The writer Trisha Cull discusses her memoir, The Death of Small Creatures (Nightwood Editions, 2015), mental illness, substance abuse, and more, with Joseph Planta.

The Death of Small Creatures by Trisha Cull (Nightwood Editions, 2015). Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: The Death of Small Creatures

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, at TheCommentary.ca.

One of the more compelling memoirs is that from the writer Trisha Cull: The Death of Small Creatures. Taking letters, clinical notes, snatches of conversations, blog posts, and journal entries, she weaves a book that is a tremendous insight into her struggles with substance abuse, bipolar disorder and bulimia. We see the comfort had in two pet rabbits, and the course of treatment in the form of hospitalisation, counselling, and electroconvulsive therapy. Laid out in the pages of this book are the relationships she finds herself in, whether it’s an older husband, a fixation on her therapist, or the American she meets through her blog. Ms. Cull joins me now to discuss this book. I’ll ask her about writing it, and what she’s heard back from readers in the nearly year since it was published. She is a graduate of the University of British Columbia’s MFA Creative Writing program. She’s been published in a number of publications including Descant, sub Terrain, Geist, PRISM, and The Dalhousie Review, among others. She has won many prizes for her writing and poetry. The Twitter handle is @trishacull, and the website is at www.trishacull.wordpress.com. This book is published by Nightwood Editions. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Trisha Cull; Ms. Cull, good morning.

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