Anna Marie Tendler at The Brattle Theatre

Harvard Book Store welcomes ANNA MARIE TENDLER—writer and artist known for her work in photography, makeup, hairstyling, and textile crafts—for a discussion of her new memoir Men Have Called Her Crazy. She will be joined in conversation by EMILY HABECK—author of Shark Heart, a Book of the Year finalist in 2023.

Ticketing

Tickets to this event are now sold out. We will have a stand-by line at the Brattle Theatre. If any seats are still open five minutes before the event begins, we will sell tickets to those in the stand-by line on a first-come, first-served basis. Of course we can’t guarantee that those in the stand-by line will get in, but we are often able to let in some (or sometimes all) of those patiently waiting!

There are two ticket options for this event. Books will be pre-signed by the author.

Book Included: Admission for one and one hardcover copy of Men Have Called Her Crazy pre-signed by the author.

Admission Only: Admission for one.

About Men Have Called Her Crazy

In early 2021, popular artist Anna Marie Tendler checked herself into a psychiatric hospital following a year of crippling anxiety, depression and self-harm. Over two weeks, she underwent myriad psychological tests, participated in numerous therapy sessions, connected with fellow patients and experienced profound breakthroughs, such as when a doctor noted, “There is a you inside that feels invisible to those looking at you from the outside.”

In Men Have Called Her Crazy, Tendler recounts her hospital experience as well as pivotal moments in her life that preceded and followed. As the title suggests, many of these moments are impacted by men: unrequited love in high school; the twenty-eight-year-old she lost her virginity to when she was sixteen; the frustrations and absurdities of dating in her mid-thirties; and her decision to freeze her eggs as all her friends were starting families.

This stunning literary self-portrait examines the unreasonable expectations and pressures women face in the 21st century. Yet overwhelming and despairing as that can feel, Tendler ultimately offers a message of hope. Early in her stay in the hospital, she says, “My wish for myself is that one day I’ll reach a place where I can face hardship without trying to destroy myself.” By the end of the book, she fulfills that wish.

Praise for Men Have Called Her Crazy

“Men Have Called Her Crazy is so many things I didn’t know I needed: a testament to the work of healing, a raw howl of anger, and an indictment of misogyny’s insipid, predictable, infuriating reign.” —Carmen Maria Machado, author of the National Book Award finalist Her Body and Other Parties and the Lambda Literary Award winner In the Dream House

“Devastating…In a sea of mental health memoirs, this stands out.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“A stunning self-portrait of a woman trying to make sense of the misogyny and sexism she has faced throughout her life.” —Shannon Carlin, TIME ("25 New Books You Need to Read This Summer")

"By reclaiming her story, Tendler questions the unreasonable expectations placed on all women in the modern era." —W Magazine, "The Best, Most Talked About Books of 2024 (So Far)"

“An intensive, conversational portrait of one woman’s battle with mental illness…The author’s calm, affable narration belies the seriousness of her condition, and the striking detail she provides offers readers a clear sense of the rigorous inpatient psychotherapy process meant to disarm anxiety and return a sense of normalcy. While Tendler admits that her condition is a lifelong struggle, the book ends on a hopeful note, with the author on the path to maintaining a happy, structured life.” —Kirkus Reviews

Masking Policy

Masks are encouraged but not required for this event.