From the stage to pages and screens, Fragments explores the issues faced by youth today. Covering topics like mental health, family dysfunction and body dysmorphia, Canberra author Maura Pierlot wanted to help teens talk about things that she felt were being left unsaid.

The web series released earlier this month was based on the book, which was released in October 2021; however, that started out as a play. Well received by audiences, there was a push for it to be included in school programs then the Black Summer bushfires happened, shortly followed by the pandemic. Pierlot says the lockdown was both a blessing and a curse for deep-thinking creatives, allowing time to decide what to do with their work but also too much time to ruminate.

Deciding that a web series would be the best way to get the work out there, she applied to Arts ACT which had previously funded a run of the show at The Street Theatre. She approached Canberra producer Dan Sanguineti to help her with the work.

“I thought ‘all kids are on screens these days’. I have no idea really what a web series is and what that entails, but I know I have the motivation and the drive to learn and to get it done,” says Pierlot.

With the focus on eight characters, Pierlot decided the eight episodes should have different directors. By the end of the production, there were 60 people involved, filming during the pandemic and lockdowns.

“We shot every segment in a day; that was all the budget allowed. But to get that day and to get the right things happening on that day took a lot of work to get to that point,” she says.

Writing began in late 2017. Pierlot had a growing sense that there were a lot of people struggling with issues that they didn’t talk about. Personally, she had an almost overwhelming amount of turmoil. Her mother had to move into a care facility, and she had to commute between home and New Jersey; then her husband suffered a medical episode and had a long recovery – all while her eldest was going through puberty and menopause started to rear its head.

“I’d go to bed at night and think, like, ‘what if you’re having a nervous breakdown?’ I feel like is it this, or is this just normal because there’s a lot of stuff,” she says.

Talking to friends about the issue, she didn’t find a receptive audience, although admitting it could be her ‘New Yorker way’ that downplayed the issues. There was a string of unconnected youth suicides around her and she felt like others were struggling without even hinting at it.

“There was almost like an epidemic of depression and dysfunction, and people still weren’t talking about it. I think the difficult thing is, it’s not easy to just say ‘oh, by the way, I’m having issues’.”

Thinking that it may be easier for people to address issues and reach out for help by leaning on a character, a monologue or story, Pierlot decided to approach mental health through a work of art. She says the feedback received has proved her theory.

“There are always murmurings, ‘that’s my sister, that’s our neighbour, that’s me, my ex-husband’. People are more comfortable using that as a kind of catalyst, to then open up a conversation just feels a little bit safer,” she says.

When developing the story and characters, the author didn’t have a checklist of issues or conditions she wanted to target, but she wanted a neurodiverse character as that is something close to her heart, while anxiety and depression are two of the biggest mental health issues. 

“Then there are kids that are survivors who are like ‘I have to get out of here’. I wanted to tackle the issue of masks people wear, like the school captain, who presumably has it all. In this work, he probably has the most profound level of despair, alienation, dysfunction and disenfranchisement,” Pierlot says.

Targeted towards adolescents aged 12 and above, the author believes people of all ages could benefit from the story as a way to help them identify issues in themselves or loved ones.

Fragments the book is available at Book Cow Kingston and all major online retailers. Watch Fragments online via youtube.com/@bigideaspress

If this story raised concerns, help is available. Call or visit the website of Lifeline (13 11 14) or Beyond Blue (1300 22 4636). In an emergency, call 000.

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