FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE NEW MEMOIR EXPOSES THE DARK

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FMI
Graphite Press
Phone: 206-222-2423
publicity@graphitepress.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NEW MEMOIR EXPOSES THE DARK SIDE OF PSYCHIATRY
(Albany, NY, March 12, 2006) — On his last day of high school in 1983, Brett Hartman
committed a drunken prank, which backfired and turned into a $1.2 million lawsuit. His book,
entitled HAMMERHEAD 84: A MEMOIR OF PERSISTENCE, recounts the prank, followed by
the author’s battle with the legal system and his unforgiving conscience. Soon his reality
unravels into psychosis, which sets off a barbaric maze of forced hospitalizations, instant
drugging and violation of patient consent. With unwavering intensity, Hartman chronicles his
descent into madness and his struggle to recover, while being bombarded by mind-numbing
drugs. He slowly works his way back to stability by, in his words, saving the “remaining
scattered strands of [his] life.”
But that’s only half the story. Back in college, Hartman decides to exact a kind of mental
revenge by becoming a psychologist himself. It is during this quest that he learns about the inner
workings of psychiatric treatment from the other side, and how damaging such treatment can be
for patients.
The release of this book is timely, with the pharmaceutical industry being increasingly
exposed for the immense and often unchecked power it wields over a vulnerable public. There is
no better example of this than that of psychiatric patients under the care of psychiatrists. “Most
of us aren’t aware of the daily trampling of choice that occurs in our psychiatric hospitals,” says
Hartman. The author hopes his story will expose these dangers to a large enough audience so that
new modes of treatment will be demanded. Only then, he believes, will patients get the humane
care they deserve.
Born in Philadelphia and raised in Fort Lauderdale, Hartman studied at Auburn, Villanova
and Indiana State University, from which he received a doctorate in clinical psychology. He
works as a psychologist and writer in Upstate New York, where he lives with his wife and son.
Hammerhead 84 is his first book.
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Advance Praise & Reviews
Hammerhead 84: a memoir of persistence
by Brett Hartman
“Imagine Holden Caulfield in a psychiatric hospital, and you’ll get some idea of the flavor of
Brett Hartman’s riveting story of his schizophrenic breakdown as a teenager and his ensuing
struggle against the drug-induced stupor that passed for treatment. This is a book that’s hard to
put down, and it’s filled with lessons about medical hubris.”
—MARCIA ANGELL, M.D., The Truth about the Drug Companies
“Hartman has written an excellent book. He tackles the hard subject of his psychotic breakdown
with the mastery of someone who has learned his lessons well.”
—JAMES FREY, A Million Little Pieces
“Hammerhead 84 is both a deeply inspiring book and a joy to read. Brett Hartman provides
readers with a remarkably lucid—and at times, very funny—account of his descent into
psychosis. His journey to recovery—often in spite of the drugs and other forms of ‘care’ he
received—serves as a testament to the healing powers that may be found within a person. He
tells his story with grace and wit, and readers will root for him every step of the way.”
—ROBERT WHITAKER, Mad in America
“…this is a brave book…powerful…one man's quietly determined refusal to forsake his
humanity. Hartman's telling is fresh, searching, honest and—always—humane… For anyone
trying to understand wrestling with demons, his memoir is worthwhile indeed.”
—The Philadelphia Inquirer
“…a powerful critique of the mental health system…”
—Library Journal
FMI
Graphite Press
Phone: 206-222-2423
publicity@graphitepress.com
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Author Biography
Brett Hartman
Born in Philadelphia and raised in Fort
Lauderdale, the author’s adolescence was
marked by a self-described “act of supreme
stupidity,” leading to a world of unwelcome
adventures. He went on to study at Auburn,
Villanova and Indiana State University, from
which he received a doctorate in clinical
psychology. He currently works as a
psychologist and writer in Upstate New York
where he lives with his wife and son.
Hammerhead 84 is his first book.
FMI
Graphite Press
Phone: 206-222-2423
publicity@graphitepress.com
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Suggested Interview Questions
Brett Hartman
1. The book’s title is Hammerhead 84, but it has nothing to do with sharks. Why did you choose
this name?
2. What prompted you to write the book, and why now?
3. You take a strong anti-psychiatry and anti-medication stance. What about all those people
who swear by their medication and seem to benefit from them?
4. Are you concerned about some kind of backlash from psychiatrists, or from the big drug
companies?
5. You describe your mental breakdown in a very vivid way, but it’s also told in a very logical,
straightforward manner. Why didn’t you blur the line a little more between reality and
fantasy?
6. I didn’t expect a book about going crazy and being locked up in mental wards to be funny.
But many parts of it are funny. How did you manage that?
7. I enjoyed your regional descriptions of Alabama, South Florida, New York, the Philly
Suburbs and Indiana. You covered a lot of territory. Did you develop a preference for one
place over the other?
8. The last part of the book shifts out of the hospital and focuses more on other things, like
relationships and character growth. The part where you spent time with your little brother
was really sweet. Which part was most fun to write about?
9. The storyline stops in 1994. Why didn’t you keep going after that?
10. Are you planning to write another book? And if so, what’s it about?
FMI
Graphite Press
Phone: 206-222-2423
publicity@graphitepress.com