One of the most poignant and unusual books in our contest, Land of Stone: Breaking Silence through Poetry by Karen Chase, greatly impressed our judges, earning a bronze medal in the 2008 IPPY Awards in the Psychology/Mental Health category. Land of Stone is the true account of Chase’s experiences working with Ben, a troubled patient at a psychiatric hospital near New York City in the 1980’s. Once a week, she would visit with Ben, a handsome young man who had not spoken for years, and the pair would compose poetry together, alternating lines. Land of Stone is a story of healing, of Ben’s gradual emergence from silence.
