When she was ten years old, Shirlee Scribner witnessed an act of violence, a life changing blow that sent her mother to the emergency room and caused her youngest brother Dallas to suffer severe mental impairment at birth. Afterward, Scribner and her six siblings were sent into the cold arms of foster care, until at last they were reunited with their mother, who had remarried. And that's when a new and horrifying chapter of violence began. Meanwhile, Scribner-already an adult by then-was struggling to make a stable life for herself out of the chaos of her childhood. She eventually fulfilled her dream of earning a college degree, embarked on a successful career, and, in spite of the alienation and neglect that had formed her emotional landscape, found strength and support with her husband Blake. So when, in his thirties, Dallas finally gave voice to the brutality he had endured his entire life, Scribner heard his cry for help and fought to give her brother a better life. Untangle is a lyrical and compelling account of the ways in which we triumph over the pain of the past. At times shocking in its detail, Scribner offers a rare and dignified account of how someone with mental disabilities, whose life was profoundly shaped by abuse, broke free from its legacy. Ultimately, Untangle is a testament to the human spirit, and our capacity to show love, strength, and courage, both to ourselves and to each other, even in the face of utter cruelty.
About the Author: Shirlee Scribner spent twenty years as a project manager, space planner, and interior designer of hospitals, medical office buildings, and corporate HMO offices, and through her work she created hospital environments that felt more homey than institutional. She implemented Americans with Disabilities regulations in her work, providing available access and special accommodations to the disabled. Though she has since left the interior design industry, Shirlee has continued her generous work in hospitals and women's centers. In Concord, California, Shirlee spent several years on the Board of Trustees and Board of Directors of the Mt. Diablo Hospital Foundation, where she helped to raise money for heart and cancer patients. In Mather, California, Shirlee created the Mather Hospital Veteran's Hospital Volunteer Visitation Program. And in Livermore, California, Shirlee spent two years donating her time designing a beautiful Christian sanctuary called Shepherd's Gate, a safe haven for homeless mothers and children. In her free time, Shirlee loves hiking, biking, and playing tennis. At times she can be found piloting yachts on the San Francisco Bay, flying Cessna airplanes, and enjoying book clubs. She has one son, Scott, a software engineer, and a grandson, Dillon, and she is happily married to her husband, Blake.