Interview with Katie Snyder, Ph.D. - Runner Up in the Q1 2023 Creative Nonfiction Essay Contest

I'm thrilled to chat with Katie Snyder about her award-winning essay, "What to Expect When You’re Expecting Breast Cancer: Anatomy of One Procedure." Check it out and come back and join us for a lively interview!

Katie's bio:

Katie Snyder is a retired psychologist—up for an adventure since her college days as one of the first (pioneering) female undergraduates at Yale. During 40 years in private practice she collaborated with MDs, so when she got breast cancer, understanding her medical care—and explaining it—was less of a stretch for her than it would be for most cancer patients.

“What to Expect When You’re Expecting Breast Cancer: Anatomy of One Procedure,” her first publication, is an excerpt from What to Expect When You’re Expecting Breast Cancer, a humorous treatment information book she expects to publish.

She lives in California with her cat, golden retriever, and husband, the graphic design student who created the custom art for her dissertation in 1981. Before cancer their adventures included gorilla treks and safaris. Now Katie’s adventures include learning with her dog how to compete in agility—both of them for the first time. When she’s not running around with her dog, she’s baking up a storm and writing nonfiction picture books about safari animals for her grandchildren. (Portfolio: https://ktsnyder.wixsite.com/my-site-1)

She is a Lifetime Member of the American Psychological Association and an active member of the Yale Women Writers’ Group, Jericho Writers, SCBWI, and the Women’s National Book Association, which awarded her third place in the 2022 Effie Lee Morris contest (nonfiction category).

---- Interview by Angela Mackintosh

WOW: Welcome, Katie, and congratulations on your first publication! Writing about medical issues can be hard, but you wrote about having a biopsy procedure in such detail that even though I've never had one, I felt like I was witnessing it. What do you hope readers will take away from your essay, "What to Expect When You're Expecting Breast Cancer: Anatomy of One Procedure"?

Katie: First, thanks for this interview. I’m so pleased you liked my essay. I am trying to accomplish two things with this essay and all my essays: 1) for the breast cancer patient: demystify the procedure, and make it less scary by showing a patient can joke about it. 2) for the patient’s friends and family: show exactly what she is going through—and make it less scary by showing a patient can joke about it. Since 1 in 8 women in the US will be diagnosed with breast cancer, every woman will eventually know someone who is undergoing treatment.

WOW: One element that stands out is your humor, despite the serious topic. You mentioned that this essay is an excerpt from a humorous treatment information book. Could you tell us more about your project?

Katie: During 17 months of cancer treatment, I needed to keep family and friends informed. But I didn’t want to repeat myself a dozen times a day, so I started sending out email updates with granular first-hand descriptions—as comprehensive as possible to answer any question anyone could possibly dream up. I’ve collected them into a book-length manuscript, complete with prologue. I want everyone newly diagnosed, plus anyone who loves her, to read it! (Hey, any agents out there? Editors?)

WOW: It sounds like a much needed book! How do you infuse humor into your writing?

Katie: As for infusing humor into the writing (infusion: perfect word for chemotherapy humor): I realized immediately that some of the graphic details would be hard to read. Humor softens the horror. Sometimes my funny bone was broken, and I couldn’t infuse any humor into the email until the next day. Waiting to click “Send” allowed me to get some distance from it; laughing at it made me feel better. Specifically, humor (at least my humor) requires a lack of filter. You know all those secret thoughts you’d never say out loud because…well…I don’t know why, really. Just say them out loud. They’ll be funny.

WOW: It's a great tip to share your secret thoughts, and we are so glad you did. You won third place in the 2022 Effie Lee Morris contest, nonfiction category—congratulations! I'd love to hear more about your winning piece, and if you have any tips for entering contests.

Katie: It was the first contest I entered. Their word count limit was 2,500, so I just pulled two of my emails, cemented them together, no pruning needed, and submitted the chimera. (The original Greek chimera was part lion, part goat, and part dragon.) My beta readers tell me that my voice and humor are consistent throughout, so joining them together isn’t as weird as it sounds. But I’m a newbie at all this, so what do I know?

However, I discovered WOW! via Reedsy’s contest list, so I’d say that’s a great resource. Read the list, find a likely contest in your genre, polish something you think is a good match for them, and prune to fit.

WOW: Reedsy is a great resource. Your bio mentions that you're writing nonfiction picture books about safari animals, and you've been on gorilla treks and safaris. That sounds fascinating! What was your most memorable sighting?

Katie: Ohhh I love to talk about this. There are so many it’s hard to choose one. But it’s not really a “sighting” that excites me; it’s observing animal behavior in situ. For example, I watched a mother hyena try unsuccessfully to get her very young cub to nap. I captured all her efforts in photos, and wrote a story around them for a picture book. Alas, I have been told several times that photo-illustrated picture books are not in vogue. If I want it published, I’ll have to find an agent or imprint willing to have an illustrator turn the photos into art.

Proximity makes animal encounters memorable, too: On a short walk in Botswana, I found myself just a couple of feet away from a female bushbuck. We solemnly regarded each other for several breathtaking minutes without moving, until she moseyed off. I felt like Alice through the Looking Glass when the fawn forgot to be afraid of her. (Good thing the bushbuck wasn’t a lion.) My best day, also in Botswana, involved being surrounded by elephants, with the whole herd passing so close by they could have touched me with their trunks. I could smell them, too. The old matriarch stared me right in the eye. They’re dangerous, so I held my breath until she passed safely by.

Africa is so amazing I don’t think it would be possible to take any bad photos. I have some great photos of safari animals on my website: https://ktsnyder.wixsite.com/my-site-1

WOW: Those are great stories, and I encourage readers to visit your site for your gorgeous photos!

You're a member of a number of writing groups. What advice do you have for writers who are looking for a group to join?

Katie: To find a group, talk to everyone. I’m a Yale alumna, and the first thing I did once I started writing was join the Yale Women’s Writers Group. I found a beta swap partner there. Another alumna advised me to join the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. I found a picture book beta swap partner through that. I found the Women’s National Book Association through my dog sitter. I’ll take help anywhere I can get it!

WOW: Writing groups are great for finding critique partners in your genre. What's the best writing tip, or tips, you've ever received?

Katie: 1. Cut 10% of anything you ever write.

2. Don’t try to write like someone else!

“This above all: to thine own self be true,

And it must follow, as the night the day,

Thou canst not then be false to any man.

Farewell. My blessing season this in thee.”

WOW: Great advice! Thanks for joining us today, Katie, and wishing you the best of luck in all your writing projects.

Find out more about WOW's flash fiction and creative nonfiction contests here: https://www.wow-womenonwriting.com/contest.php

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Leave a Comment breast cancer, Essay contest winner, humor writing, Katie Snyder, What to expect when you're expecting cancer

Hug Everyone You Know by Antoinette Truglio Martin: Blog Tour & Giveaway

During 2017's National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, She Writes Press published Antoinette Truglio Martin’s touching memoir, Hug Everyone You Know: A Year of Community, Courage, and Cancer. It is a 2017 USA Best Book Awards Finalist in Non-Fiction: Narrative and a 2018 Next Generation Indie Book Finalist: Non-Fiction Women's Issues.

In 2007, Antoinette believed her call back doctor appointment was routine, maybe a scare, nothing worse. Her shock at receiving a Stage I breast cancer diagnosis was instantly compounded by her own deep fears. As a self-described wimp—afraid of needles and uncomfortable with sedation—how was she going to get through this?

 Antoinette started her fight against cancer with words. She began by journaling and by writing emails to Her Everyone—the large close-knit family and circle of beloved friends wanting to offer their support, especially those who were fighting breast cancer alongside her. The emails not only helped to keep Her Everyone informed, they gave cancer less of a presence in Antoinette’s life, since she wasn’t repeatedly updating people or saying the word “cancer” over and over. The practice of writing calmed her and also gave her space to focus on living: on the house that wasn’t selling, an exciting new job, daughters in college, and summer beach plans. She signed every email with the reminder to “hug everyone you know.”

Those emails and journal entries are at the heart of this memoir, which gives the book an immediacy and raw power.

Hug Everyone You Know is a memoir about how Antoinette found the courage to navigate her first year of breast cancer treatment. It’s the story of how a community—colleagues, family, friends—rallied to support her. The book is moving, brave, informative, and occasionally funny—and it speaks to us all.

Print Length: 325 Pages
Genre: Memoir
Publisher: She Writes Press
ISBN-13: 9781631522628
ASIN: B07415341C

Hug Everyone You Know is now available to purchase on Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, and  IndieBound.

Book Giveaway Contest

To win a copy of the book Hug Everyone You Know by Antoinette Truglio Martin, please enter via Rafflecopter at the bottom of this post. Giveaway ends on October 14th at 12 AM EST. We will randomly pick a winner and email them the same day. Good luck!

Praise for Hug Everyone You Know

“…a well-written, concise telling of what it’s like to be hit with a cancer diagnosis and the human thoughts that accompany it, like ‘how do I tell the family?’ and ‘what do I tell them?.... In five words: she writes a good story…. Martin’s persona is optimistic; you just want to hang around her and it’s that attitude that got her through. Not surprisingly, gratefulness is part of her mantra. So are hugs.”—The Suffolk County News

“Filled with fresh air, light, and life, Hug Everyone You Know is an intimate conversation with an intelligent, funny survivor. The voice rings true, and the insights resonate well beyond the cancer moment. Highly recommended.”—Joni Rodgers, NYT bestselling author of Bald in the Land of Big Hair

“… a compelling memoir about the importance of community while navigating a life crisis such as cancer. As an oncology nurse and a cancer survivor myself, I found Martin's writing to be a refreshingly real depiction of life as a cancer patient. Her writing is a testimony to the endurance of the human spirit, the importance of love and community, and the need for hope every day of the journey.”—Lee Ambrose, StoryCircle Book Reviews

About the Author Antoinette Truglio Martin

Antoinette Truglio Martin is a life-long Long Islander, teacher, wife, mother, daughter, and friend. She is the author of Hug Everyone You Know: A Year of Community, Courage, and Cancer—a memoir chronicling her first year battling breast cancer as a wimpy patient. Personal experience essays and excerpts of her memoir were published in Bridges, Visible Ink, and The Southampton Review. Martin proudly received her MFA in creative writing and literature from Stony Brook/Southampton University in 2016. Antoinette had also written the children's picture book, Famous Seaweed Soup (Albert Whitman and Company), and was a regular columnist for local periodicals Parent Connections (In a Family Way) and Fire Island Tide (Beach Bumming). Her blog, Stories Served Around The Table, tells family tales and life's musings. She lives in her hometown of Sayville, New York with her husband, Matt, and is never far from her “Everyone” and the beaches she loves. Since being diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer in 2012, she strives to not let cancer to dictate her life. 

Follow her at Facebook and her website.

---- Interview by Nicole Pyles

WOW: First of all, congratulations on your book Hug Everyone You Know. What inspired you to write this book?

Antoinette: While I was going through the treatments for the Stage I breast cancer I thought I would collect my journal musings and write a memoir. It would not be a sad dirge. Instead, I envisioned a whimsical account of the trials and tribulations of chemotherapy and radiation treatments. I did take out my journal and notes about a year after the treatments. The familiar fears and panic attacks returned. There was nothing whimsical. I buried everything and consoled myself that I was the only one who needed to know the story.

Then Stage IV metastatic breast cancer hit. That’s the one that travels and plants itself to organs and bones. It is the killer. There is no cure, just management. When I was diagnosed with MBC, I was beyond scared and speechless. I felt that if I had to leave an early legacy, I wanted my daughters to know the story. As I compiled and began the writing process, I had come to realize that I was not as wimpy as I believed myself to be. The first diagnosis gave me the tools I needed to navigate this MBC.  So, I wrote the book to remind me I am brave enough to deal with MBC. I also hoped that others might see merit in my process and garnish hope.

WOW: You are truly an inspiration. Reading how you shared your journey with your "everyone" really touched me. And I loved reading in your book how you reached out to people by email. How did emailing your "everyone" help you communicate better to your loved ones? 

Antoinette: I am blessed with a vast circle of friends and family. I had my parents, sisters, cousins- my first best friends, aunts and uncles- second parents, close friends I had known since high school, colleagues with shared families. In each group, I could never be described as the chatty one. Talking about cancer, the protocols, the expectations was painful. I cringed at saying and hearing the words (for almost a month I called it the C-Word as if it were a bad word). I easily cried over the phone. No one wants to hear that! However, My Everyone wanted to know from me, how I really was doing, what was happening, and what to expect. I found that I could compose emails, chronicling, complaining and casting a story around the news. This was so much easier than stumbling with spoken words, listening to well-meaning advice, and sobbing. I took the words from my journal and wrote the emails to My Everyone. This allowed me to not have to hear the words, bear through the repetition and just be done. The bonus was the responses. When a loved one is going through a crisis, it is very hard for people to listen and figure out what to say on the spot. Giving My Everyone time to respond with a thoughtful phrase, sweet sentiment or silly emoji was all I needed and wanted.

"I could wear out my fears and hopes on the page, close the notebook, then get on with my day. Being part of the day was and is still key. Every day is a gift. I strive not to waste one."

WOW: That is so moving that you found a way to speak to your "everyone" in a way that helped you and helped them! How did journaling help you throughout your treatment?

Antoinette: I have always journaled. After all, I still want to be a writer when I grow up. Journaling has always given me a voice. I can practice the vocabulary and the sequence with the written word. I have come to learn that this is a well-known perk when journaling. But I am a poor self-help reader, so I thought I stumbled on the revelations by myself.

Journaling is my substitute therapist. It is more articulate than going to a therapist and always provides a path to solid solutions. While going through breast cancer treatments, I was able to rant, rage, question, and allow myself all of the outrageous thoughts and scenarios. I could wear out my fears and hopes on the page, close the notebook, then get on with my day. Being part of the day was and is still key. Every day is a gift. I strive not to waste one.

WOW: That is a fantastic reminder to us all about the power of journaling! You really drew me in your journey and I felt like I was right there with you along the way. How did you decide on the structure for your memoir?

Antoinette: To tell the truth, I am not a fan of memoir. I understand the value of it, but so many of the stories are so one-sided leaving more questions and skeptical conclusions. If I had to write the story as a memoir, I wanted to include authentic voices. The emails had to be the voices. This gave me the opportunity to develop characters more fully and move the story along.  I had to cull through repetitive notes and responses. It is a different path for memoir, but I think it worked well and created a compelling story.

WOW: The path you took for this memoir was the right one - it's an incredible book! What tips can you share with writers working on a memoir?    

Antoinette: Find a writing community. It could be a community of two but must be more than one (you). It cannot be someone who loves you and everything you do (your mom) nor those who find detailed faults (you know who those people are). Sharing a writer’s journey with a fellow writer can provide subjective feedback, hear where there needs more clarification, less narrative—all those little pieces that sharpen the story.

If you have an opportunity, go to a workshop or a conference. I always learn something new. It is also a great way to meet writers and others in the publishing business. Look in your local library or adult education classes. Check out on-line options (WOW has a wonderful list of online courses).

Read memoirs that feature the subject you plan to write about. Note the tone and pace. It may give you an idea as to how to structure your story.

WOW: Thank you for those tips! So, what are you working on now?

Antoinette: I am writing a regular blog, Stories Served Around The Table where family stories are retold and life’s musings are revealed. I love listening and retelling adventures and antics from family and friends while we share a meal. I am writing a historical fictionalized account of one of these stories my grandmother had repeated when she was a child growing up as a Sicilian immigrant in the Lower East Side tenements of New York City. The year is 1911. My audience is middle-grade readers. I feel that the one-hundred-year-old history of bigotry and oppression is repeating itself today. America has always promised a dream of a better life for people who had the bad luck to be born into poverty, political unrest, and violence. America was built on the backs of those who believed the dream, risked everything, and fit in by compromising their values. Children should know the history. I love the research. There are so many rabbit holes I have fallen into while investigating the time, living and work conditions, the education of girls, and family life. I may have to write a series!

"I have been told that cancer I have now is supposed to be forever. I will be in treatment until my dying day. I am not buying it. I truly believe a cure will be found in my lifetime."

WOW: That sounds like a rewarding project! Any lasting messages you want to share with WOW's readers?

Antoinette: I have been told that cancer I have now is supposed to be forever. I will be in treatment until my dying day. I am not buying it. I truly believe a cure will be found in my lifetime. Such incredible strides have been realized in just the past ten years. Research and science are so close. I may be walking around with a time bomb, but I have not been given a specific expiration date. The treatment has not been too invasive nor debilitating. I have been fortunate. More importantly, I am reaping the benefits of the sisters who have come before me, endured clinical trials, and lived and died through the unknown. It does not come cheap.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, which is all well and good for early detection and support services. Millions of dollars are raised to keep women in the pink. Unbelievably, metastatic breast cancer is given one day, October 13th, to shout out for funds dedicated to the cure. MBC is not pretty in pink. It robs more than hair. It is the cancer that seeks to destroy the body, invades families, and eventually kills.  I would like to ask readers to be sure their donations go towards the research and science efforts in kicking MBC out of our life stories.

WOW: Thank you so much for your final thoughts! We wish you the best throughout the tour!

--- Blog Tour Dates

October 7th @ The Muffin
What goes better in the morning than a muffin? Join us as we celebrate the launch the blog tour for author Antoinette Truglio Martin's book Hug Everyone You Know. Read an interview with the author and win a copy of the book.
http://muffin.wow-womenonwriting.com

October 8th @ 12 Books
Visit Louise's blog today to read her thoughts about Antoinette Truglio Martin's book Hug Everyone You Know. 
http://www.12books.co.uk

October 9th @ The Frugalista Mom
Stop by Rozelyn's blog where you can read her review of Antoinette Truglio Martin's book Hug Everyone You Know and enter to win a copy for yourself!
https://thefrugalistamom.com

October 10th @ Choices
Visit Madeline's blog where you can read Antoinette Truglio Martin's guest post on how writing can calm your nerves.
http://madelinesharples.com

October 13th @ Dunning Knicks Interviews
Make sure you visit Mzz Dunning's blog today where you can read a guest post written by Antoinette Truglio Martin about 5 reasons it's okay to not be okay. You can also enter to win an ebook copy of the book!
https://mzzdunningtalks.ivacp.com/

October 14th @ Bookshine and Readbows
Make sure you visit Steph's blog and read her interview with author Antoinette Truglio Martin. You don't want to miss it!
https://bookshineandreadbows.wordpress.com/

October 15th @ The Burgeoning Bookshelf
You'll want to stuff your bookshelf today when you visit Veronica Joy's blog and read her review of Antoinette Truglio Martin's book Hug Everyone You Know.
https://theburgeoningbookshelf.blogspot.com

October 17th @ Reading Whale
Visit Caitlin's blog today where you can read Antoinette Truglio Martin's guest post that will give you 5 tips for starting your memoir.
http://www.readingwhale.com

October 18th @ The Burgeoning Bookshelf
Stop by Veronica's blog again where you can read Antoinette Truglio Martin's guest post about how to help people help you. Don't miss this important guest post!
https://theburgeoningbookshelf.blogspot.com/

October 19th @ Bookworm Blog
Stop by Anjanette's bookworm blog and read Antoinette Truglio Martin's guest post featuring 5 tips for writing your memoir. Don't miss it!
https://bookworm66.wordpress.com/

October 20th @ Rachael's Thoughts
Visit Rachel's thoughts today where you can read her review of Antoinette Truglio Martin's book Hug Everyone You Know.
https://rachaelstray.com/

October 21st @ Writing Through Life
Visit Amber's blog and read Antoinette Truglio Martin's guest post featuring 5 journaling tips when going through difficult trials. You can also read Amber's review of Antoinette Truglio Martin's book Hug Everyone You Know.
https://writingthroughlife.com

October 22nd @ Karen Brown Tyson's Blog
Get inspired today at Karen's blog where you can read Antoinette Truglio Martin's guest post about 5 lessons she learned writing about her cancer journey.
https://karenbrowntyson.com/blog/

October 23rd @ Thoughts in Progress
Be sure to stop by Mason Canyon's blog where you can read an interview with the author Antoinette Truglio Martin.
https://masoncanyon.blogspot.com/

October 24th @ Bookworm Blog
Visit Anjanette's bookworm blog again where you can view her video vlog review of Antoinette Truglio Martin's book Hug Everyone You Know.
https://bookworm66.wordpress.com/

October 25th @ World of My Imagination
Visit Nicole's blog today where you can read her review of Antoinette Truglio Martin's book Hug Everyone You Know.
http://theworldofmyimagination.blogspot.com

October 26th @ Keeping it Real
Be sure to visit Lisa's blog today and read author Antoinette Truglio Martin's guest post that is talking about her ways to not let a difficult diagnosis run (or ruin) your life. Plus read Lisa's review of Antoinette Truglio Martin's book Hug Everyone You Know.
https://www.lisambuske.com/

October 28th @ Strength 4 Spouses
Stop by Wendi's blog today and read her review of Antoinette Truglio Martin's book Hug Everyone You Know.
https://strength4spouses.blog

October 29th @ Bring On Lemons
Turn lemons into lemonade today by visiting Crystal's blog and read her review of the touching memoir Hug Everyone You Know. 
http://bringonlemons.blogspot.com/

November 1st @ Bookworm Blog
Stop by Anjanette's blog again and read her interview with author Antoinette Truglio Martin.
https://bookworm66.wordpress.com/

November 3rd @ Ramblings of a Misguided Blonde
Visit Lindsey's blog today and you can read her review of Antoinette Truglio Martin's book Hug Everyone You Know.
https://russelllindsey.blog/

November 4th @ Strength 4 Spouses
Visit Wendi's blog again where you can read Antoinette Truglio Martin's guest post about keeping a positive mindset during a health crisis.
https://strength4spouses.blog

November 5th @ Life Like a Galaxy Girl
Be sure to visit Alanna's blog where you can read her review of Antoinette Truglio Martin's book Hug Everyone You Know.
http://lifelikeagalaxygirl.com/

November 6th @ 12 Books
Stop by Louise's blog again where you can Antoinette Truglio Martin's guest post featuring 5 books to keep you motivated during difficult times.
http://www.12books.co.uk

November 8th @ Author Anthony Avina Blog
Stop by Anthony's blog where you can read his review of Antoinette Truglio Martin's touching book Hug Everyone You Know.
http://www.authoranthonyavinablog.com

***** BOOK GIVEAWAY *****

To win a copy of the book Hug Everyone You Know by Antoinette Truglio Martin, please enter via Rafflecopter below. Giveaway ends on October 14th at 12 AM EST. We will randomly pick a winner and email them the same day. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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14 comments Antoinette Truglio Martin, blog tour, breast cancer, breast cancer awareness, Hug Everyone You Know, Nicole Pyles

Join the Blanket Tour

Robyn and I were having so much fun juggling our traditional WOW Blog Tours that we decided to add something new to the mix. Or maybe we’re just a bit crazy! Anyway the new addition is the WOW Blanket Tour. And we want you! I’ve cleaned out my inbox—an amazing feat I must say. So I’m expecting a ton of emails from everyone telling me they want to be a part of the WOW Blanket Tour next month. Here are the details!

So what's a blanket tour?

A blanket tour is a month long party of mentions about one of our WOW
authors on your blogs. WOW gives you a topic to write a post about and a
short paragraph about our featured author and their book to include at the
end on your post.

Who's the author?

The author is Diana Raab who just released Healing with Words: A Writer's
Cancer Journey. You can learn more about Diana's book at her website
or her Muffin interview.

What's the topic?

Diana is a survivor of two bouts with cancer and, since October is Breast
Cancer Awareness Month, the topic is breast cancer. You can write anything:
a personal story, health tips, your fears, a post about books concerning
breast cancer, foundations that focus on breast cancer, even about how much
you love(or hate) the color pink. Heck, if you just want to write about how
much you love your girls we'd love to read it!

Will there be presents?

Of course! We wouldn't throw a party without presents. When your readers
comment on your blanket tour post they're eligible for a book giveaway. We
also have a book giveaway just for our blanket tour bloggers.

When does it start?

We're kicking it off on the Muffin on October 1 with a post from Diana and a
link to all our participating blogs.

How do I sign up?

Just send me an email to jodi@wow-womenonwriting.com with the subject line
"Blanket Tour/Diana". I need your name, blog address and three dates in
October that work for you. We're going on a first come-first served basis so
if you want a special date sign up ASAP. Then I'll let you know what date
we've scheduled you for and send you some images you can use and the paragraph we
need included either as an introduction or at the close of your post.

Read More »

Leave a Comment blanket tour, blog tour, breast cancer, Diana Raab

Diana M. Raab, author of Healing with Words: A Writer's Cancer Journey, launches her blog tour!

& Book Giveaway Comments Contest!

Diana M. Raab, MFA, RN was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1954 and received her undergraduate degree in Health Administration and Journalism in 1976. A few years later she received her RN degree. After 25 years as a medical and self-help writer, she's directed her creative energy towards nonfiction and memoir writing. In 2003 she earned her MFA in Writing from Spalding University's low-residency program.

Diana is the author of eight books. Her first memoir, Regina's Closet: Finding My Grandmother's Secret Journal (2007) was the recipient of the 2009 Mom's Choice Award for Adult Non-Fiction, and the 2009 National Indie Award for Excellence in Memoir. Her award-winning work has been published in numerous literary magazines and is widely anthologized. She has one poetry chapbook, My Muse Undresses Me, and two poetry collections, Dear Anais: My Life in Poems For You (winner of the 2009 Next Generation Indie Award for Poetry) and The Guilt Gene (2009).

After experiencing three successful, but high-risk pregnancies, she wrote a comprehensive guide for other women. The award-winning Getting Pregnant and Staying Pregnant (1989) was updated and revised in collaboration with Dr. Errol Norwitz of Yale School of Medicine under the new title, Your High Risk Pregnancy: A Practical and Supportive Guide (2009).

Diana is editor of the anthology, Writers and Their Notebooks (USC Press 2010), a collection of essays written by distinguished writers who journal, including Sue Grafton, Kim Stafford, Dorianne Laux, John DuFresne, James Brown and Michael Steinberg, to name a few. The foreword is written by world-renowned personal essayist, Phillip Lopate.

Diana's latest book, Healing with Words: A Writer's Cancer Journey (2010), reflects her experiences battling breast cancer at age forty-seven, and then multiple myeloma, a type of bone marrow cancer, when she was fifty-two.

She currently teaches creative journaling and memoir in UCLA Extension Writers' Program. She facilitates workshops in journaling and writing for healing around the country, and is a frequent moderator for panels on writing.

Find out more about Diana by visiting her website, www.DianaRaab.com, her blog, Diana's Notebook, and her Facebook Fan Page.

Healing with Words: A Writer's Cancer Journey
By Diana M. Raab

Healing with Words: A Writer's Cancer Journey is a compassionate and wry self-help memoir written by an award-winning prolific author, nurse, and poet, who at the age of forty-seven found her life shattered first by a DCIS (early breast cancer) diagnosis and five years later by another, seemingly unrelated and incurable cancer--multiple myeloma. The book includes the author's experiences, reflections, poetry and journal entries, in addition to writing prompts for readers to express their own personal stories. Raab's journals have provided a safe haven and platform to validate and express her feelings. Raab views journaling to be like a daily vitamin--in that it heals, detoxifies and is essential for optimal health.

Readers will learn to:

• Understand the importance of early cancer detection and how to take control of their own health
• Discover the power of writing to release bottled-up emotions
• Learn how the process of journaling can facilitate healing
• See how a cancer diagnosis can be a riveting event which can renew and change a person in a unique way

Paperback: 206 pages
Publisher: Loving Healing Press (May 2010)
ISBN: 1615990100
Read an excerpt on Amazon

**Author's proceeds from the sale of this book donated to benefit the Mayo Clinic Foundation.

Book Trailer:



Book Giveaway Comments Contest!
If you received our Events Newsletter, remember, we are holding a contest to win a copy of Diana Raab's book Healing with Words: A Writer's Cancer Journey to those that comment. So, grab a cup of coffee, pull up a chair, and enjoy the chat, and share your thoughts, and comments, at the end. We will randomly choose a winner from those who comment.

Interview by Jodi Webb

WOW: Welcome, Diana! We're thrilled to be launching your blog tour today! Tell us how you started out as a writer.

Diana: I have been writing since the age of ten when my mother gave me a journal to help me cope with the loss of my grandmother. Since then, I have found solace in the written word. In university I studied health administration, nursing, and journalism. All my writing begins on the pages of my journals, whether I am crafting a poem, essay or book.

WOW: Not every family thinks of writing as a coping mechanism. Do you come from a family of writers or creative people?

Diana: I did not come from a creative family. However, I did come from a family of journal keepers. My maternal grandmother, Regina, wrote a retrospective journal about her experience as an orphan during World War I. In fact, I found her journal after she took her life in my childhood home in 1964. This journal was the foundation for my first memoir, Regina's Closet: Finding My Grandmother's Secret Journal. My mother also kept a record of my childhood and inspired me to do the same with my own children. I am forever grateful for this.

WOW: That's incredible! I would love to find a record of my grandmother's experiences. No wonder you love journaling. Tell us more.

Diana: Ever since I received my first Khalil Gibran journal from my mother at the age of ten, I have been using my journal to write during both good and bad times. I journaled throughout my adolescence, sharing my teenage angst with my journal. When I was confronted with a high-risk pregnancy at the age of twenty-nine resulting in eight months of bedrest I chronicled my experience. Eventually I used these particular journal entries as the basis for my first book, Getting Pregnant and Staying Pregnant: A Guide to Infertility and High-Risk Pregnancy. This book was revised and updated in 2009 in collaboration with Dr. Errol Norwitz, under the new title, Your High Risk Pregnancy: A Practical and Supportive Guide.

All of my books, articles and poems have taken seed on the pages of my journals. I have filled over 100 blank books. Typically I use only one journal at a time, except for my separate dream journal which I always keep at my bedside table.

The most rewarding aspect about journaling is being able to make sense of what is going on in my life. The journal is a best friend who always listens and this is wonderful.

WOW: It's amazing that your first writing was the "healing writing" you address in your most recent book. How long did it take to develop and write Healing with Words: A Writer's Cancer Journey?

Diana: I began writing the book in 2001 during my post-operative period. Because I had written it from my heart, I wrote it very quickly. The basis of the book was used for my MFA thesis in writing at Spalding University. I held off on having it published because I had a few other projects to complete, plus there was a time when the market was inundated with memoirs. The timing just seemed right now.

WOW: Your memoir seems to complement the more than thirty years you spent specializing in medical and self-help writing. What types of markets have you written for?

Diana: I have over 300 published articles in both trade and professional magazines. I am also the author of eight books, many of which have been award-winners.

WOW: I know you wrote a book about high-risk pregnancy, something you dealt with. Have you always had a personal connection to the subjects of your books?

Diana: My writing always begins with the personal and expands out to the universal. The way I look at it, if I have a problem or issue I want to write about, chances are others are also facing similar issues. I love teaching others through my words.

WOW: What kinds of things inspire you to write?

Diana: I am inspired by life. I try to live in the moment and appreciate and notice what is around me. I always have too many ideas for the amount of hours in the day. However, I do get more inspired while traveling. I do my best writing in airplanes and I haven't yet figured out why except that there are less distractions, particularly cell phones and computers.

I also enjoy speaking with interesting people who spark my creativity. My journal is always packed with nuggets of writing ideas.

WOW: Recently we've been discussing the pros and cons of working while on vacation, so it seems interesting that traveling seems to give your creative juices a boost. Do you find yourself stealing away minutes during family vacations to write? Or does your family understand that it's something you have to do, that it's part of your daily schedule like brushing your teeth?

Diana: Since I do some of my best writing while on airplanes, I used to joke with my MFA about how I should take a trip around the world to tackle my next book project. I live on the west coast and my three children live on the east coast. This gives me a great deal of time to write while traveling. I typically do not write while on vacation, except to jot down observations in my journal which might be used in future published work.

WOW: You've written memoir, self-help, medical, poetry...are there any other genres you'd like to tackle?

Diana: I think these genres keep me busy enough. I have dabbled in fiction and I've been told I have a good imagination, but I keep getting pulled back into nonfiction. They say you should write in the genre you enjoy reading--memoir and biography continue to be my favorites.

WOW: What do you believe is the hardest part of writing?

Diana: Being consistent in your writing practice and persistent in sending it out.

WOW: That is the key! Thanks, Diana, for taking the time to chat with us today.

Want to join Diana on her blog tour? Check out these dates and mark your calendar! You can also snag a copy of WOW's Events Calendar HERE.

Blog Tour Dates: Come and join the fun!

July 12, 2010 Monday
Diana will be chatting with WOW! Women On Writing at The Muffin. One lucky commenter will win a signed copy of Diana's book!
http://muffin.wow-womenonwriting.com

July 13, 2010 Tuesday
Stop by My Breast Cancer Blog for a peek inside Diana Raab's book Healing with Words: A Writer's Cancer Journey. You can also enter to win her book!
http://cancerspot.org/

July 14, 2010 Wednesday
Today at Writers Inspired Diana Raab writes about the link between creativity and depression. She's also giving away a copy of her latest book, Healing with Words.
http://writerinspired.wordpress.com/

July 15, 2010 Thursday
Stop by Mom-e-Centric to meet author Diana Raab and enter to win her book, Healing with Words.
http://www.momecentric.com/

July 16, 2010 Friday
What inspired you to begin writing? Diana Raab, who can claim a shelf full of books to her name, tells us what started her on her writing journey.
http://www.sellingbooks.com/author-interview-

July 20, 2010 Tuesday
Diana Raab, author of Healing with Words: A Writer's Cancer Journey, shares her thoughts on the link between creativity and depression today at Self-Help Daily. Are depressed people that are also creative an exception to the rule?
http://www.selfhelpdaily.com/

July 22, 2010 Thursday
Author Diana Raab shares the secrets to writing a healing poem today. You also have the chance to win her latest book Healing with Words: A Writer's Cancer Journey!
http://beyondbreastcancer.wordpress.com/

July 27, 2010 Tuesday
Eliza will be reviewing Diana Raab's latest book Healing with Words today at Silver & Grace. Stop by and read her thoughtful review!
http://silverandgrace.com/

July 29, 2010 Thursday
Stop by the Spirituality and Self-Help blog to learn some techniques for coping with life's craziness from Diana Raab, author of Healing with Words: A Writer's Cancer Journey.
http://www.superenlightme.com/

August 3, 2010 Tuesday
Author Diana Raab will be sharing a special memory about her love of books today. You can also enter to win a copy of her latest book, Healing with Words.
http://www.writeforareader.blogspot.com/

August 3, 2010 Tuesday
Diana returns to Silver & Grace to give away her latest book Healing with Words: A Writer's Cancer Journey.
http://silverandgrace.com/

August 5, 2010 Thursday
Diana stops by Kris Carr's blog Crazy Sexy Life to tell us how creativity and depression can coexist. Last chance to win a copy of Diana Raab's book Healing with Words: A Writer's Cancer Journey!
http://crazysexylife.com/

August 10, 2010 Tuesday
Diana returns to Silver & Grace to answer a few questions about her latest book Healing with Words.
http://silverandgrace.com/

To view all of our touring authors, check out our Events Calendar HERE.

Get involved!

If you have a blog or website and would like to host Diana Raab or schedule a tour of your own, please email Angela and Jodi at: blogtour@wow-womenonwriting.com

And be sure to comment on this post to enter in a drawing for a copy of Diana Raab's inspiring book Healing with Words: A Writer's Cancer Journey! And check back in a couple of days in the comments section to see if you won!

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17 comments A Writer's Cancer Journey, author interview, blog tour, book giveaway, breast cancer, Diana Raab, Healing with Words, journaling

Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg, author of The Sky Begins at Your Feet, launches her blog tour!

& Book Giveaway Comments Contest!

Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg received her doctorate from the University of Kansas and was recently appointed the Poet Laureate of Kansas. The author of four poetry collections she is certified in poetry therapy and has led workshops for many groups, including people living with physical and mental illness. In 2000, Caryn founded the Master's level program in Transformative Language Arts, that focuses on the effect of written and verbal language on the community, at Goddard College where she teaches. Her writer's guide Write Where You Are is unique in that it is directed to teenage writers.

Caryn co-founded Brave Voices with singer/songwriter Kelley Hunt to provide singing and writing workshops. Songs written by Caryn have been performed by the Kelley Hunt band both in the United States and Europe. Caryn's musical talents also include playing the cello.

Along with her husband, writer Ken Lassman, and children, Caryn calls the countryside south of Lawrence, Kansas home.

Find out more about Caryn by visiting her website, http://www.carynmirriamgoldberg.com, and her blog, http://carynmirriamgoldberg.wordpress.com.

The Sky Begins at Your Feet: A Memoir on Cancer, Community, and Coming Home to the Body

By Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg

This tender but humorous memoir chronicles Caryn's tale of resiliency and love in the face of breast cancer. She braves breast cancer, the breast cancer genetic mutation and the loss of a parent by connecting with an eclectic Midwest community, the land and sky, and a body undergoing vast renovation. Along the way, she swims with stingrays in the Gulf of Mexico, searches for cream puffs for a Pennsylvania funeral, leads a group fighting to protect ecologically-essential land in Kansas, and helps students find their own voice in Vermont. In searching for a new definition of the erotic through our awareness of nature, this memoir illuminates how our bodies are our most local address on the earth.

Published by Ice Cube Books (April 2009)
Paperback: 229 pages
ISBN# 1888160438

Book Giveaway Comments Contest!

If you received our Events Newsletter, remember, we are holding a contest to win a copy of Caryn's memoir, The Sky Begins at Your Feet, to those that comment. So, grab a cup of coffee, pull up a chair, and enjoy the chat, and share your thoughts, and comments, at the end.

We will randomly choose a winner from those who comment. Enjoy!

Interview by Jodi Webb

WOW: Welcome to The Muffin, Caryn. We're delighted to launch your blog tour for your book, The Sky Begins at Your Feet. Although your most recent book is a memoir, you're also the Poet Laureate of Kansas, as well as the author of non-fiction books on writing and a biography of writer Sandra Cisneros. Do you have a preferred type of writing?

Caryn: I began as a poet when I was 14, but I write fiction, memoir, personal essays and songs. I don't have a preferred type of writing, but rather, a passion for finding the best form for whatever I'm writing about.

WOW: So, you think it's important for a writer to explore different types of writing?

Caryn: I always encourage my students to read across genres to find a wide range of ways that language can be used in fresh and powerful ways, and also how language can be used for healing, liberation and celebration. At the same time, it's important for writers to read in their own genre deeply to learn more about the specific possibilities in that genre.

When it comes to writing, I believe the best thing is to do what Annie Dillard says in her book, The Writing Life: aim for what you're writing about rather than how you're writing about it. She gives the example of cutting wood, and how you need to aim for the block under the piece of wood you're cutting, and that's always said it well for me. So even if you've written mostly personal essays for 20 years, if you find yourself writing about something that wants to be a poem, let it be a poem. Another way to say this is that we need to put our ear to the writing we're doing, and let what the writing wants to be, rather than what we think it should be, tell us what to write.

WOW: How beautifully expressed. It seems your struggle with cancer, both personally and as a witness to your father's illness, called for two genres. What made you decide to write a memoir about the experience even after you had already written many poems on the topic?

Caryn: I began writing this book as journal entries about my journey through chemo, which I called "Chemopause" and gave to my oncologist each time I visited for more chemo. With my permission, he put this writing in my medical file, which I loved because I felt seen as a whole
person.

After I finished chemo, I felt compelled to simply write the story before chemo, and as the story after chemo unfolded in very powerful and difficult and also beautiful ways, I wrote that also. At some point, I realized it was a memoir, and not just a memoir about cancer treatment, but about losing a parent, connecting with community, learning to live in and appreciate my own body, finding strength in land and sky, and learning more about how precious and impermanent life is.

WOW: We've had past authors talk about the emotional toll of writing memoirs. What were the most difficult (or most rewarding) parts of writing a memoir?

Caryn: You know, for me, the writing wasn't so emotionally draining. Living the story certainly was at times, however. Probably the most difficult and surprising thing to write was about the aftermath of my double mastectomy, when I realized--only when I was writing about it--that I couldn't remember hardly anything from the time I arrived at the hospital until I was back home afterwards. That lapse was stunning, painful, and also a moment I felt enormous tenderness toward myself.

WOW: It's surprising what we learn about ourselves through our writing. I know you're also helping others learn about themselves through writing as a teacher in the Transformative Language Arts program at Goddard College. Can you explain the program to us?

Caryn: Transformative Language Arts (TLA) is a program within the Individualized MA program at Goddard College, in which students--who are almost all non-traditional, older and full of life experience--design their own MA studies according to what they're passionate about, how they need and want to connect with their community, and what work they want to cultivate in their lives.

It's low-residency, which means the students and the faculty come from all over the country (and sometimes the world) for a week-long residency, at which time students design their semester's work, choose a faculty mentor to work with, go to lots of workshops, meetings and celebrations, and usually jump-start their lives for the work they want to do. Then everyone goes home, and students send their faculty mentors a packet of their writing, research, study and questions every three weeks for a total of five packets. Faculty, in turn, write students long, individualized letters, helping the students go deeper in their work.

TLA is an emerging academic field that I helped found, and it's all about educating ourselves to use writing, storytelling, drama, and more for community building, personal transformation, social change, spiritual exploration, etc. TLAers are writers, storytellers, performers, researchers, etc. who often facilitate workshops, lead retreats, do consulting or coaching, and more in schools, community centers, prisons, youth centers, art programs and many more venues. It's a new way to make a living using the ancient impulse of changing the world through our words. For more information visit www.goddard.edu or drop me a line at CarynMirriamGoldberg@gmail.com.

WOW: Can you give us some personal examples of how you or your students brought language and creativity to a community?

Caryn: Absolutely! I facilitated writing workshops for low-income women of color at a local housing authority in Kansas for eight years, helping women who were often silenced and unseen come forth with their poetry and stories. Eventually, we published a collection of our work--A Circle of Women, A Circle of Words. I will also treasure the image of about a dozen of these women sitting across a stage at the local arts center, all dressed to the nines, reading their work and sharing the invisible lives of our town with our community at the book launch.

Brian Moore, one of our graduates, began an ecological writing center in Eugene, Oregon, which offers workshops on using poetry to connect with the earth. Yvette Hyater-Adams in Philadelphia started a business, Renaissance Muse, which now offers transformative narrative coaching--helping people find in their life stories ways to aim their lives toward the stories they're ready to live. Suzanne Adams, in Houston, works with teenage girls, using art and writing to help them empower themselves.

WOW: Any ideas how we, as individual writers, can bring the joy of words to our own communities?

Caryn: Start your own writing circle. Bring together other writers to simply write together, making up writing exercises or drawing them from any number of great books (see www.TLAResources.wordpress.com). Writers can and should also approach--if they feel called to do so--community centers, public housing, local hospitals and clinics, schools, prisons and other places to inquire about starting pilot project workshops or collaborative performances. Of course, writers doing this also should connect up with others in the field through training and networking. I recommend the TLA Network (see www.TLANetwork.org), which is a great way to learn about how to make a living doing the writing you love in community.

WOW: What's up next with your very varied writing career?

Caryn: As Poet Laureate of Kansas, I'm doing a lot of traveling. My main project is helping train people in various communities to lead community writing circles, which can help people find greater meaning in their lives and create poems, stories, essays and more. I'm also doing a monthly radio show, "Write from Your Life," on High Plains Public Radio (www.HPPR.org/hpw), which offers people a local writer and a writing exercise to try at home. In addition to the memoir, my fourth book of poetry, Landed, was just published, and I'm traveling here and there to do joint readings on both the memoir and the poetry book. And I'm doing what brings me continual peace: hanging out with my family and watching movies or taking walks, and studying and practicing yoga.

WOW: Thank you, Caryn, for taking time to chat with us today! You're an inspiration to writers and women everywhere.

Want to join Caryn on her blog tour? Check out these dates and mark your calendar! You can also snag a copy of WOW's Events Calendar HERE.

Blog Tour Dates: Come and join the fun!

September 21, 2009 Monday
Caryn will be chatting with WOW! Women On Writing at The Muffin. Stop by and share your comments! One lucky commenter will win a copy of Caryn's memoir!
http://www.wow-womenonwriting.com/blog.html

September 23, 2009 Wednesday
Caryn stops by Anne-Marie Nichols' blog, This Mama Cooks On a Diet, to chat about cooking, cancer, and enjoying life.
http://www.thismamacooks.com/

September 24, 2009 Thursday
Caryn stops by Meryl's Notes today to give us some writing tips and a chance to win her memoir The Sky Begins at Your Feet.
http://www.meryl.net/section/blog/

September 28, 2009 Monday
Writing can be so many things. Today Caryn stops by Joanne DeMaio's blog, Whole Latte Life, to discuss how writing can get us in touch with our environment.
http://joannedemaio.blogspot.com/

October 1, 2009 Thursday
Visit Mom-e-Centric for a quick chat about living life with Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg.
http://www.momecentric.com/

October 2, 2009 Friday
Stop by Jan Lundy's blog, Awake is Good, for an interview with Caryn about her staying positive in the face of adversity and the healing power of writing.
http://www.awakeisgood.blogspot.com/

October 9, 2009 Friday
Stop by Peeking Between the Pages today and read a review of Caryn Mirriam Goldberg's memoir The Sky Begins at Your Feet.
http://peekingbetweenthepages.blogspot.com/

October 12, 2009 Monday
Stop by Mary Jo Campbell's blog, Writers Inspired, to learn what Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg has to say about writing and enter to win her memoir The Sky Begins at Your Feet.
http://writerinspired.wordpress.com/

October 14, 2009 Wednesday
Stop by the Memory Writers Network today for an interview with Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg about memoir writing.
http://memorywritersnetwork.com/blog/

We may have several more dates to come, so be sure to check out our Events Calendar HERE.

Get involved!

We hope you are as excited about the tour as we are! Mark your calendar, save these dates, and join us for this truly unique and fascinating author blog tour.

If you have a blog or website and would like to participate in Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg's blog tour, or schedule a tour of your own, please email Angela and Jodi at: blogtour@wow-womenonwriting.com

** Please feel free to copy any portion of this post.

Oh, be sure to comment on this post to enter in a drawing for a copy of Caryn's memoir, The Sky Begins at Your Feet.

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9 comments breast cancer, cancer survivor, Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg, memoir, poet laureate, The Sky Begins at Your Feet, transformative language arts

Cup of Comfort for Breast Cancer Survivors

Good morning fellow Bloggesses!

As most of you are aware, November is Breast Cancer Awareness month. The ladies at WOW are strong supporters of breast cancer prevention and do our part to help bring awareness. I have found a fantastic new call for submissions to the Cup of Comfort book series.

There will be a book coming out called, “A Cup of Comfort for Breast Cancer Survivors.” I’ve actually known about this submission call for a few months now but it’s hit close to home for me since—only in the last few weeks—four women close to me have been diagnosed and are currently fighting breast cancer. Four! And one of these ladies isn’t much older than I am. These brave women inspired me to do my part to help bring awareness on the prevention side. For starters, I do my monthly self-exam and have decided to do a yearly mammogram.

Let’s all do our part—as women and writers—to bring awareness, encourage prevention and help to bring comfort to those currently fighting breast cancer. I entered a story for consideration to Cup of Comfort about my grandmother who fought (and beat) breast cancer twice. And she beat it in the fifties when they didn’t have the medical interventions they have today. She was truly one of the strongest women I’ve ever known.

So, for my grandmother and all women fighting breast cancer, I encourage you to share your stories of enlightenment, courage, strength and inspiration. Not only will you be reaching out to someone with your story, you also have a chance to win $5,000 (with another $5000 contributed to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure and publication of your story in Redbook magazine!) See details below and good luck.

Happy writing!
Chynna
http://www.lilywolfwords.ca/

********

A Cup of Comfort for Breast Cancer SurvivorsIt has been said that "stories are medicine" and that "one of the most valuable things we can do to heal one another is to share our stories." This collection will include compelling, inspiring, and uplifting personal essays about the experiences and emotions of living with—and living after—breast cancer. Possible story themes include but are not limited to: diagnosis, treatment, emotional impact, support systems, healthy lifestyle practices, emotional healing, coping mechanisms, impact on loved ones, effect on friendships, effect on career/work, effect on romance/intimacy, life lessons learned, personal transformation, silver linings, gratitude, triumph over trials, body image, and more. All themes and writing styles considered, as long as the story is positive.Exclusively for the Breast Cancer Survivors volume, Adams Media is working in partnership with Redbook Magazine and will award a $5,000 grand prize as well as bonus prizes for three runner-up stories.

For complete contest rules, click here.

Submission Deadline: 12/31/2007

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2 comments breast cancer, cup of comfort, Susan G. Komen