“Luther Kissam provides us with a first-hand experience of his journey with bipolar disorder. He unapologetically gives us a glimpse into his reality and the reality of many others: a tumultuous wave of manic highs and depressed lows. Throughout his journey he finds peace and stability, bringing a message of hope to those who suffer.”

– Dr. Kevin Marra, M.D. Psychiatrist and Director of Medical Services, Hopeway Foundation

“Luther visited Shippensburg University to do a speaking event for our community and a poetry workshop for the English Department. Luther was very easy to work with, was very reliable, and tailored his message and tone to meet each audience’s need. Luther conveys deeply personal and passionate insights on mental health – often revealing his personal struggles and triumphs. His message never waivers from a vein of hope and positivity while simultaneously never minimizing the pain that he – and so many others – use in order to catalyze growth and healing. Luther’s message, tone, and delivery are resonant for college students and young adults who may be grappling with anything from serious mental health challenges to the normal developmental milestones of young adulthood. His poetry and readings are often a critical component of relying complex intrapersonal dynamics in simple and accessible language which show the commonality between all of us.”

– Kurt Dunkel, Director of Health and Wellness and AOD Programs at Shippensburg University

“In one unabashedly honest and vulnerable poem after another, Luther Kissam’s Have I Told You About My Superpowers takes us on a journey from mania to acceptance to dancing along the thin edge of suicide to an approximation of peace. In the opening poem, he is ‘inevitably manic / sailing with planets.’ In the final poem, he wakes at six in the morning every day to ‘write, / read, and drink decaffeinated coffee for an hour. I watch / the Sun rise. Then, I practice gratitude. I really do…/ Still, I miss mania. / Still, depression lulls me in.’ Have I Told You About My Superpowers isn’t so much about healing; it’s about undertaking the process to healing, about not giving up on the self – no matter how fraught it may be – and where that journey takes us. Is the body cured by poetry, mood stabilizers, therapy, faith? No. But is the body made better by it? Yes, Kissam, argues from ‘this treatment center of hope.’ Yes!”

– Andrew McFadyen-Ketchum, Author of Ghost Gear

“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.”

–Michele Poacelli, English Teacher at Mercersburg Academy

I believe this book is a gift for anyone trying to understand the complexities of what it feels like to have a brain hijacked by mania and depression. As Somerset Maugham wrote in The Razor’s Edge—that fine line between genius and madness. I think your writing is phenomenal both in the individual poems but especially in the complex weave of this book designed to help the reader ride alongside you in your search to find mental health balance.

–Kathy Izard, Author of The Hundred Story Home and The Last Ordinary Hour | Speaker | Coach