From interview with Marin for THE CROOKED HOUSE:

"When she got angry, there was a certain kind of rage that I've never seen exhibited by anyone who doesn't have schizophrenia. I don' know what it is but it seemed like a very specific expression of anger that's almost detached from the person. It's so cutting and extreme, and I witnessed that plenty of times. And that wasn't fun."

"I definitely went through a period in my early 20's that I felt very sorry for myself about all of this. And I think to a certain extent that was legitimate because I was still very crippled by it. I mean it's hard to not feel sorry for yourself when you look at your life and you see how paralyzed, crippled. I was crippled."

"I feel like almost I appreciate my mom more than a lot of people who had like perfect moms, you know. Because once I was able to see what she has to offer the world...I mean it just hit me like a ton of bricks, that it was so much."

advocacy

For over 20 years, Rosemary Zibart worked as a journalist. She wrote pieces for the Christian Science Monitor, Time and Parade Magazines tackling issues like art and its ability to change the lives of at-risk teenagers, and about foster care and children needing adoption.

In 2005, Parade Magazine featured her article on the “Heart Gallery,” a movement begun in Santa Fe in which professional photographers shoot portraits of children waiting to be adopted. The article spurred hundreds of people to connect with children awaiting adoption and a “Heart Gallery” is now operating in almost every state.

Zibart also advocates for families impacted by mental illness. She helped produced Minds Interrupted: Stories of Lives Affected by Mental Illness -- a series of monologues by family members and people with a diagnosis of mental illness. So far Minds Interrupted has been presented in Santa Fe, Albuquerque, Baltimore, and Minneapolis.

In addition, she collaborated with a prominent videographer in creating thecrookedhouse.org – a video-base website addressing the issues of growing up with a parent who has mental illness.

Websites

www.thecrookedhouse.org

video-based stories, resources, a write-in forum and blog address the challenges of growing up with a parent who has mental illness

www.mindsinterrupted.com

describes the creation and presentation of Minds Interrupted: Stories of Lives Affected by Mental Illness – a series of monologues by people impacted by mental illness

Writing / Journalism

• Freelance Journalist 1986-2008 Parade, Christian Science Monitor, Time Magazine, Washington Post, USA Today
• Author - Kidding Around in San Francisco, John Muir Publications, 1989; several middle-grade, Young Adult and picture books for children