After visiting what used to be known at the Traverse City State Hospital (see my other entry) on our recent trip, I picked up "Beauty is Therapy" by Earle Steele and Kristen M. Hains.
The book is written from Earle Steele's perspective as a long time employee of the facility. Earl had a very long relationship with the institution, arriving on the property in 1922 when his dad got a job there, and it lasted until 1989 when the facility closed down.
The book is a quick and easy read, but it is still full of great bits of information from a very long term employee. Earl kind of grows up on the grounds and then finds employment there, and even volunteers there after retiring. Later as a young man, he turns down employment away from the Traverse City area to stay close by.
I particularly enjoyed and appreciated the descriptions of the former residents. Earle seems to have an understanding of mental illness that is before his time, and very progressive. He is sympathetic and understanding. Though he does discuss some events you might expect (he was warned by his parents not to associate with one resident as that person had killed his son and he discusses a couple of suicides) he talks fondly and happily about most.
The book and the authors really show this old hospital to be the anti-stereotype of mental health hospitals. They don't go on and on about tragedies that occurred there. They discuss the benefits offered by the Traverse City State Hospital. There are no follow up chapters about ghost investigations or any of that at the end (I did enjoy reading about the reality based museum on the property that closed when the hospital closed).
This is a sincere book, with a good and rare look at how a mental health hospital worked and evolved.
No comments:
Post a Comment