Susan McKeown To Preview New Songs at NAMI Event

She will share songs from her upcoming new album, Singing in the Dark, which will be released in October 2010 during Mental Illness Awareness Week.

Influenced by the poetry of Lord Byron and Anne Sexton among others, the new album examines the depths of living with depression - and the hope of recovery.

"It's been important to me that throughout this collection of songs there is an overall sense of hope," said McKeown.

McKeown's music from past albums is available on the Internet. One song to anticipate in her NAMI performance is "Gracias a la vida" ("Thanks to Life") by Chilean folk singer Violeta Parra, who died tragically from depression and suicide in 1967. It has since become one of the most popular folk songs in Latin America and was introduced to the United States by singer Joan Baez.