Why do creative people so frequently live apart from the world, even while coveting closer relationships? Why do they seem to struggle more with anxiety and depression? If creativity is the panacea to the dreariness of the human condition, if art a balm for the weary soul, why do those who devote themselves to their respective crafts often have the hardest time sustaining happiness? And more importantly, what can we do about it?William R. Alger wrote this treatise on solitude as a curative study in human isolation and solitude, and blames increased frequency of social influences as the main source of personal dissatisfaction. The issues he identified over 150 years ago have exponentially multiplied in recent history. But the book goes further, and offers a remedy for creative unhappiness and isolation that is thorough and insightful. This argument can be summarized as follows:First, that especially creative and intelligent people, who see the world differently, may have trouble communicating or expressing themselves and being understood, which leads to solitude and possibly loneliness or depression. Second, that by openly sharing and discussing such feelings of isolation and loneliness, we can see that they are not personal defects, but common to creative individuals. This normalizes the experience of wrestling with our doubts and insecurities, which can reduce feelings of shame or powerlessness.This is a book about art, life and happiness - I've highlighted the most insightful passages, and while the book is dense, the beauty of the writing and historical trivia is worth the effort; this is a book to be absorbed slowly in quiet moments of peaceful reflection.

From master storyteller Amy Hatvany—whose writing has been hailed as "gripping and emotionally honest" (Stephanie Evanovich, New York Times betselling author)—comes a provocative and compelling novel about two friends whose lives are changed by a drunken kiss.I want to rewind the clock, take back the night when the world shattered. I want to erase everything that went wrong. Amber Bryant and Tyler Hicks have been best friends since they were teenagers—trusting and depending on each other through some of the darkest periods of their young lives. And while Amber has always felt that their relationship is strictly platonic, Tyler has long harbored the secret desire that they might one day become more than friends. Returning home for the summer after her college graduation, Amber begins spending more time with Tyler than she has in years. Despite the fact that Amber is engaged to her college sweetheart, a flirtation begins to grow...

What happens when two sisters who were torn apart when their young mother abandoned them—and grew up in tragically different circumstances—reunite thirty-five years later to find her? For readers who love Jodi Picoult, acclaimed author Amy Hatvany fearlessly explores complex family issues in her gripping, provocative new novel. Natalie Clark knew never to ask her sensitive adoptive mother questions about her past. She doesn’t even know her birth mother’s name—only that the young woman signed parental rights over to the state when Natalie was a baby. Now Natalie’s own daughter must complete a family tree project for school, and Natalie is determined to unearth the truth about her roots. Brooke Walker doesn’t have a family. At least, that’s what she tells herself after being separated from her mother and her little sister at age four. Having grown up in a state facility and countless foster homes, Brooke survives the only way she knows how, by relying on herself. So when she discovers she’s pregnant, Brooke faces a heart-wrenching decision: give up her baby or raise the child completely on her own. Scared and confused, she feels lost until a surprise encounter gives her hope for the future. How do our early experiences—the subtle and the traumatic—define us as adults? How do we build relationships when we’ve been deprived of real connection? Critically acclaimed author Amy Hatvany considers controversial and complicated questions about childhood through the lens of her finely crafted characters in this astute novel about mending wounds by diving into the truth of what first tore us apart.