The Rapids

'The Rapids is beautifullywritten: brimming with humour, empathy, pathos and heart. This book is an earnest,generous, and important contribution to ongoing global dialogue around mentalhealth.' - Maxine Beneba Clarke

Writingand mental illness make excellent bedfellows, for better or worse. The Rapids - creative and courageous -is an extraordinary personal memoir peppered with film and literary criticism,as well as family history. With reflections on artists such as Carrie Fisher,Kanye West, Robert Lowell, Delmore Schwartz, Paul Thomas Anderson and SpaldingGray, Twyford-Moore also looks at the condition in our digital world, wheresomeone's manic episode can unfold live in real time, watched by millions.

His ownstory, told unflinchingly, is shocking and sometimes blackly comic. It givesthe book an edge that is not always comfortable but full of insight and empathy.Smart, lively and well-researched, TheRapids manages to be both a wild ride and introspective at once, exploringa condition that touches thousands of people, directly or indirectly.

'Sam Twyford-Moore's The Rapids is a fascinating exploration of the fragility of the mind, states of mania and how mental ill-health is treated in art and popular culture...his insightfulness, intelligence and skill as a writer make The Rapids a compelling read. It will particularly appeal to art and culture nerds and anyone interested in learning more about the realities of living with manic depression.' - Meelee Soorkia, Books+Publishing

'Sam Twyford-Moore's The Rapids is a harrowing and thoughtful exploration of all the crap that makes us human.' - Michael Sala, author of The Restorer, Sydney Morning Herald/The Age/CanberraTimes 'Reads of the Year' 2018