Critically acclaimed memoirist, Melissa Bond, spoke to me about her dark night of the soul, crowd-funding her lauded memoir, and the paperback release of BLOOD ORANGE NIGHT: A Memoir of Insomnia, Motherhood, and Benzos. Melissa Bond is a narrative journalist, editor, award-winning poet, and speaker/performer whose breakout debut memoir, Blood Orange Night, is a Barnes & Noble non-fiction book of the month, and was selected by both The New York Times as one of the Best Audiobooks of 2022. Publishers Weekly (in a Starred Review) said of the book, “In this raw and captivating debut, journalist Bond chronicles her volatile descent into a benzodiazepine addiction …. Bond’s narrative casts a burning light onto the hazards of overprescribing and the threat it poses to vulnerable people. This cautionary tale stuns.” Melissa Bond blogged and became a regular contributor for Mad in America in the years of her dependence on benzodiazepines. She is a respected speaker and writer on the perils of over-prescribing benzodiazepines and has been featured on podcasts including The New York Times Book Review, and others. [Discover The Writer Files Extra: Get 'The Writer Files' Podcast Delivered Straight to Your Inbox at writerfiles.fm] [If you’re a fan of The Writer Files, please click FOLLOW to automatically see new interviews. And drop us a rating or a review wherever you listen] In this file Melissa Bond and I discussed:  Her guerilla street poet/poverty phase and hosting National Poetry Slams Why she never imagined writing a memoir  How she Kickstarted her hit book in just three days The transformative process of finding gems in the rubble of difficult times Her process, meditation practice, and “sitting beyond oneself” How to quiet the gnome of self-doubt And a lot more! Show Notes: melissaabond.com Blood Orange Night: A Memoir of Insomnia, Motherhood, and Benzos By Melissa Bond (Amazon)  Melissa Bond on Instagram Kelton Reid on Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices