An Author's Thoughts On Ken SteeleNEW YORK CITYVOICES: November/December 2000
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By Claire Berman
For the past year, Ken Steele and I were involved in the most intimate of relationships: the sharing of his life. We met on April 12, 1999 in the office of our agent, Jim Levine. Ken was looking for a writer to work with him on his memoir. I was looking for an interesting project. We got on well from the start, and decided to move forward together.
Starting out as friends, we quickly became "family" in the best sense of that word. "I never had a big sister," Ken told me. "Well, you've got one now," I said -- and meant it. Our relationship involved trust: Ken trusted me with intimate and often painful revelations; I trusted that he would always tell me the truth. It involved caring. Ken frequently asked about the welfare of my family; I constantly cautioned him to care for himself, slow down, get some much-needed rest -- which he never did. He drove himself relentlessly because he knew that there was so much to do, and he sensed (correctly, as it turned out) that there was so little time.
Before the two of us embarked on the difficult task of remembering and writing Ken's life, I asked him to develop a statement of purpose -- what did he want this book to accomplish? I think you'll be interested in his reply:
The "I Want's" of the book...
The completed manuscript of the book was turned in to the publisher on Thursday, October 5.
- I want schizophrenics to see themselves in my story, and in the stories of others who appear in these pages, and to understand that they are not alone or hopeless anymore.
- I want schizophrenics, their family members, the professionals who treat them, and the public to understand that today schizophrenia is a treatable illness -- that medications work and that we can live full, independent lives with careers, homes, and even families of our own if we choose.
- I want schizophrenics and others with mental illness to see in my story, and those of others, that they have choices today as to how they live with their illness -- successfully with effective treatment and medication, or defeated as dependent victims.
- I want families to recognize their loved ones here, to do away with denial, and to identify this illness as early as possible, so they can seek help and stop schizophrenia dead in its tracks, allowing people with the illness to go on and live successful and productive lives without any significant interruptions to their education or maturity.
- I want people in the helping professions to look behind the symptoms to the soul of the schizophrenic, and seek to save that soul.
- I want mental health providers to abandon programs that set schizophrenics apart from the public and make us dependent on them, and to replace this approach to our care with meaningful and challenging vocational and educational programs that will reintegrate schizophrenics back into mainstream society.
- I want schizophrenics, family members, mental health providers, and the public to understand that most of the fears, myths, mystery and misunderstandings surrounding our illness are perpetuated by the segregated day treatment programs and housing ghettos established for us to live in the community.
- I want those with legislative power to enact laws that will provide funds for programs and policies which will aid genuine reintegration into mainstream life.
- I want schizophrenics and others with mental illness to stand up and be counted as active, voting citizens, and as advocates in their own behalf.
- I want to show people with mental illness, and anyone else who cares about a human society, how to get involved.
- I want to encourage the media and entertainment professionals, through my story, to change the image of schizophrenics and people with mental illness, by challenging them to cast schizophrenic characters in their programs and show them working in fields like medicine, law, and other careers, portraying them accurately and dramatically as people with challenged lives, but ones that can result in victories more often than in defeat.
"We've really, really done it, haven't we," Ken said in some amazement.
"Yes, it's done," I answered.
Two days later, Ken left this earth. But his story -- and his spirit -- remain with us.
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