"Cindy Sostchen is now New York City Voices' Poetry Editor ... We reprint Cindy Sostchen's original poem, Ward Stories in this issue, for our readers to get an idea of the type of material Cindy will be reviewing for publication." 

Copyright © 1999 NYC Voices

"My ability to claw myself through the paranoia, delusional thinking, and the frightening, warning voices within my mind, to reach out and tell my doctor the truth was totally new ...  At the time, I had no idea of exactly what unknown and miraculous factors I was allowing myself to experience. By telling the truth, I had given voice only to the overture of even greater things to come."

"After years of private therapy, counseling and medication treatments, I was no further along toward recovery than when I started my downward spiral. In 1995, after five hospitalizations, a broken marriage, loss of income, an arrest and a failed suicide attempt, I finally found my spiritual self and began a road to recovery. This while in my sixth hospitalization in as many years."