Janice Brabaw - Rachel Riley Article

HERMON AUTHOR JANICE BRABAW SIGNING AT SLU THIS MONTH

By Rachel Riley

With the benefit of already having published a successful book, Hermon native Janice Brabaw is at it again with her new book Tongue For Folie.

With mature subject matter on life with depression, this book promises to be a well-written compilation of poems Janice has written over the past year.    The locally acclaimed author delves into her very personal past and present with carefully chosen words that describe her life as a young woman in today’s sometimes harsh world.

She declares that this book is a better version of her first book, Universe Disturbed, which once sold out in one day, and says she’s learned a thing or two along the way.

“If you liked Universe Disturbed, this book is so much better.,” said Janice. “I’m really proud of it. There is a lot more care involved. It’s basically a snapshot of the past year”

She says that her first set of poems in her first book came from an earlier time in her life, mostly heavy struggles through high school and college in Northern New York.

She is a graduate of Hermon-DeKalb High School and St. Lawrence University. Janice now resides mostly in Brooklyn and works in the television industry.   Tongue For Folie picks up her life at a time of hindsight and acceptance of dark and trying times as a normal part of life.

“I was really depressed when I wrote the poems for my first book. Since it was published I did a lecture series about suicide warnings and mental health awareness. A lot of people would come up to me and ask, ‘how did that all turn out for you?’ I’d have to say that it doesn’t really ever go away. Learning to accept that depression is probably something I’ll have to deal with for the rest of my life. I found that writing is a really great way to express those feelings. Tongue for Folie is a great read and it was fun to write. It actually healed a lot of wounds.”

Another one of Janice’s loves is performing readings of her poems in public. She’s been performing near Brooklyn recently and hopes to do a series this winter in the North Country.

Her book signing tour is headed to St. Lawrence University’s Brewer Bookstore on Wednesday, December 16, from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Other events will announced on her website www.JaniceBrabaw.com including a public reception and a poetry reading with other North Country writers.

“The best part about doing this, is getting to come home,” said Ms. Brabaw.