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Vogue: What does it feel like, having this book out in the world?
Photo: Courtesy of Sarah LaBrie
I was kind of scared to write honestly about that because I didnt want to piss anyone off.
[But] people are meeting my story with great curiosity and are having these nuanced and smart conversations.
I think that was something I hoped for, but also feared wouldnt happen.
You share such a compelling vision of generational trauma among Black women and also present a vision of healing.
What did that journey look like for you in terms of resources?
I mainlined all of James Baldwins nonfiction before I wrote this book.
Hes also a figure in the book, and his sort of openness and honesty was huge.
Im going to tell my own story, and that is going to matter just as much.
And I think, for me, Terese was that.
In terms of craft, how did it feel to write such an intensely personal story?
I did not preserve my emotional health.
It was hard, and it was not a healthy place to be.
Im sure it was really difficult for my friends and for my husband.
Is there anything you wish people understood better about schizophrenia, or mental illness more broadly?
I think something that I didnt understand before was how afraid people are of people with schizophrenia.
And, yes, she has delusions, and shes deeply mentally ill, and she has caused damage.
But I do want people to understand that shes suffering way more than you are.
Things can change at any time.
This conversation has been edited and condensed.
No One Gets to Fall Apart
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