One Friday in April

As the sun lowered in the sky one Friday afternoon in April 2006, acclaimed author Donald Antrim found himself on the roof of his Brooklyn apartment building, afraid for his life. In this moving memoir, Antrim vividly recounts what led him to the roof and what happened after he came back down: two hospitalisations, weeks of fruitless clinical trials, the terror of submitting to ECTand the saving call from David Foster Wallace that convinced him to try itas well as years of fitful recovery and setback. Through a clear and haunting reckoning with the authors own story, One Friday in April confronts the limits of our understanding of suicide. Donald Antrims personal insights reframe suicidewhether in thought or in actionas an illness in its own right, a unique consequence of trauma and personal isolation, rather than the choice of a depressed person. A necessary companion to William Styrons classic Darkness Visible, this profound, insightful work sheds light on the tragedy and mystery of suicide, offering solace that may save lives.