This book was crafted out of the fragmentary pieces of Charlie’s story that he relayed to me and I witnessed through the fifteen years I knew him prior to the publication of the book. The very good news is — Charlie has been living outside of any kind of institutional setting for quite a few years now. He has credited the book not only for honoring his story but enabling him to see that perhaps, he was as addicted to being a “mental patient” as the mental health system was having him be one. He is currently recording his first CD of original songs (long awaited for those of us who know the brilliance and beauty of his music). I will post info about his recording as soon as it is released. Here’s an excerpt of a piece of music Charlie wrote and recorded on a portable four-track cassette recorder in the basement of a halfway house. The song entitled Big House is based on being in one of the worst of the upstate New York mental institutions.
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