Mariana Alessandri is associate professor of philosophy at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, the nation’s first bilingual university. In addition, she and her partner are the founders of RGV PUEDE, a nonprofit whose mission is to promote dual language education in South Texas public schools. They live on the border with their two tesoros.
"""Mariana Alessandri explores our culture’s obsession with ‘toxic positivity’ and our fear of darker emotions like grief, anxiety and depression. . . . Instead of encouraging our loved ones to 'stay positive,' maybe it’s worth sitting with someone in their darkness.""---Kira Condee-Padunova, NPR ""Alessandri offers a very different understanding of clinical mood disorders, one that at first seems like bad news but ultimately proves comforting, even uplifting. . . . Alessandri makes her argument through a series of biographical sketches. . . . [she] relates these stories with insight and sensitivity. In doing so she makes a persuasive case against the superficiality of 'don’t worry, be happy' peppiness. . . . Alessandri certainly does us a service in calling attention to the value of dark moods. We do need better night vision.""---Andrew Stark, Wall Street Journal ""A compelling, philosophically sound case for finding ‘dignity’ and strength in the discomforting emotions that are a natural part of the human condition. . . . Through insightful observations of temperaments at the dark end of the emotional spectrum, Night Vision reminds readers that our humanity is only truly visible in the dark and that the darkness is where we emotionally grow.""---Shahina Piyarali, Shelf Awareness ""Vigorous, deeply personal, and provocative.""---Glenn C. Altschuler, Psychology Today ""In Night Vision, Alessandri moves the needle from normalizing mental health issues to revering them. If her points resonate, you may find yourself feeling less shame and blame when ‘stay positive’ just isn’t working."" * TheSkimm * ""This is the book to read this season."" * Choice *"