Fayetteville native Anne Moss Nimocks Rogers has spent the last five years picking up the pieces of her heart and her life after losing her younger son Charles to substance use disorder and suicide in 2015. He was 20.
For her depiction of her grief and of Charles’ bittersweet struggles, she is the winner of a New York Book Festival award for her book “Diary of a Broken Mind.” The title is a reference to the hip-hop song lyrics Charles wrote and that are included in the book.
"I’m shocked. I really didn’t think a book with themes related to suicide, depression and addiction would win anything,” Rogers said. “That didn’t mean I didn’t have hope it would. I always have hope, and I included that in the book, too, because parents who have lost a child to addiction or suicide need that.”
Rogers has gone on to become a mental health advocate, writer on suicide prevention and a nationally recognized speaker. Her book - raw, honest, beautifully written and ultimately uplifting - was published in 2019 and was an International Book Awards finalist.
“I think what makes this book stand out is that it’s written from two perspectives - that of a mother, and from the point of view of the deceased through his hip-hop lyrics which is a major part of the book.,” she said. “Those soulful lyrics helped me understand my son in a way I never had before. It helped me understand the ‘why’ behind his suicide and addiction."
“Diary of a Broken Mind” is available at Barnes & Noble and on Amazon.
***
Methodist University will host two special events Wednesday relating to the current exhibit at the school’s David McCune International Art Gallery, “Rembrandt: The Sign and the Light.”
The school’s weekly Wednesday chapel service at 11 a.m. will feature the topic, “Religion and Art: How Visual Art Triggers the Human Imagination to Personal and Social Transformation.”
An interdisciplinary panel via Zoom will take place from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. The discussion will feature Jason Canady, graphic designer and campus photographer, on the topic of “Negress Lying Down: A Look at the Racial Debate of Rembrandt's Nude Model;” Dr. Kevin Hoffman, chair and assistant professor of philosophy and religion, on the topic of “Kierkegaard Reads Rembrandt;” and Dr. Cameron Dodworth, associate professor of English and director of the Center for Research and Creativity on “Rembrandt and the Gothic.”
To join in, use the Zoom meeting link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/9254365866 or watch a recording of the discussion afterward at davidmccunegallery.com.
