Sharp: A Memoir

Sharp is a memoir by David Fitzpatrick about his experience with severe mental illness in his early 20s, during which he engaged in self-harm through cutting. The book addresses his symptoms of extreme depression and self-mutilation, written with honesty about his affliction. Fitzpatrick's account joins other literary memoirs on mental illness, including works by Terri Cheney, Augusten Burroughs, Marya Hornbacher, and Susanna Kaysen. The narrative traces his journey from self-destructive psychosis toward recovery and reintegration into everyday life. Wally Lamb notes that Fitzpatrick writes about mental illness with intensity comparable to Sylvia Plath and Anne Sexton, while also demonstrating the self-awareness found in accounts by William Styron and Kay Jamison.