My dad was in a mental institution when I was born. He eventually came home and had a full and successful life. At the same time our family was, in certain ways, "haunted" by the secret, the stigma, and the specter of mental illness. The secret was unexpectedly revealed at my dad's memorial. That revelation freed me to explore the ramifications of such secrets, to confront the "ghosts," and to fill the silence with with the healing power of song and story.
