Bøger af Sandra Yuen MacKay

Are you interested in art, artists, comical situations, unusual circumstances, or stand-up comedy that verges on political incorrectness? If you said yes to any of the above, I recommend my novel, Chop Shtick. Told by Cathy Fung, a single, schizophrenic, Chinese artist, nicknamed the "Queen of Clichés," this story twists quickly into mayhem and amusement. The Big Six, made up of six struggling artists including Cathy, are commissioned to build an Upcycled sculpture in downtown Vancouver, British Columbia. Cathy is paranoid about the neighbours' missing cat and strange goings on next door. The artists investigate, which leads into a dangerous escapade.Not only is Cathy envious of her older brother Leonard the Pest but also Nathan X, an aspiring painter in the group, who dates a snobby Parisian named Sylvie. "I know all about Canada. The beaver fur trade, hunting buffalo, igloos and pemmican," says Sylvie. Marco Manicotti, a muscled sculptor, fights with Denise, a Chinese accessory designer, over the position of a pipe. The leader of the group, Raj aka the Big Kahuna, a troubled artist himself, knows Cathy's weaknesses are her naivety and a heart that cares too much. Cathy is led on a path of self-discovery toward her true potential.

Vancouver artist Sandra Yuen MacKay has an abnormality of the brain - a disease called schizophrenia. As she says, "my life is schizophrenic because I have schizophrenia. It will always be there". Much of her life has been a struggle to cope with the symptoms of her disease and the side effects of the medications required to keep those symptoms in check. Early in her life, Sandra started to exhibit the typical symptoms of this disease which came as a surprise to her unsuspecting family. Her book chronicles her struggles, hospitalizations, encounters with professionals, return to school, eventual marriage, and success as an artist, writer and advocate. "Remarkably compelling...the book takes on a life if its own...a gripping narrative" Library Journal "There are precious few people who have experienced psychosis and can convey it accurately, clearly, and concisely. Sandra MacKay's story is an important one for all of us in the mental health field --doctors, patients, and their families. It is imperative that we take in the lessons she is imparting to us all, on how to manage, and in many ways, triumph, over chronic mental illness." Julie Holland, MD author, Weekends at Bellevue: Nine Years on the Night Shift at the Psych ER., New York city