Hospital Issued Writing Notebook

by Dan Flore III

Hospital Issued Writing Notebook is a vehicle of catharsis for anyone who has ever journeyed to the edges of their own functional level of sanity. Flore holds the reader's hand as he takes them through a hospital stay and the aftermath, allowing all to look through the two-way mirror of his experience as an observer. This collection tests the constraints of mental health and uses them to shut down stigma and preconceived notions on the limitations those constraints may place on an individual.

Genres: Poetry

40 pages, Paperback

Published January 10, 2023

Reviews

[Emily Perkovich · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection is centered around Dan’s time in a mental health facility and the aftermath of that stay. He is completely transparent with the frenzied emotions that occurred for him, even when they are ugly. I am biased because I did the formatting for this book, but the interior layout completes the aesthetic of this in a way that makes this collection even more intimate.

[Mar O · Rating 5 out of 5]

As smoke goes in, art comes out, and Flore’s heartfelt style makes reading this collection feel like breathing through the tension of a shifting inner world. The words turn from terror to comedy, anguish to joy, from way up high to absolutely down low and back again. Flore writes with clarity and keeps the focus on the emotions he explores. There is genuine catharsis in his writing, each poem painting itself from the inside out, gut-punching line-by-line to create a beautifully considered whole. The writer’s vulnerability can be felt on every page, and I recommend this collection for anyone who has experienced the difficulties of living with mental illness, as well as anyone who would like to understand the inner workings of someone going through the struggle.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hospital Issued Writing Notebook is a very creative poetry collection about hospitalization and disability. Flore does a good job with analogy and with fully immersing the reader into his experience. My favorite poem of the collection was "HALLUCINATING WHILE MY FRIEND SMOKES POT AND LOOKS AT ME LIKE I'M JESUS." It really encapsulated Flore's storytelling ability. I don't think I was always fully onboard with the language used ("The juicy fart of paranoia" is not a line I ever thought I would read), but overall it's a good collection.

Thank you to Querencia Publishing for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review!

[Lucy A. S. Derstine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just want to give Dan a hug. I felt every part of this book. And when I saw that handwriting, I recognized it...this is such a raw, vulnerable, incredibly intimate telling of Dan's experience with mental illness and it is heart-wrenching but my God what a beautiful soul who has excellent story-telling, we need to hear. America shies away from vulnerability, I think we should praise it. Dan, you are more normal than you know and never give up writing- it helps heal others when they can relate.

[Colton · Rating 3 out of 5]

I only happened to find this author because my roommate is Facebook friends with him. He let me borrow this and I'm impressed with Flore's writing so far. I just wish it was longer! I hope he continues with this desperate and disturbed style, because I feel a lot of my mentally ill friends' struggles breathing through it. The handwritten asides on many pages are a nice touch, too.