Sharp: My Story of Madness, Cutting, and How I Reclaimed My Life

by David Fitzpatrick

Overview

David Fitzpatrick’s Sharp is an extraordinary memoir—a fascinating, disturbing look into the mind of a man who, in his early 20s, began cutting himself due to a severe mental illness. A beautifully written treatment of a powerful subject, Fitzpatrick—whose symptoms included extreme depression and self-mutilation—writes movingly and honestly about his affliction and inspires readers with his courage, joining the literary ranks of Terri Cheney (Manic), Augusten Burroughs (Running with Scissors), Marya Hornbacher (Wasted), and Susanna Kaysen (Girl, Interrupted).

“A harrowing journey from self-destructive psychosis to a cautious re-emergence into the flickering sunshine of the sane world….Fitzpatrick writes about mental illness with the unsparing intensity of Sylvia Plath and Anne Sexton but also with the hard-won self-knowledge of William Styron, Kay Jamison, and other chroniclers of disease, recovery, and management…. A must read, remarkably told.”
—Wally Lamb, author of I Know This Much is True

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062064035
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	07/02/2013
Pages:	354
Product dimensions:	5.30(w) x 7.90(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

David Fitzpatrick was born in Dearborn, Michigan, grew up in Connecticut, graduated from Skidmore College, and earned his MFA degree from Fairfield University in 2011. He works part-time at an auto dealership and is married to a graphic designer and fellow writer, Amy Holmes. His work has been published by The New Haven Review, Barely South Review, and Fiction Weekly. He lives in Middletown, Connecticut.

Table of Contents

Introduction: Bending the Arc 1

Chapter 1 Before the Shellacking 17

Chapter 2 The Deal That Worked 45

Chapter 3 A Complete Win 79

Chapter 4 A Quiet Victory 102

Chapter 5 The Strategy 123

Chapter 6 Leaning Forward 149

Chapter 7 The Battle Begins 178

Chapter 8 Leading from Behind the Scenes 202

Chapter 9 The End of the Beginning 226

Chapter 10 Mission Accomplished 253

Chapter 11 Return of the Hostage Takers 278

Chapter 12 The Big Cross 303

Chapter 13 Obama Unleashed 350

Chapter 14 The Battle Ahead 388

Epilogue to the Paperback Edition 399

Acknowledgements 415

A Note on Sources 419

Index 425

What People are Saying About This

Rachel Basch

“Tortured and tormented as he was, Fitzpatrick never blinks as he recounts his residency in hell. Piercingly honest, he forces us to recognize and embrace the most broken parts of ourselves. Be forewarned: this book will expand your heart and mind.”

Michael White

“What makes this memoir so riveting and so unforgettable isn’t the myriad of horrors that its narrator inflicts upon himself. It’s the razor-sharp humor and abiding wisdom and depth of humanity with which its author graces the reader. Sharp cuts deep into your heart.”

Wally Lamb

David Fitzpatrick’s Sharp is a must read, remarkably told.

Kate Christensen

“Sharp is a courageously honest book by a gentle, damaged soul who fought his way to the light with a ferocity he never thought he possessed. Fitzpatrick’s recounting of his struggle with severe mental illness shines with intelligence, pain and hard-won, self-confidence. ”

Chris Matthews

A great book - the real inside story. If you want to understand the Obama White House and how Washington works, you have to read it.

Editorial Reviews

David Fitzpatrick’s Sharp is a must read, remarkably told.” — Wally Lamb

“Sharp is a courageously honest book by a gentle, damaged soul who fought his way to the light with a ferocity he never thought he possessed. Fitzpatrick’s recounting of his struggle with severe mental illness shines with intelligence, pain and hard-won, self-confidence. ” — Kate Christensen, author of The Great Man and The Astral

“What makes this memoir so riveting and so unforgettable isn’t the myriad of horrors that its narrator inflicts upon himself. It’s the razor-sharp humor and abiding wisdom and depth of humanity with which its author graces the reader. Sharp cuts deep into your heart.” — Michael White, author of Beautiful Assassin and Soul Catcher

“Tortured and tormented as he was, Fitzpatrick never blinks as he recounts his residency in hell. Piercingly honest, he forces us to recognize and embrace the most broken parts of ourselves. Be forewarned: this book will expand your heart and mind.” — Rachel Basch, author of Degrees of Love and The Passion of Reverend Nash

“A mesmeric, dire memoir...a mission (thanks to Wally Lamb’s encouragement) to write this dark, affecting, human story.” — Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher

David Fitzpatrick’s Sharp is a must read, remarkably told.

Wally Lamb

Sharp is a courageously honest book by a gentle, damaged soul who fought his way to the light with a ferocity he never thought he possessed. Fitzpatrick’s recounting of his struggle with severe mental illness shines with intelligence, pain and hard-won, self-confidence.

Kate Christensen

Tortured and tormented as he was, Fitzpatrick never blinks as he recounts his residency in hell. Piercingly honest, he forces us to recognize and embrace the most broken parts of ourselves. Be forewarned: this book will expand your heart and mind.

Rachel Basch

What makes this memoir so riveting and so unforgettable isn’t the myriad of horrors that its narrator inflicts upon himself. It’s the razor-sharp humor and abiding wisdom and depth of humanity with which its author graces the reader. Sharp cuts deep into your heart.

Michael White

A dramatic behind-the-scenes account of the decision making that occured within the Obama White House following the disastrous-for-Democrats 2010 midterm election... shows how Obama got his groove back in time for the 2012 campaign.

Huffington Post

Showdown chronicles the administration over the past two years.

USA Today

Washington bureau chief for Mother Jones magazine, an analyst for MSNBC and NBC News, and author or coauthor of a couple of New York Times best sellers (e.g., Hubris), Corn seems well placed to evaluate how 2011 has treated President Obama. Important for anyone interested in U.S. politics; with a 100,000-copy first printing.

Library Journal