Tavis Smiley . Special Feature . Road to Health . Guest . Bebe Moore Campbell

Bebe Moore Campbell

Author

I really, really want African Americans to get mental illness out of our collective closet.

Q. How does your book "72 Hour Hold" weave social consciousness into the story?

Well, "72 Hour Hold" is the length of time that a psychiatric facility can hold a mentally ill person against his will if he meets the criteria of a danger to self or danger to others or gravely disabled. And you know you're supposed to write what you know, and I know this world.

Q. Mental illness isn't the sexiest thing to write about. How did you incorporate it into such a page-turner?

I was blessed to have an editor who lets me write my passion, and she knew that this was my passion. This is a story about a mother, Keri, who has a mentally ill daughter, Trina. Now, Keri's caught up in the middle of a love triangle with her ex-boyfriend and her ex-husband and her actor boyfriend, and she's got a business, and she's got girlfriends, and she's got a lot going on in her life, and she's an interesting, complex character. And all of that just sort of stops when she tries to get healing for her child. And she becomes so frustrated with the mental health system that she opts for a radical approach.

Q. Why did you have to dream up a radical approach to healing for the book?

In searching for healing for my loved one, I became very frustrated with the mental health system. Just the title of the book, "72 Hour Hold"-it takes a good 4 to 6 weeks for the medications that help with schizophrenia or bipolar or depression to get into the person's system. 72 hour hold is like a band-aid for a hemorrhage.

Award-winning author Bebe Moore Campbell's latest novel, 72 Hour Hold, tells the moving story of a family affected by bipolar disorder. Since embarking on a personal journey with a family member who suffers from mental illness, she's been affiliated with the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill.

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August 2nd, 2005

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Recommended Web Sites

Ms. Campbell's official site includes resource articles on bi-polar disorder and depression.

The National Alliance for the Mentally Ill's Multicultural Action Center offers resources and support for families of color dealing with mental illness.

BlackWomensHealth.com provides more information on mental health.

Published: September 15, 2005