Letters from the Madhouse

An uncompromising account of a Bosnian writer's life as an exile in America.

Considered a literary icon of Bosnia, Dario Džamonja wrote raw, unfiltered accounts of life in the streets of Sarajevo and the colorful, caustic characters who inhabited them—including himself. His unmistakable voice interwove criminal slang, local vernacular, and autobiographical inquisition to craft stories in which he often served as protagonist and antagonist.

In 1993, Dario arrived in Madison, Wisconsin, fleeing...