A lot of you share my interest in homelessness, addiction, and recovery, so I thought you may be interested in the latest issue of The Perch, the Yale School of Medicine-affiliated arts journal with a focus on mental health. Titled Substance, the issue (volume 7) features poems, fiction, creative nonfiction, scholarly works, and art that present diverse perspectives on substance use and the recovery process.
I’m proud to have contributed a vignette to this smart and handsome collection. “Coming Clean” is about a homeless, drug-addicted prostitute who hits rock bottom at a seedy, downtown Las Vegas motel; it can be found on page 82 in the “During” section. (The issue is divided into the three main parts of the addiction process: Before, During, and After.)
If you have time today or this weekend, download the Substance PDF and take it for a spin. There is something in it for everyone with an interest in the topic.