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Welcome to The Smartest Girl in the World. My name is Carin Meyer.  I once thought I actually was the smartest girl in the world, but it turned out that my brain was the last thing I could trust.  This blog is dedicated to my writings about mental illness and health, and my life and adventures in Alaska.  In each life, there are ten thousand stories to tell, and I hope that my small stories– even if there is only one– may resonate with those who have experienced mental illness, and especially bipolar disorder.  I hope readers will find light in each one of these stories, and discover hope and comfort by reading about my lifelong experience with bipolar disorder.

The Smartest Girl in the World is also the title of my manuscript, for which I am seeking publication. It is a literary memoir about writing, love, and recovery, set in the extreme beauty and wildness of Alaska.

As a lover of nature and wilderness, I believe that the landscapes of our lives do not simply serve as backdrops to events, but are vital characters that interact with every aspect of our existence.  My life in Alaska, as a fisherman, a hunter, an outdoorswoman, molds each one of my experiences, and as a result, wilderness is an important piece of nearly every story I write.

I am also a believer in the idea that mental illness and creativity are often inextricably linked, and as a lover of writing and literature since childhood, I find heroes in those literary greats who suffered because of the gift and bane of manic depression. These heroes of mine– Blake, Byron, Woolf, Plath– are my inspiration. Although many parts of their lives– and their deaths– hardly inspire hope, I do think their passion and creativity can encourage each of us to try our hardest to not just survive, but to thrive, despite the challenges of mental illness.