Simply Because We Are Human: A Memoir by Kris Joseph
Simply Because We Are Human by Kris Joseph is a memoir about her struggle with mental health, which started when she was only eight. “I felt it was important to tell my story about dealing with clinical depression. I felt like other books in my genre lacked the ability to break down the social stigmas that are tied to mental illness,” says Kris. As a former high school track star, she knew all about living a double life, feeling that if she shared how she really felt, nobody would take her seriously.
Over time and throughout her MFA, Kris learned to embrace that vulnerability, and it became her strength. “The creation of this story helped develop my writing. I discovered that I was capable of writing through the heart and soul of the story instead of allowing my defense mechanisms to force me to write around it.” The stories we tell ourselves about our lives keep us from the true depth of our experiences.
Memoirists write their experience in hopes that they can share something with the world that will move a cultural conversation forward. As much as we talk about mental health, we tend not to give grace to a coworker who needs a day off, or understand why someone can’t seem to summon the strength to go about their everyday tasks. “I want my readers to walk away being aware of the social stigmas out in the world that are associated with mental illness and deliberately contribute to the destruction of them. Also, I want my readers to feel less alone. All human beings go through hard times at one point in their lives. It is okay to ask for help and lean on others,” Kris says. In a world driven by pride over productivity, asking for help can feel like admitting that you have failed.
“Mental health is the epicenter of every human’s overall well being,” says Kris. Instead of feeling that we need to power through to make a better reality, our ability to feel at peace in our own minds is foundational to everything else.
Kris’s book recommendations:
Suga Water by Arshay Cooper (published by Wise Ink)
Dear America: Notes of an Undocumented Citizen by Antonio Vargas
The Latehomecomer: A Hmong Family Memoir by Kao Kalia Yang
Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
The Electric Woman: A Memoir in Depth-Defying Acts by Tessa Fontaine
Boy Erased: A Memoir of Identity, Faith, and Family by Garrard Conley
The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion
You can purchase Kris’s book and learn more about her work at www.kjjosephwriter.com