Sister Language

by Christina Baillie, Martha Baillie, Stan Dragland (Editor)

Sister Language is a collaboration, composed mainly of letters and other writings, between two sisters, one of whom, Christina, is schizophrenic. In the careful building of a bridge between sisters, a prose nonpareil is achieved, and a linguistic "bridge" created between readers and the authors, one of whom's deep isolation is in this way diminished. "A playful duet, a radiant howl, a swirling portrait of schizophrenia and sisterhood--this beautiful, wildly-groomed book magnifies two brilliant minds in motion. It is a story of what happens when 'everyday' language mutinies and shatters, leaving a fragile chimera of coherence. But mostly it's a tale of unshakable, vulnerable, writerly love that brought me to tears." - Kyo Maclear, author of Birds Art Life

Genres: Nonfiction

217 pages, Paperback

Published September 15, 2019

Reviews

[Jennifer nyc · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve been drawn to what I call book-as-art lately. This format works on me the way whole exhibits of fine art do, evoking dreamlike feelings, but also at different times grabbing or losing my attention. Sister Language was forged out of an attempt to connect despite the disparity in the way the sisters’ brains functioned—one sister being a published author, the other struggling with schizophrenia and the isolation it created. Their written correspondence synthesized language into a brand new thing, which is what all art does. At times, however, I felt shut out, like watching two lovers move through the world unaware of anyone but each other.

What Martha and Christina Baillie captured here is the creation of a private language between sisters in what felt like real-time. I witnessed it taking shape as their exchange ebbed and flowed, balancing each other’s writing with qualities of the other, adding an eye-pleasing touch with visual play. Its development played on my subconscious the way music and visual art do. Martha, who expresses herself through words for a living, listened carefully to her sister’s correspondence, her sister using language to emerge as self despite her thought disorder. And Martha responded in words to help both herself and her sister find and refine what resonated as true. At times there was friction, at times, diamonds.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A loving response to a sister who connects to the world through language. This grappling with words, language and life is gently filtered by her sister Martha’s curious, provoking, gentle, empathic and loving responses, inspiring continued conversation taking her out for a period of her isolated world of illness and torment.

[Stephanie H · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting look into the way we see language and the way we communicate with those close to us. It was quite abstract and I’m surprised I read it cover to cover, but even though a lot of it was nonsense, it held my attention.