My Brother's Madness: A Memoir

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Northwestern University Press, Oct 1, 2007 - Biography & Autobiography - 334 pages
My Brother's Madness is based on the author's relationship with his brother—who had a psychotic breakdown in his late forties—and explores the unfolding of two intertwined lives and the nature of delusion. Circumstances lead one brother from juvenile crime on the streets of Brooklyn to war-torn Vietnam, to a fast-track life as a Hollywood publicist to owning and operating The Tin Palace, one of New York's most legendary jazz clubs, while his brother falls into, and fights his way back from, a delusional psychosis.

My Brother's Madness is part thriller, part exploration that not only describes the causes, character, and journey of mental illness, but also makes sense of it. It is ultimately a story of our own humanity, and answers the question, Am I my brother's keeper?

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About the author (2007)

Paul Pines grew up in New York City and is the author of thirteen poetry collections, including his most recent, Charlotte Songs. He has also written several novels, including The Tin Angel, which was critically well received. He currently lives with his wife and daughter in Glens Falls, New York. He is a practicing psychotherapist at Glens Falls Hospital, hosts the annual Lake George Jazz Weekend, and taught American literature and creative writing at Adirondack Community College until 2007.

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