Human-rights journalist Mac McClelland is not afraid to cry. Over her career, she has immersed herself in horrific situations in the Congo, Uganda, Burma, and more with an unflinching eye and unflagging humanity. It's emotional work, but crying jags — sudden, inexplicable, and crippling — are unacceptable. After returning from Haiti in 2011, McClelland found herself in California, safe yet plagued by terrors. Crying, sweating, gagging, trembling — waking or sleeping, her brain was a very bad neighborhood. Drinking helped a little; masochistic sex helped a lot more. When McClelland published an essay about her personal experience with post-traumatic stress disorder, and her coping mechanisms, other female journalists loudly criticized her for being narcissistic and, worse, irresponsible. McClelland answered the censure by delving deeper. The result is Irritable Hearts: A PTSD Love Story, an intimate examination of the disorder that includes detailed reporting on our culture's relationship to PTSD; the latest research, which indicates family members of sufferers often develop serious symptoms; and a very real love story.
Mac McClelland speaks at 7:30 p.m. at Booksmith, 1644 Haight St., S.F. Free; 863-8688 or booksmith.com.
415-863-8688
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