I admire few (if any) writers more than Jan Wong; she consistently produces gripping pieces with her rigour, clarity and refusal to shrink from conflict. Five years after experiencing severe depression and losing her job, Wong has returned with "Out of the Blue," a professional vindication that details her lengthy battle with The Globe and Mail after coming under public assault for her coverage of the 2006 Dawson College shootings in Montreal.
The unwillingness of her employer to acknowledge her mental illness forced Wong to defend her right to be sick. "Out of the Blue" traces the circumstances leading up to her dismissal but the book centres on her candid description of her mental and emotional collapse and her frustrating search for effective treatment. With both humour and sadness, she details how the illness affected her cognition, her behaviour, her perception of reality and her relationships.
Wong also embeds her personal story in an exploration of the history of depression, touching on its various manifestations and possible causes, its enduring taboo status and its well-known sufferers. Ultimately, her book shows that sustained workplace stress and over-identification with one’s occupation can result in breakdown.
