Ode to Hope and Despair is a collection of literary and visual art works, traveling from darkness to light in a literal epitome of a journey from despair to hope to despair to hope, in a looped circle, which sometimes also manifests as a spiral. After all, what is Despair if not Hope through the looking glass, and what is Hope if not Despair reflected in a funhouse mirror?

Having learned many a valuable lesson on her ongoing journey, IlanaKovalle enjoys nothing more than helping others feel that they are not alone in their dark times. She also hopes that by sharing her experiences and feelings, she might help someone else out there better understand their own. After all, this book is not just about a life permeated by depression - it is also about the struggle to not be defined by that depression, or even by that struggle. It is a lesson in learning to accept all facets of oneself and watching how, through that acceptance, they begin to transform into something once unimaginable.