Anna Shinoda' - Books Change Directions: How We Can All Save Lives with Our Stories

Anna Shinoda

Anna Shinoda is the author of Learning Not to Drown (Atheneum 2014), a story about a young girl who struggles to preserve her own identity amidst a chaotic, dysfunctional family unit.  Anna married musician Mike Shinoda of Linkin Park in 2003 and has led efforts with the band’s nonprofit, Music for Relief, in the US and abroad. As a mental health advocate, she serves as a senior advisor to The Campaign to Change Direction.

Anna Shinoda's life was irrevocably changed when Chester Bennington, the lead singer for Linkin Park and one of her and her husband's most cherished friends, ended his own life in July of 2017. She got through the resulting trauma and upheaval by doing what she'd always done: writing and sketching.

Anna speaks up about mental illness to combat the persistently negative stereotypes about mental illness that stop people from seeking out help. She believes in the vital role played by the stories we tell, and we need stories that counter the societal judgment that is still imposed on people who might benefit from getting help.

So, a big announcement: she's publicly announcing the launch of Books Change Direction, which will advocate for responsible representation of mental health in books by promoting authors and books who do it well, provide educational resources for professionals in the book world, and increase access to those stories. For more information about Books Change Direction go to https://www.changedirection.org/books-change-direction/. She also encourages everyone to add the Suicide Prevention Hotline (1-800-273-8255) and the Crisis Text Line to their contacts.

Visit her at annashinoda.com, on Twitter, or Instagram.
Learn more about The Champaign to Change Direction at changedirection.org.
Suicide prevention hotline: 1-800-273-8255
Crisis Test Line: text TALK to 741-741