LIKE CRAZY
By Dan Mathews
Atria Books, May 5, 2020
In the tradition of The End of Your Life Book Club and Bettyville, this uplifting, funny, and heartbreaking memoir about a mother and son on a journey of self-discovery and the rag-tag community that rallied together to support the most unconventional of mothers as she entered the last phase of her life.
Selected Praise
“Like Crazy is exquisite. Full of wry humor, tenderness, and compassion.” – Jeannette Walls, bestselling author of The Glass Castle
"Dan Mathews writes with such wit and tenderness about his mother's descent into previously undiagnosed schizophrenia. But that’s not all: this book is also about his journey to self-acceptance and ultimately finding love. I couldn’t recommend it more." – Alan Cumming
About the Author
Dan Mathews was born and raised in Orange County, California by a single mother who encouraged her three boys to bring home stray animals. In high school, he was beaten up for being gay and credits those rough times with helping him develop the thick skin needed to be an animal activist. He spent two years in Italy working as a fashion model and bit-part actor before returning to the US to earn a degree in history from American University in Washington, DC. Shortly afterwards, he began working at PETA as a receptionist and within a year was organizing protests. As PETA’s Director of Campaigns, he helps increase awareness of the rights of animals through high-profile events. He has been arrested for his activities more than twenty times but usually gets released from jail within a day. Through a unique combination of sex, humor, and glamour, he has turned animal rights into one of the hottest causes of the last two decades.