Perfect Chaos - a daughter's journey to surviving bipolar, a mother's struggle to save her
National Public Radio Interview Tuesday, August 14
Cinda and Linea were interviewed for Tell Me More, a program that airs nationally on NPR stations. The interview aired on Tuesday, August 14 at 1:30 p.m. locally on KUOW. Listen to the interview.
Book Launch Excitement!
Perfect Chaos hit bookshelves on May 8, and the authors have been celebrating across the country with book signings, receptions and mental health fundraisers!
Perfect Chaos tells Linea and Cinda’s inspiring yet harrowing story of a mental illness that they conquer together every day. It is the story of a daughter’s courage, a mother’s faith, and the love that carried them through the darkest times.
The Johnsons - mother, father, and two daughters - were a loving, and close Seattle family. Then the younger daughter Linea started experiencing crippling bouts of suicidal depression. Multiple trips to the psych ward resulted in a diagnosis of bipolar disorder, and it took many trial runs of drugs and ultimately electroshock therapy to bring Linea back. But her family never gave up on her. And Linea never stopped trying to find her way back to them.
Perfect Chaos is the story of a mother's and daughter's journey through mental illness towards hope. From initial worrying symptoms to long sleepless nights to cross country flights and the slow understanding and rebuilding of trust, Perfect Chaos tells Linea's and Cinda's harrowing and inspiring story, of an illness that they conquer together every day It is the story of a daughter's courage, a mother's faith, and the love that carried them through the darkest times.
PRAISE FOR PERFECT CHAOS
"Perfect Chaos is an important gift to those of us who love someone with a mental disorder. A daughter diagnosed with bipolar disorder and her determined mother take us on their often-painful journey to recovery, giving readers a penetrating look into what happens when mental illnesses strike. This inspirational book teaches us the importance of determination, resilience, love and HOPE. It is a testament to the human spirit that refuses to be defeated by a brain disorder -- a must read."-Pete Earley, author of CRAZY: A Father's Search Through America's Mental Health Madness, finalist for the Pulitzer Prize
"A remarkable story about remarkable women. Linea and Cinda brilliantly light a path to hope, understanding, and acceptance as they smash through the stigma of brain illness. Be inspired by the strong voice they give to patients, relatives, care-givers, and especially to those unable or afraid to show their wants, needs, and hope for a better future."- Patrick J. Kennedy, Former U.S. Congressman and Co-Founder, One Mind for Research
"Perfect Chaos is an open-eyed, sometimes raw, always astoundingly honest account of a family's unanticipated battle with mental illness. Cinda and Linea's awe-inspiring resilience and the sheer courage of their emotional transparency moved me to my core and deepened my empathy for all those touched by mental illness, including beloved members of my own family. It is about the fierce, transformative love between a mother and daughter and how they both learn to share their truths."- Glenn Close, Actress and Co-founder, Bring Change 2 Mind
AUTHOR BIOGRAPHIES
Linea Johnson is a 2010 graduate from Seattle University, with a major in English and Creative Writing. Prior to transferring to SU, she completed three years at Columbia University, Chicago, in a musical performance program. Linea recently worked as an intern at the World Health Organization (Geneva, Switzerland) in the Mental Health department. She is a national speaker and writer, advocating for understanding and support for people with mental illness and the elimination of stigma. She has worked and presented with national leaders at BringChange2Mind and One Mind for Research. In addition to Perfect Chaos, she has published articles in journals (The Clearing House, Fragments and Mobility International USA) and continues to work on articles for submissions. Linea has a deep commitment to promoting positive mental health and decreasing the stigma that mental illness carries. She has traveled the country presenting her story and speaking about the importance of advocacy and empowerment at national and international mental health, educational and disability conferences.
Cinda Johnson, Ed.D., is a professor and director of the Special Education graduate program at Seattle University. She is also the principal investigator and director of the Center for Change in Transition Services. She is a national leader in the area of transition from high school to post-high school settings for young people with disabilities. She has written articles and book chapters in the area of secondary special education and transition services including youth with emotional and behavioral disorders and mental illnesses. Cinda has been a featured speaker at many national conferences on mental health.
Photography courtesy of Jordan Swain
FOLLOW CINDA AND LINEA
Learn more about how Cinda and Linea are advocating for those with mental illness:
Cinda and Linea's website: www.lineacinda.com
Cinda's Blog: www.cindajohnson.blogspot.com
MORE ABOUT PERFECT CHAOS
Pre-order Perfect Chaos now!
Download a PDF poster.
BOOK SIGNINGS, MEDIA APPEARANCES, CONFERENCE LECTURES
Look for reviews and excerpts in: Prevention, Ladies Home Journal, Good Housekeeping, YOU (Europe), Publishers Weekly
Check out these online sites where Perfect Chaos reviews will be posted: Kirkus Reviews, My Reading Room.com, Peeking Between the Pages, SHEKNOWS.COM, Examiner.com
Upcoming guest speaking appearances include: International Pacific Rim Conference on Disability and Diversity (Hawaii, 3/25-28); National Association of Mental Illness National Convention (Washington, 6/27-30); Karla Smith Foundation Erase the Stigma Convention (Missouri, 8/25); Staglin Family Music Festival (California, 9/15); National Association of College Admission Counselors (Colorado, 10/4-6)