{"title":"John Shipek","description":"\u003cp\u003eDiscover the compelling narrative style of John Shipek, an author known for weaving intricate tales that delve deep into the realms of Biography and Memoir. Shipek engages readers with his profound storytelling abilities, bringing to life the varied dimensions of human relationships and personal experiences.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWithin this collection, you'll find notable works such as \u003cem\u003eMy Sister Reta\u003c\/em\u003e, which offers a touching exploration of sibling bonds and personal growth. Through introspective prose and emotional depth, Shipek invites readers to reflect on their own life experiences while gaining insight into the lives of others.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eEach book in John Shipek’s collection is a testament to his keen observational skills and empathetic understanding of the complex tapestry of human life. Whether you are a long-time admirer or new to his work, Shipek’s narratives promise a journey through the intricacies of life and identity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eEmbrace the opportunity to explore heartfelt and thought-provoking stories that resonate with truth and authenticity. John Shipek’s works are not merely books; they are windows into the lives of the extraordinary and the everyday.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"my-sister-reta-by-john-shipek-9781667861388","title":"My Sister Reta","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eMy Sister Reta: A Story of Art and Mental Illness\u003c\/em\u003e is a non-fiction book, crossing the genres of family biography, mental health, and self-help. It is a story of an artist living with debilitating mental illness, and a brother's journey to understand and love an inscrutable sister.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eMy story is about a brother learning to understand and love a sister who has lived with schizoaffective disorder, bipolar type, for her entire adult life. It begins with Reta at age 10 and continues through to 2021. Within the narrative, I have interlaced nearly 70 of her artistic works that serve as aesthetic mileposts as well as visual representations of her mental health as her story is traversed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eHer early years, after establishing herself as a promising artist, are followed by a roller coaster experience of relative stability and high-quality artistic output, followed by gravely disabling manic episodes and an inability to create. Between 1968 and 2021, Reta experienced 15 manic episodes, 10 of which required extended psychiatric hospitalisation. Complicating Reta's living with an incurable disease are, to this day, an imperfect health care system, financial woes, and an abusive relationship.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWell into adulthood, on a rare visit to my sister's home, I encountered a vast trove of artistic works she had created since her college days—hundreds of paintings and sketches that had never seen the light of day. It was then I began to consider more deeply this person that I had known only superficially in my youth, and that there might be a rich story to tell. The more I researched, the deeper and broader the story became.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFrom what started as an idea to capture a sister's unique life for family transformed into a story that I hope will resonate with anyone who has a family member or loved one that is living with mental illness.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Hachette Aotearoa New Zealand","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46844866068716,"sku":"9781667861388","price":105.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/22831893482781.jpg?v=1758857164"}],"url":"https:\/\/bookhero.co.nz\/collections\/john-shipek.oembed","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}