Benjamin Diven

Benjamin Diven, M.D. was born in rural Illinois in 1954. He has lived most of his life in southern New Mexico. Married to Elinor they have three adult children. An unlikely candidate for a writer Dr. Diven nevertheless persevered through his many moods to produce Closing the Chasm: Letters from a bipolar physician to his son. Dr. Diven's elder son and receiver of the letters, Matt, expresses mixed feelings about the book. He has a sharp recall of many of the crazier events and behaviors surrounding his father over the years and voices his opinion. He does state his father's disorder helped put some "fun" into his "dysfunctional" family life at times. That, he says, was not always the case. Closing the Chasm is a very personal and in many ways courageous book about life with a major mental illness. The stories chronicled are many and varied and show the impact of the disorder on both Dr. Diven and the persons around him. It is illustrated. A fascinating read. Visit closingthechasm.com for more information, photos, sample chapters, and ordering opportunities.