Writing to Heal
Fall 2016 | By Paige Wilson
If you could write a letter to your younger self, what would you say?
Ryan Skaryd 鈥�15 used this writing prompt to change his students鈥� view of mental illness. Through a 激情快播 Literary Arts Partnership with Wraparound Orange, an Orange County agency that supports families with youths with mental health issues, the 23-year-old creative writing graduate student spent 12 weeks this summer teaching students ages 18 to 25 the craft of storytelling.
鈥淢ental illness is a chronic illness that doesn鈥檛 end … There is no cure for mental illness, but there is treatment. And we can鈥檛 wait until it鈥檚 too late to start treating.鈥�
Terry Ann Thaxton 鈥�93 鈥�95MA
That age is a crucial time to help students deal with major life transitions, which can trigger mental illness, says Terry Ann Thaxton 鈥�93 鈥�95MA, a creative writing professor who has been organizing similar literary partnerships since 2003.
鈥淢ental illness is a chronic illness that doesn鈥檛 end,鈥� Thaxton says. 鈥淭here is no cure for mental illness, but there is treatment. And we can鈥檛 wait until it鈥檚 too late to start treating.鈥�
The topic is personal for Thaxton. She was raised with a brother who is intellectually disabled and has a 36-year-old son who lives with Asperger鈥檚 syndrome, major depressive disorder and severe anxiety.
Thaxton knew Skaryd was well-equipped to teach these summer classes because of his professionalism and his willingness to discuss his own struggles, including being a caregiver for a family member.
Skaryd鈥檚 secret for reaching students is simple: honesty.
鈥淎 lot of my reading examples are people聽who are brutally honest about their mental health journey, whether that鈥檚 with obsessive compulsive disorder or [something] as simple聽as anxiety [about school],鈥� Skaryd says.
One of his students initially wanted to write about a family member, but by the end of the summer session, she turned in a diary-style piece exploring her own mental health instead.
鈥淪he tracked down her thoughts about depression and self-image in a really relative tone,鈥� Skaryd says.
鈥淸These students] can write freely and fearlessly without being judged about anything that they go through,鈥� he continues. 鈥淏ecause at the end of the day, other people are going through the same thing, if not very similar.鈥�
鈥淥nce I say what I鈥檝e written about and what I鈥檝e experienced, it really changes the dynamic, and the students will share more in their writing … They鈥檒l read more out loud [and] they鈥檒l be more honest.鈥�
Kristi DiLallo 鈥�13
Thaxton鈥檚 influence extends to former facilitator Kristi DiLallo 鈥�13 as well, who is using creative writing to help young women in Rikers Island prison. Through a program with the Center for Justice at Columbia University, where she recently earned an MFA, DiLallo is teaching inmates to have open conversations about perseverance.
DiLallo is no stranger to the prison system.聽 At the age of 6, she stepped into a jail to visit her incarcerated parents. (Her mother remains in prison.) This used to be a source of shame for her, but now she鈥檚 using her story to help others tell theirs.
Her students tend to underestimate DiLallo at 铿乺st 鈥� suggesting that she鈥檚 privileged and unable to relate. But she鈥檚 found that transparency is key in getting through to them.
鈥淥nce I say what I鈥檝e written about and what I鈥檝e experienced, it really changes the dynamic, and the students will share more in their writing,鈥� DiLallo says. 鈥淭hey鈥檒l read more out loud [and] they鈥檒l be more honest.鈥�
As a teenager, DiLallo used her own life as inspiration for fiction, but never shared her writing until her first teaching position through 激情快播鈥檚 Literary Arts Partnership program.
During her junior year, she partnered with Orange County Academy in Bithlo, Florida. More than half the class had at least one incarcerated parent, but the students didn鈥檛 know DiLallo鈥檚 story. After a helpful nudge from Thaxton, DiLallo gained the courage to read her story to the students, who responded with tears and hugs.
鈥淚t was such an amazing moment for me when I realized that teaching is so important, and telling my story is important, and so is getting these kids to tell theirs,鈥� says DiLallo. 鈥淎nd if this is how I have to do it then I鈥檒l totally go in on the first day and tell people that this is my story, and that it鈥檚 time for you to write yours.鈥�
Illustration by Kirk Wallace