A prequel to my finished novel 'Samsara', 'Letters from an Asylum' is a very noir, very potent, very poigiant and comparably gory tale recounting 'Samsara' main protagonist Sarah's formative and highly disturbing years in Long Isalnd mental institute.

Written mainly as a series of letters written by Sarah over the years and adressed to her dead parents, 'Letters from an Asylum' deals with the innder workings of a mind and soul torn apart by past trauma and the resulting mental instability which leaves Sarah a falorn, hopeless character left only to mope in a padded cell, pen arcane poetry and concoct elaborate and worryingly successful ploys to obtain sharp impliments and cut herself to ribbons at every given opportunity- thus at least aleiviating her despair and utter pointlessness if only by directing her mind to more pressing physical pains.

Dealing with a multitude of dark and often 'taboo' issues mainly focused on mental health, 'Letters from an Asylum' approaches topics such as trauma, self harm, depression, personality disorders and basic disillusionment with modern living.

Comic moments are supplied in the admittedly sombre guise of the fundemental inadequacy of the facility in which Sarah is trapped, and in the ease in which she is able to get her hands on objects which clearly present a severe damnger to herself bearing in mind her condition.

Other characters do enter into the fray, and the way Sarah interacts with them goes some way towards moulding her into the staunch revolutionary existential angst ridden vigilante which she has become in her twenties in 'Samsara'.

'Letters from an Asylum' is eerily colorful and gloriously graphic, but does not take issues lightly. Sarah is a disturbed soul who desperately needs help but finds nobody will aid her but herself. She is twisted and confused and desperately unhappy; longing for things the past has wrenched away forever.