Lullabies for the Insomniacs: A Memoir in Verse out now from Zest Books ™; 128 pages
Content Warning: Suicide, depression, eating disorders, death
About the Author: “Ella Grace Foutz earned her bachelor of arts in liberal arts from Southern Virginia University and now resides in northern Ohio. Lullabies for the Insomniacs is her debut book” (Bio from Lerner Publishing Group’s website).
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Lullabies for the Insomniacs is a collection of free verse poems exploring the author’s struggle with bipolar disorder and its effects, like mania and depression. Ella Grace Foutz shares a raw and profound account of her life with bipolar disorder in five parts titled: I. time zones, II. survival log, III. waking up, IV. heritage, and V. autonomy. This memoir in verse recounts Foutz’s journey of being diagnosed, managing her bipolar disorder, reflections on her identity and family, and themes of despondency, solitude, writing, and more. Ultimately, Foutz decides that her diagnosis will not define her, and embarks on a path of self-acceptance and resilience.
I admit that when I picked up Lullabies for the Insomniacs, I was expecting something much more soothing. Perhaps I paid too much attention to the “lullaby” aspect of the title, and not enough to the “insomniacs” part to realize that this poetry collection would be dealing with mental health issues. Although discussing topics such as mental illness and death can be grim, I think awareness is crucial—especially for young adults. Mental health transparency is important at any age, but with young adults, teens, and tweens, it’s not really spoken about in literature and less so in poetry. Foutz dedicates this poetry collection to many individuals, but one of them happens to be her sixteen-year-old self. In being courageously vulnerable, not only does Foutz widen the space for young adults to explore mental illness in poetry, but she also shares a message that she wishes she received at the time of her diagnosis: you are not alone, and you will overcome this. It was interesting to see the evolution of Foutz’s health and acceptance of her life with BPD mirrored in her poems as the tones became more assured and hopeful. There is a shift around part III where Foutz decides that in her battles with BPD and insomnia, her choice of weapon will be her pen—to write—and reclaims autonomy. Even though BPD and mental illness are at the core of Lullabies for the Insomniacs, there is something for everyone in her lyrical and profound poems.
Pine Reads Review would like to thank NetGalley and Zest Books ™ for sending us an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Any quotes are taken from an advanced copy and may be subject to change before final publication.
Abigail Ortiz-Velez, Pine Reads Review Writer and Editor