The fourth paragraph of Emily Sayre Smith's author bio is impossible to forget: "She took a gun out of her mouth in April of 1998 and went to an AA meeting. It stuck, so she’s here. 'I can’t tell you how liberating it is not to kill yourself.'"

The Palm Springs resident — who's been a ballerina, gym owner and construction manager — recently published her memoir, “Smartass: Memoir of a Mouthy Girl,” which details her complicated journey through addiction, abuse, suicidal ideation, and more.

"I think I wanted to put it all down on paper to help me understand," she said in a press release. "I also wanted to show some other little girl or boy that even if the going is tough, you can survive, even thrive, and that you're not crazy or broken."

“It’s a weird life and meandering path, but I thi

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