Brent Runyon's 'The Burn Journals'

The Burn Journals is a memoir by Brent Runyon about his struggles with suicidal thoughts and depression. Brent’s story can be used to inspire other people who are also struggling. In 1991, he came home from school and set himself on fire, resulting in burns on about 85% of his body, and 9 total months of treatment, in a hospital and then a rehabilitation center. The novel depicts Brent’s long recovery from this devastating suicide attempt, and can inspire readers who are struggling with similar issues to get help . There are many examples throughout the book of Brent’s mental health improving, as he begins accepting himself. This can show readers that no matter how bad things may seem, they will get better. Brent’s brave choice to publish …show more content…
Despite the fact that Brent continues to struggle with depression, he learns how to manage it, and learns that his life does have meaning. The first example of this is when he is first admitted to the hospital and says “If they unplug me, I’ll die… I could die… But I don’t want to die anymore.” (Runyon, 33). Later in the book, Brent is finishing up a meeting with a psychologist and says “You only get to live for such a short time anyway. It doesn’t make sense to kill yourself.” (Runyon, 201). These both show that even in the short amount of time Brent had been in the hospital, he had already begun to learn how to cope with his mental illness, and he no longer felt like his life was meaningless. Brent is also shown learning to accept himself. A very important point in the novel that shows this is when someone from a cosmetics company visits Brent in the hospital …show more content…
However, The Burn Journals ended up doing so much more than that. Since the book was published in 2004, it has inspired readers everywhere. In an interview done with Times Free Press in 2009, Brent says “People write to me and they say things like, "You've saved my life." I don't really believe that and I don't take credit for that, but that is what they say.” Brent goes on to explain that he feels that readers connect to the book, and that the book expresses things for the readers that other books cannot express. When someone who struggles with suicidal thoughts or depression reads this book, it may be able to speak to them in a way other books haven’t been able to. Readers can connect with this book, and it may help them feel less alone. Though Brent doesn’t agree that he saves lives, he inspires people to save their own