Emalee Gillis’s journey with bipolar disorder began when she woke up in a cage-like enclosure in a primitive insane asylum in Africa, shortly after she completed her Peace Corps service. At one point, bipolar disorder dominated her life. Over the next 30 years, she learned to manage her illness using lessons she learned in Africa as well as from the West. Her strategies were innovative enough to be selected for a TEDx Talk presented in Coeur d’Alene on January 12, 2019.
Emalee is dedicated to sharing her stories and strategies with others. Her freelance pieces covering mental health, historical and human interest topics appeared in numerous regional magazines. The Other Side of Madness is her first memoir. Emalee lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband. She has two adult children.
Watch Emalee read from The Other Side of Madness for Get Lit! 2020.
Watch Emalee's TEDx Talk, “Living Well with a Mental Illness.”