Back in May, I told you about Mary Forsberg Weiland’s then-upcoming memoir, Fall to Pieces: A Memoir of Drugs, Rock ‘N’ Roll & Mental Illness.

The book has since released and there’s been an increase in attention paid to that particular Celebrity Psychings post, which is sort of unfortunate because, well, it doesn’t exactly offer any “news.”

This morning, however, I was directed to an interview with Weiland posted yesterday at ARTISTdirect.com – an interview that does offer some news. Well, some insight, at least.

Upfront, ARTISTdirect.com editor Rick Florino describes the book -

In her book, Fall to Pieces: A Memoir of Drugs, Rock ‘N’ Roll & Mental Illness, she chronicles her extraordinary life with equal shades of whimsy, humor, honesty and hope. From an international modeling career and her marriage to legendary Stone Temple Pilots and Velvet Revolver frontman Scott Weiland to struggles with mental illness and addiction, Mary has crafted a poignant and essential portrait of growing up. It’s impossible not to identify with many of the moments in this tome—some heartbreaking, some hilarious, all real. It’s easily one of the most powerful books you will read this year.

- which (fortunately) doesn’t quite line up with what many of the Blabbermouth readers had to say after the initial announcement of the book.

During the interview, Weiland talks with Florino mostly about the process of writing the memoir, pointing out that:

• She had to “interview” many people about herself because much of her “memory is horrible,” which helped her “learn a lot” about herself.
• Music is often a trigger for memories, and in addition to Stone Temple Pilots she listened to some Guns N’ Roses, Metallica, Radiohead, Winger, and Lisa Lisa.
• Although she’s grown, she still feels like she and the four-year-old Mary Weiland “are the same person.”
• She hopes the book is indeed a “coming-of-age book for girls,” as Florino suggested.

I found most all of the interview interesting, but the question that stuck out for me the most (aside from the ones related to music and “coming-of-age”) was the one about readers taking away from the book something on a philosophical level:

Is there anything that you want people to take away from the book on a philosophical level?

I think it would be great—and I don’t know if someone is going to get this from actually reading it or if they need this information when they read it—but I put a lot of love into this book, whether it was for my family, for Scott, for my kids or somebody else that might be going through what I went through. It grew from love—trying to be authentic and hoping that somebody could connect. That was what I took with me every day when I sat down to write. I think it’s a special vibe to have now when there are so many negative things out there.

I’ve always imagined the two most important things that can come from a memoir like this are the author’s therapeutic experience of telling her story, and the reader’s therapeutic experience of reading about the same kinds of life’s ups and downs she has gone through. In sharing such personal experiences, the author not only helps herself, but she can also help others.

Be sure to check out the ARTISTdirect.com interview to read the entire Q&A with Weiland.

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From Psych Central's website:
PsychCentral (November 20, 2009)

From Psych Central's Alicia Sparks:
Holiday Shopping With Celebrity Psychings: Celebrity Memoirs | Celebrity Psychings (December 15, 2009)

    Last reviewed: 20 Nov 2009