SMITH readers who first got a taste of Jason Thompson’s work via his then-memoir in progress, Stella: A Memoir, will be pleased to learn that the work will now be published as a full-length book on Lulu, the online, publisher on demand. Stella is an original, intense, and at times darkly funny memoir about Thompson’s mother’s insanity and his own battle with depression, a story that will stick to the gut for anyone who has lived with a difficult parent or dealt with mental illness.

For its part, Lulu has been a boon to many writers and readers, including friend of SMITH, Denise Caruso, whose Intervention: Confronting the Real Risks of Genetic Engineering and Life on a Biotech Planet, is a Lulu bestseller. “After many years work I have finally finished my memoir, which describes my experience as the son of a mother who coped with mental illness, and my own subsequent encounter with depression,” Thompson notes in an email. “While I’m still exploring traditional publishing opportunities for the book, in the interim I’ve decided to publish an edition of the book myself through an online publishing website.” Congratulations to Thompson, a bold, honest storyteller in the tradition of Augusten Burroughs.

Tags: jason thompson, mental health, stella