Elan Carson

I was born and raised in Detroit--the notorious Motor City that's as famous for its crime as it is its cars. In my younger years, my family and I lived in poverty, until my parents were able to pull us out of the cycle; my dad finding his way as a computer programmer, my mom as a banker. To the outside world, my family seemed to find success, but what people didn't see was that my dad struggled mentally. As a result, my mom withdrew, and I became angrier at myself for not being in control-the very definition of depression: anger turned inward. High school was equally as hard to survive. My peers teased me for being "too white" and with my family being Jehovah's Witnesses, I was ostracized more, until I no longer wanted to live. It wasn't until after my mom and I finally moved away from my dad that I ended up seeking treatment. When therapy didn't work, my mom and I were convinced that California would make us feel better. We were both ready to shutter off the past for sunshine, abandoning it like the dilapidated homes we were used to seeing. But blue skies can't beat the blues. Me not fitting in persisted in college, but through writing, I got a glimpse of my raison d'être. This spark would lead to my first book, The Willow Tree. But the path forward isn't always straight and before graduating, I would attempt suicide. Luckily, my story didn't end there. After years of treatment, I'm now stronger, and so is my writing. I've authored another book, The Millennial Mentality: More than Memes, Cats, and Mishaps and a T.V. pilot, all of my work relaying what it's like to be Black, live with depression, and figure out adulting.