Miraculous Sickness deals with society’s views and treatment of schizophrenia from ancient times to modern day. From the cure for demon possession to the recovery model, Miraculous Sickness sheds light on a subject matter still shrouded in misconceptions and myth. In this collection of poetry, we get a sense how our approach to dealing with mental illness and those affected has evolved, yet how far we have yet to go. Skillfully wrought poems that detail her own lived experience, the poet expounds upon difficult terrain with careful footing so as to create a dialogue for all to consider.
A 2021 CBC Books “Best Book of Poetry” Selection.
– CBC Books
Nominated.
– Alberta Book Award for Poetry
Nominated.
– High Plains Book Award for Poetry
“With poems like these, perraun interrogates the notions of “treatment” and “cure”.”
– Prairie Books Now
“ky perraun gives us a heart breaking and harrowing history of mental illness through the ages where horrors are prescribed and endured, the afflicted tortured into submission and then deemed cured. From her own experiences with schizophrenia, perraun creates highly personal poems, nicotine brain balms, “lotus blossoms on the ponds of eternity,” which reflect truth and chemical clouds of salvation.”
– Christian McPherson
This book was made with the generous support of the Manitoba Arts Council and the Canada Council for the Arts.
