I Don't Want to be Crazy

A harrowing, remarkable poetry memoir about one girl's struggle with anxiety disorder.

This is a true story of growing up, breaking down, and coming to grips with a psychological disorder. When Samantha Schutz first left home for college, she was excited by the possibilities -- freedom from parents, freedom from a boyfriend who was reckless with her affections, freedom from the person she was supposed to be. At first, she reveled in the independence . . . but as pressures increased, she began to suffer anxiety attacks that would leave her mentally shaken and physically incapacitated. Thus began a hard road of discovery and coping, powerfully rendered in this poetry memoir.

Praise for I Don't Want to be Crazy:An ALA Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers"Versifying a novel takes craft and dedication. Versifying a memoir takes courage. I Don't Want to be Crazy invites readers inside the head of a young woman questioning her sanity. Author Samantha Schutz must be commended for allowing readers such a personal glimpse of this frightening piece of her life experience." -- Ellen Hopkins, author of Crank"I Don't Want To Be Crazy is intense, intimate, heartbreaking. Its power is in its honesty, which is so profound and affecting, I had to remind myself to breathe." -- Deb Caletti, author of Honey, Baby, Sweetheart