Proposal Title
Cracked Mirrors: Mental Health Representation in Romance
Start Date
23-4-2020 2:00 PM
End Date
23-4-2020 3:00 PM
Proposal Type
Individual Presentation
Abstract
Representation in romance is important for inclusivity and perception of ourselves, and good representations of mental health have traditionally been difficult to find. Often, we see people with mental illnesses portrayed as villains or as being cured by an HEA. There is no one right way to portray mental illness as there is no one right way to be mentally ill; however, poor representation coupled with a shortage of good representation is harmful. As the stigma around mental illness decreases, we have seen the overall pop culture conversation shift from poor mental health representation in media such as Seinfeld and Friends to more sensitive portrayals of the mentally ill in Grey’s Anatomy and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. We see more books in the romance genre that provide mirrors in which readers with mental illnesses can see themselves positively
I will examine examples of poor representation of mental illness in the romance novels Black Lies (Alessandra Torre, 2013), Tight Quarters (Samantha Hunter, 2013), and To Sir Phillip with Love (Julia Quinn, 2009) and how these books perpetuate stereotypes and stigmatize mental illness. I will then focus on how that shift in the greater popular culture conversation has also moved the representation in romance. Specifically, I will focus on Invitation to the Blues (Roan Parrish, 2018), Hate to Want You (Alisha Rai, 2017), Suddenly One Summer (Julie James, 2015), and Dirty Laundry (Heidi Cullinan, 2013) to highlight the ways mental health representation can and should be done.
Cracked Mirrors: Mental Health Representation in Romance
Representation in romance is important for inclusivity and perception of ourselves, and good representations of mental health have traditionally been difficult to find. Often, we see people with mental illnesses portrayed as villains or as being cured by an HEA. There is no one right way to portray mental illness as there is no one right way to be mentally ill; however, poor representation coupled with a shortage of good representation is harmful. As the stigma around mental illness decreases, we have seen the overall pop culture conversation shift from poor mental health representation in media such as Seinfeld and Friends to more sensitive portrayals of the mentally ill in Grey’s Anatomy and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. We see more books in the romance genre that provide mirrors in which readers with mental illnesses can see themselves positively
I will examine examples of poor representation of mental illness in the romance novels Black Lies (Alessandra Torre, 2013), Tight Quarters (Samantha Hunter, 2013), and To Sir Phillip with Love (Julia Quinn, 2009) and how these books perpetuate stereotypes and stigmatize mental illness. I will then focus on how that shift in the greater popular culture conversation has also moved the representation in romance. Specifically, I will focus on Invitation to the Blues (Roan Parrish, 2018), Hate to Want You (Alisha Rai, 2017), Suddenly One Summer (Julie James, 2015), and Dirty Laundry (Heidi Cullinan, 2013) to highlight the ways mental health representation can and should be done.