Kirjahaku

Cutting Through the Knot is a humorous coming of age story, told in a conversational first person voice, recounting a young man's trials in overcoming mental illness. A novel of New York City in the 1980's, the narrative follows the adventures of a student on a leave of absence from a university in the north east. At the heart of novel is the protagonist's sense of humor. The title alludes to his psychiatrist's emphasis on the importance of laughter in the face of pain and struggle. Humor, he tells his young patient, "cuts through the knot." "This story is compelling, and disturbing, fascinating and frightening, enlightening and humorous...perhaps the first book that laid bare the emotional rollercoaster that many in this situation ride." Midwest Book Review

The Obsessive Chronicles is a coming of age story, told in a conversational first person voice, recounting a young man's trials in overcoming mental illness. The novel follows Jordan Fineman's descent into severe obsessive compulsive disorder while working in an Alaskan salmon cannery through his attempt to integrate into the New York City work force as a paralegal in the late 1980's. A tale as humorous as it is harrowing, sure to provide hope and encouragement to all who must follow a similar path, and to those who can identify.

A young man sits alone in a public garden contemplating the big questions; the origins of the Palisades Cliffs, cold sesame noodles and his father's mortality. In the spirit of James Joyce, Josh Greenfield, follows the thought process of Jordan Fineman, where ever it leads.

Jordan Fineman needs a break. His second year of college has almost done him in. His solution is to take off for a summer of work and adventure in Alaska. All the while mental illness is setting in. A summer to remember. A tale to grow on.

Jordan Fineman perseveres. Even when his original diagnosis of bipolar disorder and severe obsessive-compulsive disorder takes on psychotic dimensions after a harrowing psychotic episode, he holds the faith. With an ever-present sense of humor and the guidance of a remarkably skilled psychiatrist, he continues to make his way forward. In the end, it is his growing awareness of how the twelve-step program can be of help, even to a man without a drinking problem, that has the power to bring him all the way home.Josh Greenfield is a graduate of both Phillips Andover Academy and Cornell University's College of Arts and Sciences. He holds two master's degrees from the City University of New York, one in history and one in English literature. He also completed the better part of a doctorate in English at Fordham University. He lives in the Riverdale section of the Bronx. To learn more, please visit: www.JoshGreenfield.us