 17 typed pages of poems. The pic above is from my journal. I use it on the subway during my commute, if the mood strikes.
The inspiration for this book came from a lot of different places:
* The first is an experience I had when I was about 19. One of my closest friend's friend died suddenly. While I had only met her a few times, it had a huge imapct on me. (this is in my memoir)
* Another inspiration comes from my general fascination with loss and death and how people deal with each. Okay, let's not mince words . . . what I actually mean is my fear of death.
* The next reason it pretty simple. I've had a few "sort-of-boyfriends" and have plenty of experiences to draw from.
* The last reason (for now anyway) is that there are people who I've dated (or been friends with) who are no longer part of my life. I don't talk to them or see them and that feels like a death to me.
I think I might post some early poems from the book. That, and scanned images of a collection of poems I wrote AND illustrated when I was in 6th grade. There's a good chance it might make you laugh so hard you'll cry.
Sunday, July 08, 2007
Great Review from www.teensreadtoo.com
Rating: 5 Stars
Millions of people suffer from anxiety disorder (panic attacks) on a daily basis. Most suffer needlessly, either due to lack of medical treatment, misdiagnosis, or ignorance of the condition. I DON’T WANT TO BE CRAZY is one woman’s brave confession of her struggles with the debilitating disorder.
Samantha Schutz was first diagnosed with anxiety disorder at age seventeen, after years of suffering with the problem. She uses this memoir to describe the devastating effects of the condition on her life and her relationships. The book chronicles the ups and downs of Samantha’s life from age seventeen until she graduates from college and gets her first job in the publishing industry.
Told in verse, the story reveals everything from the gripping terror of the attacks to the many therapists she consulted for help. Samantha titles her entries with the current drugs (Klonopin, Serzone, Xanax, Paxil, etc.) and the dosages she was
prescribed to treat her condition. She also explains her attempts to stop the medications, and her belief that things would get better, only to relapse with increasing frequency.
Samantha's honesty is evident throughout. She doesn't promise miracle cures, and she truly marvels at the support she received from her family and most of her friends. This is an inspiring book for anyone living with or connected to someone
living with anxiety disorder.
Rating: 5 Stars
Millions of people suffer from anxiety disorder (panic attacks) on a daily basis. Most suffer needlessly, either due to lack of medical treatment, misdiagnosis, or ignorance of the condition. I DON’T WANT TO BE CRAZY is one woman’s brave confession of her struggles with the debilitating disorder.
Samantha Schutz was first diagnosed with anxiety disorder at age seventeen, after years of suffering with the problem. She uses this memoir to describe the devastating effects of the condition on her life and her relationships. The book chronicles the ups and downs of Samantha’s life from age seventeen until she graduates from college and gets her first job in the publishing industry.
Told in verse, the story reveals everything from the gripping terror of the attacks to the many therapists she consulted for help. Samantha titles her entries with the current drugs (Klonopin, Serzone, Xanax, Paxil, etc.) and the dosages she was
prescribed to treat her condition. She also explains her attempts to stop the medications, and her belief that things would get better, only to relapse with increasing frequency.
Samantha's honesty is evident throughout. She doesn't promise miracle cures, and she truly marvels at the support she received from her family and most of her friends. This is an inspiring book for anyone living with or connected to someone
living with anxiety disorder.
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
So I promised I would update about the new book, so here I am. Thanks to all who emailed me girl names...I finally decided on Annaleah.
I've been working on the outline a lot recently and even enlisted my friend Judy to help me brainstorm. So far, the story is that Annaleah, a sixteen year old girl, lives next to a cemetery--which is sort of ironic since she's never actually known anyone who's died. She's visited the cemetery since she was a little kid, but she's not at all dark or goth. She just thought that it was fun to make up stories about the names and dates on the headstones. But Annaleah's life is suddenly turned upside down the summer after her junior year when her boyfriend unexpectedly dies. Don't worry. That doesn't give anything away. I'm pretty sure the book begins at his funeral.
To prepare for writing this book I've spent some time at a little cemetery near where I grew up. I'll be basing the cemetery in my story on it.
I've also been reading some really great books. I definitely recommend Good Grief by Lolly Winston (it's funny and poignant at the same time) and The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion (I'm only about 50 pages in, but it's already really intense). I also read parts of Stiff: The Curious Life of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach. It's really interesting and kind of gross and scary at the same time.
Ok, hopefully more to come soon...
Sunday, May 27, 2007
NEW BOOK!
So I've started thinking about my new book. "Started" isn't really the right word as I've been tossing around an idea for the last year. But it's summer and this weather (and sitting in a coffee shop with my laptop) makes me think of 2 summers ago when I was finishing writing I Don't Want to Be Crazy.
It's been hard to get motivated--I've never written fiction and it seems daunting to create an entire world, that includes believable characters . . . but I think that I'm finally ready to start writing (that means getting a sample to my glorious editor to see if he likes it).
One thing that keeps me from starting to write (ok, it's really moslty plain old procrastination) is that I have no name for my main character. It's really hard to find a name for her. Got any ideas of a good name for a 16 year old girl? Post them in the comments section or email me at samanthaschutz@hotmail.com.
So I suppose I should say what I'm writing about. Would that somehow jinx me? OK, all I'll say now is that it's about a girl who lives next door to a cemetery.
Will it be prose or verse, you ask? I'm not sure, but I am leaning toward verse.
I've been a crappy blogger up until now, but I'll keep you all up to date on how the writing is going.
OK. Time to brainstorm about my cemetery-girl....
So I've started thinking about my new book. "Started" isn't really the right word as I've been tossing around an idea for the last year. But it's summer and this weather (and sitting in a coffee shop with my laptop) makes me think of 2 summers ago when I was finishing writing I Don't Want to Be Crazy.
It's been hard to get motivated--I've never written fiction and it seems daunting to create an entire world, that includes believable characters . . . but I think that I'm finally ready to start writing (that means getting a sample to my glorious editor to see if he likes it).
One thing that keeps me from starting to write (ok, it's really moslty plain old procrastination) is that I have no name for my main character. It's really hard to find a name for her. Got any ideas of a good name for a 16 year old girl? Post them in the comments section or email me at samanthaschutz@hotmail.com.
So I suppose I should say what I'm writing about. Would that somehow jinx me? OK, all I'll say now is that it's about a girl who lives next door to a cemetery.
Will it be prose or verse, you ask? I'm not sure, but I am leaning toward verse.
I've been a crappy blogger up until now, but I'll keep you all up to date on how the writing is going.
OK. Time to brainstorm about my cemetery-girl....
The paperback is coming! The paperback is coming!
The paperback edition of I Don't Want to Be Crazy will be out this August.
It's only $7.99
288 pages!
229 poems!
Order it now!
http://www.amazon.com/I-Dont-Want-Be-Crazy/dp/0439805198/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-1753127-9961647?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1180292560&sr=8-1
The paperback edition of I Don't Want to Be Crazy will be out this August.
It's only $7.99
288 pages!
229 poems!
Order it now!
http://www.amazon.com/I-Dont-Want-Be-Crazy/dp/0439805198/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-1753127-9961647?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1180292560&sr=8-1
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Last week Scholastic celebrated PUSH's fifth anniversary with in-house readings by a variety of its authors. Seen here (l. to r.): Billy Merrell (Talking in the Dark), Coe Booth (Tyrell), David Levithan (founder and editor of PUSH), Thu-Huong Ha (Hail Caesar), Brian James (Dirty Liar), Samantha Schutz (I Don't Want to Be Crazy) and Eirreann Corrigan (Ordinary Ghosts).From Publishers Weekly:
"Five years ago this month, Scholastic launched its PUSH imprint, spearheaded by David Levithan, who is now editorial director of Scholastic Press and PUSH. Focused on publishing cutting-edge books for teens written by first-time authors, the line was an editorial experiment that has clearly worked. PUSH has published more than 20 titles by such authors as Markus Zusak, Kevin Brooks, Patricia McCormick and Chris Wooding, and there are more than 1.2 million copies of its books in print.
To commemorate the imprint's fifth anniversary, the publisher is releasing This Is PUSH: New Stories from the Edge, an anthology of tales by PUSH authors edited by Levithan. And in March, Levithan and four authors of new PUSH books will hit the road, visiting five cities (New York, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Atlanta and Miami).
Levithan, who began at Scholastic as an intern at the age of 19, was an associate editor at the house when the issue of a new teen imprint first came up. "I asked the question of what kind of teen publishing we wanted to do at Scholastic, and that question turned into a four-year conversation," he recalls. When the conversation finally wrapped up, he says, "We took the radical approach of going with first-time writers and being on the cutting edge of teen publishing. Our idea was to give aspiring authors a chance and to be a magnet to attract people who hadn't dreamed of writing. We gave them a space to do that. As a result we have a largely very young, very diverse group of PUSH authors.""
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Thursday, January 11, 2007
The PUSH Antholgy is available NOW!
It's only $6.99 and features new work by all 15 of your favorite PUSH authors--
including a new poem by me! (It's over ten pages long.)
Check http://thisispush.com/ for more info . . .
I'll post an excerpt soon.
-sam
Wednesday, January 03, 2007
Yippie! More reviews.
This one is from VOYA (Voice of Youth Adovcates)
http://www.voya.com/
In this moving memoir, Schutz details her struggle with anxiety disorder. She has always been a perfectionist, thanks in great part to her parents' constant pushing. Shortly after beginning college, Schutz starts to experience strange symptoms-shaking, sweating, racing thoughts, and feeling trapped in her own body-which turn out to be panic attacks. The fear and discomfort of the attacks rule her life. She relies heavily on medication to regulate her days, but worries that she is only able to cope with her disorder because of the medication. Even with pills and therapists, Schutz battles fear, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts. Her illness bewilders her, at one point even forcing Schutz to wonder if she is doing it to herself. Schutz worries that perhaps she needs this disorder, that maybe she does not want to get well. Schutz vacillates between feeling as if she has conquered her affliction to being right back in the thick of it, feeling alone, scared, and desperate. The ending seems hopeful, but given her past, it is hard to be certain that she has overcome her demons. Written in verse, this memoir successfully conveys what it is like to suffer from panic attacks. The intense tone often feels frantic and breathless, pulling the reader into Schutz's frame of mind. Her story will have a wide appeal thanks to both its content and form. Once readers pick up this insightful debut, they will not be able to put it down.
This one is from VOYA (Voice of Youth Adovcates)
http://www.voya.com/
In this moving memoir, Schutz details her struggle with anxiety disorder. She has always been a perfectionist, thanks in great part to her parents' constant pushing. Shortly after beginning college, Schutz starts to experience strange symptoms-shaking, sweating, racing thoughts, and feeling trapped in her own body-which turn out to be panic attacks. The fear and discomfort of the attacks rule her life. She relies heavily on medication to regulate her days, but worries that she is only able to cope with her disorder because of the medication. Even with pills and therapists, Schutz battles fear, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts. Her illness bewilders her, at one point even forcing Schutz to wonder if she is doing it to herself. Schutz worries that perhaps she needs this disorder, that maybe she does not want to get well. Schutz vacillates between feeling as if she has conquered her affliction to being right back in the thick of it, feeling alone, scared, and desperate. The ending seems hopeful, but given her past, it is hard to be certain that she has overcome her demons. Written in verse, this memoir successfully conveys what it is like to suffer from panic attacks. The intense tone often feels frantic and breathless, pulling the reader into Schutz's frame of mind. Her story will have a wide appeal thanks to both its content and form. Once readers pick up this insightful debut, they will not be able to put it down.
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
A very nice review from School Library Journal!!!
School Library Journal, January 2007
In this “memoir in verse,” Schutz comes to terms with an anxiety disorder that surfaced and plagued her throughout and after her college years. Readers accompany the author from the summer after high school, through college, on a semester abroad in Paris, and into her first job after graduation. Typical early-adulthood issues such as boyfriends, sex, drinking, grades, and family are woven throughout her struggle with physically and mentally debilitating panic attacks. The author had the courage and wisdom to seek professional help and embarked on a long and often bumpy road to treating her disorder. The decision to write in verse proves fitting; in the scenes in which a panic attack is approaching, for example, the short lines of text echo the breathless terror described within. Though the book begins to feel repetitive toward its conclusion, the repetition simultaneously reflects the cyclical nature of Schutz’s disorder and one’s college years. Aptly, the book ends without absolute closure, and while luckily not all teens will find themselves in identical situations, many young people transitioning to adulthood will find a part of themselves in this overwhelming, and seemingly never-ending, search for self-identity.
–Jill Heritage Maza, Greenwich High School, CT
School Library Journal, January 2007
In this “memoir in verse,” Schutz comes to terms with an anxiety disorder that surfaced and plagued her throughout and after her college years. Readers accompany the author from the summer after high school, through college, on a semester abroad in Paris, and into her first job after graduation. Typical early-adulthood issues such as boyfriends, sex, drinking, grades, and family are woven throughout her struggle with physically and mentally debilitating panic attacks. The author had the courage and wisdom to seek professional help and embarked on a long and often bumpy road to treating her disorder. The decision to write in verse proves fitting; in the scenes in which a panic attack is approaching, for example, the short lines of text echo the breathless terror described within. Though the book begins to feel repetitive toward its conclusion, the repetition simultaneously reflects the cyclical nature of Schutz’s disorder and one’s college years. Aptly, the book ends without absolute closure, and while luckily not all teens will find themselves in identical situations, many young people transitioning to adulthood will find a part of themselves in this overwhelming, and seemingly never-ending, search for self-identity.
–Jill Heritage Maza, Greenwich High School, CT
Monday, November 27, 2006
Yippie!
I was nominated for these two library booklists:
American Library Association Best Books For Young Adults
American Library Association Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers
Thanks to all who nominated me!
Hopefully I will get listed!
www.ala.org/yalsa/booklists
I was nominated for these two library booklists:
American Library Association Best Books For Young Adults
American Library Association Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers
Thanks to all who nominated me!
Hopefully I will get listed!
www.ala.org/yalsa/booklists
Sunday, October 08, 2006
UPDATE: You can read a transcript of the chat here:
http://www.realmentalhealth.com/ Hi all,
I will be moderating a chat at realmentalhealth.com on TUESDAY oct 10th at 9pm (EST).
I'll be talking (writing?) about my book and anxiety disorder. Hope you'll stop by and check it out.
Thanks!
http://www.realmentalhealth.com/ Hi all,
I will be moderating a chat at realmentalhealth.com on TUESDAY oct 10th at 9pm (EST).
I'll be talking (writing?) about my book and anxiety disorder. Hope you'll stop by and check it out.
Thanks!
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
Last night Ned Vizzini and I read to a packed house at KGB Bar in NYC. Clearly, I read from I Don't Want to Be Crazy. Ned read from It's Kind of a Funny Story, a semi-autobiographical novel about a teen boy hospitalized for depression.
http://www.nedvizzini.com/
Contrary to how it may sound (anxiety + depression = big downer) it was a really good time. Ned is hilarious. He's also a very talented writer and speaker. There was also a great crowd there--lots of friends, co-workers, and strangers. I like strangers.
A nice surprise was the appearance of Wess "Mongo" Jolley from IndieFeed Podcast Network. He created a podcast of my reading. 16 minutes of me reading from Part I of my memoir. It's all Samantha all the time! You can put me inside your little ipod and take me with you. How super is that?!
As of 8/24 you can get the podcast for FREE using the info below. I'll do my best to add it to my myspace page or something, but I'm not so savvy with these newfangled electronics.
Also, photos of the event to come soon...
To get the podcast:
Subscribe via iTunes:
http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=120373332&s=143441
Subscribe via an aggregator such as Juice or iPodder (paste this link into your aggregator) : http://feeds.feedburner.com/IndiefeedPerformancePoetry
Or, if you want to just download one show at a time, you can do that through our site:
http://performancepoetry.indiefeed.com/
http://www.nedvizzini.com/
Contrary to how it may sound (anxiety + depression = big downer) it was a really good time. Ned is hilarious. He's also a very talented writer and speaker. There was also a great crowd there--lots of friends, co-workers, and strangers. I like strangers.
A nice surprise was the appearance of Wess "Mongo" Jolley from IndieFeed Podcast Network. He created a podcast of my reading. 16 minutes of me reading from Part I of my memoir. It's all Samantha all the time! You can put me inside your little ipod and take me with you. How super is that?!
As of 8/24 you can get the podcast for FREE using the info below. I'll do my best to add it to my myspace page or something, but I'm not so savvy with these newfangled electronics.
Also, photos of the event to come soon...
To get the podcast:
Subscribe via iTunes:
http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=120373332&s=143441
Subscribe via an aggregator such as Juice or iPodder (paste this link into your aggregator) : http://feeds.feedburner.com/IndiefeedPerformancePoetry
Or, if you want to just download one show at a time, you can do that through our site:
http://performancepoetry.indiefeed.com/
Friday, August 18, 2006
I have been reluctant to post random happenings in my blog, but today I was struck by something so bizarre that I had to write about it.
Today I had lunch with a co-worker at a Thai restaurant in Soho. It's called Peep. Lovely atmosphere, if a little loud, and the food was delicious and well priced. I hadn't thought of the name much . . . except for making a brief connection to those marshmallow chicks . . . until I went to the bathroom.
The two bathrooms doors were flush with the back wall of the restaurant. A little weird to walk into the bathroom next to a table, but not the end of the world. When I went inside I had some trouble finding the light. I turned around to keep looking, and was BEYOND shocked to find that I had a view of the ENTIRE restaurant! I froze. What that fuck? I thought. I tried to remind myself that the exterior of the wall was mirrored, but it didn't help much. [I kept questioning if they really had been mirrored, or if I just thought they were.] I stood there for a moment, watching people eat and waiters running around. Was I seriously supposed to pee while looking at 50 strangers . . .who were eating?
Needless to say I have never peed so quickly or with so much anxiety in life.
So, that's it.
Happy Friday.
I hope you all get to pee in peace this weekend.
sam
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
I feel like it's my birthday! I just saw these two reviews and couldn't be happier!
"A young author makes a stunning debut with this poetry memoir documenting her personal battle with anxiety disorder and the incapacitating panic attacks that first struck during college. Schutz bares all but is never tedious as she documents the difficulties of finding a good doctor and the right medication while struggling to finish college and set her own course apart from her parents. Anxiety disorders affect an estimated 13 percent of the adult population of the U.S., and Schutz performs a valuable service with this firsthand account of the torment they experience."
--The Buffalo News
"[Schutz's] tale is related in an intimate poetry memoir that is compelling and informative."
--Detroit Free Press
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