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American Alt: A True Story of Madness and Friendship in a Fractured Country
A glimpse into the mind of an American conspiracy theorist and the schizophrenia, trauma, and disinformation that drove him to the brink
On the eve of January 6, 2021, Michael Dodd and his three friends sat in a stolen vehicle on the grounds of the Washington State capitol armed to the teeth and ready to kidnap Governor Jay Inslee. Only there weren't actually three others in the car; Dodd was alone.
Months later, the violent plan thwarted, Dodd was a patient in a psychiatric hospital, where he was diagnosed with schizophrenia and dissociative identity disorder. His memory of that fateful day was spotty, fractured by the different personality states he now knew were affecting his reality. Skeptical of a state mental-health system but eager to figure out how his world had turned upside down, he reached out to his longtime friend, the author Chris Lockhart, for help.
American Alt is the odyssey of two friends trying to piece together the fragments of Dodd's shattered memory and uncover the truth of what pushed him to the edge. Set against the beautiful but economically broken region where both men rambled in their youth, Lockhart delivers a suspenseful, profoundly moving story of discovery and affirmation.
On the eve of January 6, 2021, Michael Dodd and his three friends sat in a stolen vehicle on the grounds of the Washington State capitol armed to the teeth and ready to kidnap Governor Jay Inslee. Only there weren't actually three others in the car; Dodd was alone.
Months later, the violent plan thwarted, Dodd was a patient in a psychiatric hospital, where he was diagnosed with schizophrenia and dissociative identity disorder. His memory of that fateful day was spotty, fractured by the different personality states he now knew were affecting his reality. Skeptical of a state mental-health system but eager to figure out how his world had turned upside down, he reached out to his longtime friend, the author Chris Lockhart, for help.
American Alt is the odyssey of two friends trying to piece together the fragments of Dodd's shattered memory and uncover the truth of what pushed him to the edge. Set against the beautiful but economically broken region where both men rambled in their youth, Lockhart delivers a suspenseful, profoundly moving story of discovery and affirmation.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published July 1, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
August 4, 2026
Schizophrenia seems like a massive challenge by itself, but if you add dissociative identity disorder to it then you get, well, Michael Dodd! Dodd is one of two main characters in the excellent American Alt by Chris Lockhart. Lockhart, the author, is the other main character who doesn't have either of those mental disorders, but he's got some challenges he is facing, too.
I wasn't totally sure what this book would include. The subtitle suggests that the state of the country may be a big talking point. This led me to worry that I was going to get a politically motivated sociology lecture and I cannot begin to tell you how little I would have cared. Luckily, anytime there is politics that come up, it is always from a character whose political views are immaterial to the story. This is mainly because the people who spout off about the government are Dodd's alternate personalities. The book is also not true crime. While Dodd starts off the book under government supervision, this is not a case of whodunit. Well, it kind of is in that we wonder which alter did what, but the crime is not the story.
What this book is about is the friendship of Lockhart and Dodd. Lockhart returns to his home state of Washington after a major loss. He is a self-proclaimed nomad who would probably just disappear from town once again until his old friend Dodd calls from a psychiatric center. At its heart, the narrative is a buddy road trip to try and unravel the brain of Dodd and understand what his alters are trying to do. It's a love letter to the state of Washington, friendship, and dealing with your trauma.
My enjoyment of the writing evolved over the course of the book. Lockhart is a descriptive writer and his prose can border on flowery at times. It's not overwhelming, but at first it was noticeable. As the book goes on, it becomes less and less, almost mirroring Lockhart's slow dropping of his defenses in the story. It also helps to contrast with whenever Dodd's alters take over the narrative to tell stories to Lockhart. There are books where authors are just trying to show off how smart and artsy they are. Here, I felt Lockhart was doing something with his choices and it works. Highly recommend picking this one up, especially if you want something very unique in the memoir/nonfiction genre.
(This book was provided as a review copy by Bloomsbury Publishing.)
I wasn't totally sure what this book would include. The subtitle suggests that the state of the country may be a big talking point. This led me to worry that I was going to get a politically motivated sociology lecture and I cannot begin to tell you how little I would have cared. Luckily, anytime there is politics that come up, it is always from a character whose political views are immaterial to the story. This is mainly because the people who spout off about the government are Dodd's alternate personalities. The book is also not true crime. While Dodd starts off the book under government supervision, this is not a case of whodunit. Well, it kind of is in that we wonder which alter did what, but the crime is not the story.
What this book is about is the friendship of Lockhart and Dodd. Lockhart returns to his home state of Washington after a major loss. He is a self-proclaimed nomad who would probably just disappear from town once again until his old friend Dodd calls from a psychiatric center. At its heart, the narrative is a buddy road trip to try and unravel the brain of Dodd and understand what his alters are trying to do. It's a love letter to the state of Washington, friendship, and dealing with your trauma.
My enjoyment of the writing evolved over the course of the book. Lockhart is a descriptive writer and his prose can border on flowery at times. It's not overwhelming, but at first it was noticeable. As the book goes on, it becomes less and less, almost mirroring Lockhart's slow dropping of his defenses in the story. It also helps to contrast with whenever Dodd's alters take over the narrative to tell stories to Lockhart. There are books where authors are just trying to show off how smart and artsy they are. Here, I felt Lockhart was doing something with his choices and it works. Highly recommend picking this one up, especially if you want something very unique in the memoir/nonfiction genre.
(This book was provided as a review copy by Bloomsbury Publishing.)
August 9, 2026
This story is not the hook described on the dust jacket. Very little of it is actually about almost participating in an insurrection in Olympia. It is Lockhart’s story of telling Michael’s (and the others) story and discovering parts of his own identity through it. It’s about trauma, nature, conspiracy theories, economically deserted people and towns, the abysmal state of mental health care in America, the naive idealism of international aid work, and friendship. Not the book I thought I’d be reading but it was so well-written and engrossing I gobbled it up in a couple days.
July 27, 2026
Loved this read—
Landscape & wilderness driven, touches on mental health, politics & the importance of compassion
Landscape & wilderness driven, touches on mental health, politics & the importance of compassion
July 9, 2026
4.5★: A MOVING MEMOIR UNDONE BY NARRATION & QUESTIONS OF AUTHENTICITY. This is a fascinating memoir/biography hybrid in which the author tells the story of his longtime friend Michael, a man living with dissociative identity disorder (DID), while also reflecting on their shared experiences in the Pacific Northwest (PNW). It’s an engaging, compassionate portrait that never reduces Michael to his diagnosis. Instead, it presents him as a complex, resilient person whose life is full of adventure, hardship, humor, and humanity... just trying to navigate both a fractured mental health system and conspiracy-filled political landscape.
The PNW setting feels like a character in its own right, and the friendship at the heart of the book gives the story warmth and credibility. I finished with a genuine appreciation for both men.
The book is also unexpectedly funny. The humor feels authentic to lifelong guy friends. Lines like, “you’re just one more fart in an industry of farts” and describing someone who “stands out like a random booger eater” made me smile because they’re so oddly specific and completely unpretentious. It also reminded me of a former coworker who, while trying to adlib an example in a discussion on workplace culture, said “a culture of burps and farts.” Shaun, IT DOES EXIST! 😆
Unfortunately, the Bloomsbury-published audiobook introduced enough questions that it affected my overall experience.
As a lifelong resident of the PNW, I noticed repeated pronunciation errors involving local place names. A few mistakes are understandable, but there were enough that they became distracting and suggested the production lacked local fact-checking.
More importantly, because this is presented as a true story, I was left questioning its authenticity. One chapter identifies a one-armed Makah tribal member from tiny Neah Bay by name. Given how identifiable that description is in such a small community, I couldn’t tell whether the individual was being named directly or whether a pseudonym had been used. If names or identifying details were changed to protect privacy—which would be entirely appropriate—I think that should have been disclosed, especially in the audiobook. Without that transparency, I found myself wondering where the line was between documented fact and protected identity, and that uncertainty cast an unfortunate shadow over an otherwise compelling story.
The underlying story is excellent, and I still recommend it. I just wish the audiobook had received stronger quality control and clearer disclosure where privacy considerations may have required changes, because both issues pulled me out of what was otherwise a memorable and moving listen.
Published two days ago on 7/7/26, I was the 8th Goodreads reviewer who brought its average rating to 4.63★.
The PNW setting feels like a character in its own right, and the friendship at the heart of the book gives the story warmth and credibility. I finished with a genuine appreciation for both men.
The book is also unexpectedly funny. The humor feels authentic to lifelong guy friends. Lines like, “you’re just one more fart in an industry of farts” and describing someone who “stands out like a random booger eater” made me smile because they’re so oddly specific and completely unpretentious. It also reminded me of a former coworker who, while trying to adlib an example in a discussion on workplace culture, said “a culture of burps and farts.” Shaun, IT DOES EXIST! 😆
Unfortunately, the Bloomsbury-published audiobook introduced enough questions that it affected my overall experience.
As a lifelong resident of the PNW, I noticed repeated pronunciation errors involving local place names. A few mistakes are understandable, but there were enough that they became distracting and suggested the production lacked local fact-checking.
More importantly, because this is presented as a true story, I was left questioning its authenticity. One chapter identifies a one-armed Makah tribal member from tiny Neah Bay by name. Given how identifiable that description is in such a small community, I couldn’t tell whether the individual was being named directly or whether a pseudonym had been used. If names or identifying details were changed to protect privacy—which would be entirely appropriate—I think that should have been disclosed, especially in the audiobook. Without that transparency, I found myself wondering where the line was between documented fact and protected identity, and that uncertainty cast an unfortunate shadow over an otherwise compelling story.
The underlying story is excellent, and I still recommend it. I just wish the audiobook had received stronger quality control and clearer disclosure where privacy considerations may have required changes, because both issues pulled me out of what was otherwise a memorable and moving listen.
Published two days ago on 7/7/26, I was the 8th Goodreads reviewer who brought its average rating to 4.63★.
July 25, 2026
Reminded me of The Best Minds by Jonathan Rosen, whose friend was also coincidentally named Michael. What the mind can do is so crazy and scary. I learned a lot about schizophrenia and mental health care in the US, which is really not good.
August 19, 2026
Important & well-written book on the mental health crisis, small town America, and empathy.
August 14, 2026
Schizophrenia, Dissociative Identity Disorder, conspiracy, lifelong friendship, abuse, gonzo journalism
I think I would have enjoyed this story more if I had a better understanding of the story from the outset. From what I had seen blurbed, this was the story of a man who had schizophrenia and attacked a capitol building in Washington State on Jan. 6, believing he was with a group of other men. However, that is an extremely minimal part of the story. It's more the story of a friendship between two men who have been lifelong friends. Lockhart returns home to Washington and gets back in touch with his friend Michael, who has recently been released from a mental institute, and the two set out on a series of road trips in an effort for Michael to connect with this multiple personalities and uncover stories of various traumas in his life. It's fascinating, and full of very Kerouacian/Keseyan style writing and a solid amount of rambling around in the American west. I feel like the marketing of this book was all wrong and it might struggle to find the right readers because of that, but it is a fascinating story of very up close mental health issues.
I think I would have enjoyed this story more if I had a better understanding of the story from the outset. From what I had seen blurbed, this was the story of a man who had schizophrenia and attacked a capitol building in Washington State on Jan. 6, believing he was with a group of other men. However, that is an extremely minimal part of the story. It's more the story of a friendship between two men who have been lifelong friends. Lockhart returns home to Washington and gets back in touch with his friend Michael, who has recently been released from a mental institute, and the two set out on a series of road trips in an effort for Michael to connect with this multiple personalities and uncover stories of various traumas in his life. It's fascinating, and full of very Kerouacian/Keseyan style writing and a solid amount of rambling around in the American west. I feel like the marketing of this book was all wrong and it might struggle to find the right readers because of that, but it is a fascinating story of very up close mental health issues.
September 3, 2026
4.5 stars. I was very moved by the devotion Chris Lockhart showed to Michael and by his eloquent summary of the events & environments that led to Michael’s psychosis. Everyone could use a friend like Chris
August 20, 2026
4.5 rounded up
I'm having trouble figuring out what I want to say. I think to start with, it's good to know that while Michael did fall into a conspiracy mindset, thus leading to his being committed into a hospital, that's really not what the book is about. And while the book certainly profiles a person with DID and schizophrenia (and does so well), it really doesn't feel overly about that either, which is wild, because the reason the book exists is that Chris started working with him to write his life story as a form of therapy.
Nonetheless, what really shines through for me are the themes of home, friendship, and nature - all of which are beautifully intertwined with each other. There are some truly gorgeous sentiments scattered throughout the book that touch on that combination.
I suppose I also just find the idea of someone reconnecting with an old friend and helping them in this way and learning things they didn't know about themselves in the process really beautiful. It truly does feel like Michael and Chris's story.
I'm having trouble figuring out what I want to say. I think to start with, it's good to know that while Michael did fall into a conspiracy mindset, thus leading to his being committed into a hospital, that's really not what the book is about. And while the book certainly profiles a person with DID and schizophrenia (and does so well), it really doesn't feel overly about that either, which is wild, because the reason the book exists is that Chris started working with him to write his life story as a form of therapy.
Nonetheless, what really shines through for me are the themes of home, friendship, and nature - all of which are beautifully intertwined with each other. There are some truly gorgeous sentiments scattered throughout the book that touch on that combination.
I suppose I also just find the idea of someone reconnecting with an old friend and helping them in this way and learning things they didn't know about themselves in the process really beautiful. It truly does feel like Michael and Chris's story.
August 27, 2026
This is a book about friendship mostly. It exposes our very broken mental health system and how that rotates people on a loop through the criminal justice system. I found it interesting and appreciated the style in which the book is structured for purposes of storytelling. It reinforces how a pandemic fed into the isolation and frustration of people which exploded a vulnerable population’s susceptibility to disinformation and conspiratorial thinking.
August 18, 2026
Captivating multi-perspective story of a man with DID and schizophrenia, including perspectives from different parts of the system. So well written and a beautiful exploration of these two diagnoses intertwining.
August 19, 2026
3.5. This was really not the type of book I thought it’d be from the cover. It was a compassionate look at a longtime friendship as one of the friends (Michael) is going through diagnosis and treatment for mental illness, including schizophrenia and dissociative identity disorder. It’s not really about Jan. 6 as per the blurb. We get to know Michael’s alters via stories they narrate to the author as part of his therapy. These stories tell the life events that lead up to his involuntary hold. There is a big emphasis on nature, fishing, and camping in rural parts of Washington state. There is talk of impending doom due to loss of industry, damage to the land through climate change, and Michael’s difficult time serving for three tours of military service. It was much more insular than I expected and unlike many other books I thought this would be like (The Quiet Damage, Trust the Plan). It is beautiful to read about the outdoors, but maybe lacked the larger conspiratorial thinking story. Sometimes it was quite difficult to be with Michael’s alters and trauma, but it is also a condition I don’t know much about so it’s also insightful to understand someone with DID more fully.
September 14, 2026
The way you stayed close enough to your own friend to help piece together fragments of memory this shattered, that's not something a journalist does, that's something only real loyalty makes possible. Honestly, "American Alt" sounds like it's going to make me understand how someone actually ends up at the edge like that, instead of just judging from a distance. I just have this small wish to hear from you directly someday about how you knew where to even start untangling a story this fractured. I have to say, the potential here is incredible. I’d love to share some ideas on how we could bring this to life visually. Reach out to me on Discord: leowarrior_04 or tumblr: leowarrior011 if you're interested in discussing more. Keep up the great work!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Intertwining stories of a friendship, a place, two men, and rural America form a book that will have great appeal to those who love long form nonfiction narratives Both Michael and Chris are compelling as characters and share both grief and joy with the reader.
July 12, 2026
4.25⭐️
As someone with schizophrenia and OSDD (another dissociative disorder similar to DID) this book hit incredibly close to home. I came away being grateful to be mentally ill in Australia and not the US
As someone with schizophrenia and OSDD (another dissociative disorder similar to DID) this book hit incredibly close to home. I came away being grateful to be mentally ill in Australia and not the US
September 12, 2026
I was expecting (and looking for) more sociopolitical commentary when I picked this up. When I got over that initial mismatch of expectations, this was a poignant and interesting memoir of male friendship.
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
I really enjoyed this book. It has a great representation of what some people endure when experiencing mental illnesses. A little slow but definitely worth the read!
Goodreads giveaway ARC copy.
Goodreads giveaway ARC copy.
July 8, 2026
Mental illness in the southwest area of Washington. Very different sort of book and not for me.
July 20, 2026
American Alt offers an eye-opening and intense look at the person behind the diagnosis and the trauma that shaped his life, reminding us that compassion can be just as important as understanding.
July 24, 2026
Empathetic portrait of the author’s friend and his experience with dissociative mental illness. Northwest landscapes play a big part in the atmosphere and storytelling.
July 25, 2026
But it's all relative: one person's foie gras-eating snob is another person's banjo-playing f*cktard.
September 10, 2026
3.5 🤯 wow unpacking mental health 🤯
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews