colleen stinchcombe

Reeling Through Life by Tara Ison

I was lucky enough to have a Creative Writing class in college with Tara Ison. This is the first of her books that I’ve read. It’s a series of essays that illuminate Ison’s life and the way that it was shaped by movies. 

I really enjoyed the book, though many of the movies were not ones I had seen and many I was not even familiar with. The parts that shine most brightly are the places where Ison was able to explore her own experience more deeply because of the movies – she discusses madness in a way that was really impactful, the way that movies like One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest shaped her understanding of madness and the quiet family secret of her aunt’s mental illness.

I’d say: Read it to get a peek into the mind of a really fantastic writer. Read it if you’re in the mood for a memoir.