"After reading It's Kind of a Funny Story and the outstanding review of it in The New York Times, I had very high expectations of Ned Vizzini when he came to speak about "Coping in a Culture of Unrealistic Expectations" to The Friends of The Semel Institute at UCLA.  I must say that Mr. Vizzini's presentation (and his charming personality) far and away exceeded my expectations."

Vicky Goodman, Founder and President of the Friends of the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA.

It’s Kind of a Funny Story follows Craig Gilner, an overstressed teenager beset by adult responsibilities who finds redemption in the last place he'd expect--the psych hospital. Written in a month following Ned's own experience in a Brooklyn psychiatric hospital, It's Kind of a Funny Story has been called "intimate, real, funny, ironic" by Booklist. Without self-pity and with refreshing clarity, Ned lays bare his own difficulties to bring a message of hope to young people.  An accomplished author and public speaker since the age of 20 Ned, now 25, is speaking out.

A Culture of unrealistic expectations and Depression

When was the last time you saw a "slacker?"
 
The listless, no-worries twenty-something has disappeared from American culture, replaced by the other extreme--an overworked, hyperactive and uncertain person struggling to stay afloat.
 
With an increasingly competitive college environment, a cutthroat global job market, markedly higher prices for housing and energy, and a lack of secure employment, today's young people have no slack--and they suffer terribly for it, with many falling into anxiety and depression, diseases that affect nearly 40 million Americans.
 
Ned Vizzini, a successful author at 23, found this out first hand when he spiraled into depression following the publication of his second book and landed in the psychiatric hospital after calling a suicide hotline.

A humorist at heart, Ned saw in his situation a story that could help others.  Written in a month following Ned's own experience in a Brooklyn psychiatric hospital, It's Kind of a Funny Storyhas been called "intimate, real, funny, ironic" by Booklist. Without self-pity and with refreshing clarity, Ned lays bare his own difficulties to bring a message of hope to young people.
 
Ned explains to his audience what many do not understand: how brain chemistry works and why the near-constant state of stress that people live in, in 21st century America, can cause them to shut down emotionally and retreat into themselves. He explains with bare honesty and hilarious stories how he made the decision to live despite life's stressors and avoided suicide, the third leading cause of death among 15- to 24- year olds in this country.
 
Peppered with insights and coping strategies, Ned's presentation will help the young people learn to keep their heads above water as they navigate tough terrain. Ned has been there and back and he's here to help.

Ned has been conducting creative writing workshops for students for several years, and is always open to facilitating one while on campus.