Luther Kissam V was diagnosed with bipolar I disorder with psychotic features at sixteen. He manages his mental illness with medication, therapy, lifestyle choices, and writing. His poetry collection Have I Told You About My Superpowers proclaims it is possible to create a life worth living with mental illness.

He speaks to students, faculty, and communities from a near-peer perspective about resilient living through the lens of lived-experience with bipolar disorder. Kissam offers that his “superpowers” are born from the skills he’s acquired managing the ups and downs of life, and he gives his audiences a pathway to find their own “superpowers” from their life’s challenges.

Dr. Kevin Marra MD,  Director of Medical Services at Hopeway Foundation in Charlotte, NC  – “this book of poetry a tumultuous wave of manic highs and depressed lows – yet a message of hope to all who suffer.”

Michele Poacelli, English Educator, David F. Chapman Department Chair at Mercersburg Academy–

“Luther Kissam V is the rare speaker who considers his audience as carefully as his words. Whether in an auditorium or classroom setting, he caters his presentation to the people in the room, carefully selecting pieces from his collection to speak with them. Kissam’s generosity as a presenter is not only the dialogue he enters into with listeners but also the room he creates for them. He tees up a piece by offering just enough context for orientation. Afterwards, he inserts a pause — a quiet space for listener experience. Dedicated to the dual crafts of writing and speaking, Kissam is intentional, professional, honest, and engaging.”

Stay up to date on Luther’s writings – luther@lutherkissamv.com