Hypable spoke with Both of Me author Jonathan Friesen about his latest novel and why writing about issues such as Dissociative Identity Disorder is so important.
‘Both of Me’ review
Both of Me by Jonathan Friesen is about two teenagers that seem vastly different at first glance. Clara is running away from home, traveling the world, and living life completely unattached to anyone or anything. Elias, on the other hand, lives with his mother at a bed and breakfast and lives with Dissociative Identity Disorder. Half the time he’s the Elias Clara likes best, but the rest of the time he’s the Other One, the boy who believes he’s on a mission from a Queen to destroy all the evil in his fictional world of Salem.
After Clara and Elias find each other and fate intervenes, they begin a journey that intertwines their lives even further. Elias has answers about Clara’s life he shouldn’t know, and Clara thinks she knows a way to find out what caused him to be the way he is. What they discover about each other, however, is soon superseded by what they discover about themselves.
Interview with Jonathan Friesen
Tell us 5 random facts about yourself.
1. I live in Minnesota, and I love the cold.
2. I can’t write well unless I hear my kids making noise in the background. They calm me.
3. I am the luckiest man on the face of the earth (if you met my wife, you’d see why).
4. The last thing I ever wanted to be when I grew up was a writer. Tourette’s made writing a gruesome task.
5. The best friend I ever had was my ninety-five year old grandma.
What inspired you to write Both of Me?
While at a conference, I bumped into a teen with Dissociative Identity Disorder, the same condition Elias struggles with in Both of Me. She came up to me and we spoke, and then 20 minutes later she returned and we spoke again. Same me. Different her. Someone else had taken over her body, someone with a different personality and I wondered, how would it be to know half of yourself? To hide secrets from another you? To fall in love with half a person? She started me thinking about writing the book.
Have you ever known anyone with Dissociative Identity Disorder, or did you have to do a lot of research on it?
Yes. Since my initial meeting with the girl mentioned above, I have connected with many people who experience the disorder. They have helped me understand the unique issues that arise with DID.
How important do you think it is for YA novels to tackle subjects like mental illness?
I think it is crucial. Now, so many novels default to depression and its many expressions, when addressing mental illnesses. This is for good [many] reason, as so many young people experience various depressive states. But there is something healing that occurs when you are not reading about yourself. When you can lose yourself in the story, connect with some of the struggles, but not become immersed in the pain. This is the reason why books that touch on the variety of mental illnesses that exist become so important for teens.
How does Both of Me differ from your other books?
My other books accentuate diversity. This one shows in powerful ways, just how similar we are. Clara and Elias couldn’t seem more different, but as the story unfolds, the reader gets an overwhelming sense that mental illness is simply another expression of Elias’s humanity. Clara discovers how close we all are from “falling through the cracks.” This heartfelt connection is something I am especially proud of in Both of Me.
You’ve also been a keynote speaker at a variety of conferences and campuses. Can you tell us what started that and what topics are your favorite to discuss?
I generally speak on my childhood. Tourette’s, anxiety and epilepsy filled my teen years with despair, but I didn’t stay in that state. I speak about hope, and I never expected to! Years ago, I was asked to say a few words at a book-signing for Jerk, California, my first novel. I didn’t know what to say, so I talked about the book’s topic: Tourette’s in my life. The next day, I had four invitations to speak in my inbox, and the speaking aspect of my career took off.
What is easier to write, the first line or the last line?
Last line. By then I know the feel I want to leave the reader with!
What one YA novel do you wish you had when you were a teen?
Peace like a River by Leif Enger. It is more of a high school/adult crossover, but it presents a kid trying to find his way in this world, and consistently falling short. I would have related to that. He also has asthma, which I do as well, so there’s that.
What are you working on now?
Unfolding. It’s the story of a town and a buried secret and the two high school seniors who have no choice but to unearth it. It is darker than most of my previous stories, but again, the theme of hope comes through powerfully in the end. Look for it!
What advice would you give to your readers who are going through a similar situation (either Elias’ or Clara’s)?
I think we all feel, at times, as though we are the only ones in the world who get what we’re going through, but having talked to literally tens of thousands of teens and as many adults across the country, I’m amazed at how though our struggles might be different, the pain is the same. I would say, “You aren’t alone in this world.” I would also say, “The pain does end.” It’s hard to see those truths when you are in the thick of it.
About the author
Jonathan Friesen is a YA author, speaker, and youth writing coach from Mora, Minnesota. His first young adult novel, JERK, CALIFORNIA, is about a teen coming to terms with Tourette’s Syndrome. It received the ALA Schneider Award. He regularly contributes to Clubhouse Magazine and Clubhouse Jr., and when he’s writing, speaking at schools, or teaching, he loves to travel and hang out with his wife and three kids.
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