Picture of Me, written by Thomas Laurence, is a 157-page journey through anger, grief, depression, and addiction told in poetry and drawings. It serves as a guide for emotions experienced by many and discussed by few. The brutal honesty in pieces like Dark Knight, No Help for the Wicked, and Monster in Me is jarring but necessary. Getting the emotion out helps get the author through to the other side. It is what makes this collection of works so relatable to those experiencing similar feelings.
With titles like Dear God, Mercy, Mercy Me, and Gentle Rain wash away my tears, there is still hope in the disturbing but impactful writing. In my interviews with Thomas Laurence and his father, John, I gained some insight into how this may have been possible. The story behind the story is just as inspiring as the author’s ability to survive and thrive.
God Connections
After 10 years year of sobriety, I am still amazed at how much more is happening in the recovery space than I am aware of. A few months ago, I interviewed Jenny Teeters, a Quit Lit author who just published her first book, Every Day is a New Day. She is heavily involved in Catholic in Recovery (CIR). This faith-based program uses the 12 Steps and scripture to help people recover from unhealthy attachments to all things, including but certainly not limited to alcohol. She told me about an upcoming CIR retreat I recently attended, which led me to the author of Picture of Me.
Having never heard of CIR, I was unsure what to expect. But I enjoyed it and came away with another new perspective on recovery. My favorite part was connecting with people, hearing their stories, and learning about their recovery journeys. It felt like an intense cram session for a new recovery program with many cool tutors. Husbands and wives, fathers and sons, sisters and singles- we were all 100% in. The sharing was raw, vulnerable, and full of hope in the Lord and the miracle of recovery.
Addiction is a Family Disease
A story that particularly struck me was that of John Laurence. He is open and willing to share his struggles and victories in hopes of helping others and becoming stronger in his faith and recovery. Both in active addiction and in sobriety, John has experienced divorce, family trauma, loss of several loved ones, and depression. He attributes his sobriety to CIR and a strong, renewed faith in the Lord.
We always hear how addiction is a family disease. Unfortunately, this is true for the Laurence family. John’s adult son, Thomas, experienced the divorce of his parents at 11, the death of his mother at 13, addiction at 14, life-threatening overdose at 15, arrests, rehabs, homelessness, and depression throughout his childhood and adult life.
When John learned about The Sober Curator, he shared Thomas’s new book, Picture of Me. This collection of poems and drawings includes work Thomas started when he was just a teenager trying to make sense of all the devasting loss, anger, and grief he was experiencing. He began writing poetry in rehab to get his emotions out.
Writing for Relief
Thomas shared that he always had a notebook with him during those years of active addiction, rehab, and years of internally battling depression. He lost his best friend and had no one to talk to about his feelings. Writing was his way of unpacking those intense emotions. In time, Thomas found some relief and stability. He straightened up, got married, had children, and kept his drinking to a minimum.
Things looked alright on the outside, but a few years ago, those feelings started creeping back in, and his drinking got worse. He realized he was spiritually bankrupt and was on a path to divorce and death. This is when he revisited those many notebooks filled with all those emotions.
When looking back at the poetry, Thomas can see the progression from anger, to anger at God, to darkness, and finally hope and making it to the other side. He published the work even though he did not completely understand some of the writing and had zero expectations.
God and Thomas are Still Writing the Story
Picture of Me is the real deal. It is an authentic and brave journey into the tortured mind of someone with severe depression and extreme sadness. As the cover depicts, the author has a broken heart. Interestingly, the cover photo is one part of a larger photo of a happy family. But it is a broken family. What strikes me about this story is that despite the extremely sad circumstances and all the challenges this family has had, God is still all over the writing and the story.
Throughout depression and addiction, John and Thomas continued to seek and maintain a connection with God. John is seeking recovery through faith and prayer. And God is in several titles of poetry in Picture of Me. Thomas says his faith in God kept him tethered to this life on multiple occasions. It was this book that brought Thomas and John closer together. Neither understood the true value of the work, but John had a strong intuition that God would use it. It is evident that He already has.
To Be Continued
God and Thomas are still writing his story. Thomas plans to work on a series of books, including old and new work, with each sharing a little more of his life story. For now, as Thomas states in the Prologue, the story and what God does with this are ” to be continued.”
#QUITLIT Sobees Score: 4 out of 5
TSC LIBRARY: Welcome to The Sober Curator Library! We don’t just read books; we immerse ourselves in literary journeys, tune in on Audible, and craft insightful reviews. Our digital shelves are organized into three genres: #QUITLIT, Addiction Fiction, and Self-Help.
A Disco Ball is Hundreds of Pieces of Broken Glass, Put Together to Make a Magical Ball of Light. You are NOT Broken, Friend. You are a DISCO BALL!
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