Howard Dully is a memoirist best known for his harrowing personal account "My Lobotomy," co-authored with Charles Fleming and published in 2007. The book details his traumatic childhood experience of undergoing a trans-orbital lobotomy at age 12, performed by neurologist Walter Freeman, and the decades-long struggle to reclaim his life. Dully first shared his story in a 2005 National Public Radio documentary, which garnered unprecedented listener response and led to the publication of his critically acclaimed memoir.
Dully's writing is characterized by its raw honesty and resilience, exploring themes of trauma, survival, and the search for understanding. Born in Oakland, California in 1948, he endured institutionalization, homelessness, and alcoholism before earning a degree in computer information systems and working as a certified school bus instructor. His research into Freeman's archives and interviews with medical professionals and fellow lobotomy patients informed both his NPR segment and memoir.
"My Lobotomy" received widespread praise for its unflinching yet redemptive narrative, described by The New York Times as "one of the saddest stories you'll ever read." The San Francisco Chronicle noted its "compulsively readable" quality, while UK's The Observer highlighted its forceful portrayal of survival. Dully's work stands as a significant contribution to medical history narratives and personal memoirs of overcoming adversity.