“FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Psychiatric Survivor Activist Releases Spoken Word Album

Album’s themes include human rights, psychiatric oppression, and liberation

‘Take Refuge,’ Leah Harris’ debut spoken word album, is flavored with eclectic Middle Eastern, hip-hop, rock, go-go, reggae, and jazz influences. The album poignantly chronicles her legacy as the daughter of two people labeled with ‘severe mental illness,’ both of whom died very young as a result of toxic treatments and shattered dreams, leaving her an orphan at the age of 30, as well as her own psychiatrized girlhood and adolescence. Pieces such as ‘Teenage Mental Patient,’ ‘dear dr.,’ ‘Superhero Momma,’ and ‘Revenge of the Crazy Wimmin’ reflect her personal journey of liberation from psychiatric oppression, and her experiences as an artist, activist, and single mother. ‘Article 12’ refers to one of the articles in the UN Disability Convention; ‘Her Name was Esmin’ is a tribute to Esmin Green, who was murdered-by-neglect in Kings’ County Hospital in 2008. It is an album filled with righteous rage, but it also brims over with faith in the possibility that a more just, humane, and peaceful world is within our grasp.

Leah Harris is a Mindfreedom member and has been a part of the psychiatric user/survivor/ex-patient movement for nearly a decade. Her work has been featured in publications including Word Warriors: 35 Women Leaders in the Spoken Word Revolution  (Seal Press, 2007), DC Poets against the War: An Anthology, Off Our Backs: A Feminist Newsjournal, Street Spirit, Mizna, and Adbusters.org. She lives in Washington, DC and is available for performances; contact her on Facebook or visit her MySpace  page to listen to a selection of songs on the album. ‘Take Refuge’ is available for purchase here.”