Podcasts about between two kingdoms

How journaling can transform negative emotions into meaning and agency.   Suleika Jaouad is the author of the instant New York Times bestselling memoir, Between Two Kingdoms, which has been translated into over twenty languages, and her highly anticipated new book, The Book of Alchemy, forthcoming in April 2025. She writes the popular weekly newsletter, the Isolation Journals.   In this episode we talk about: Suleika's new book, The Book of Alchemy On working with fear and vulnerability  Journaling prompts from The Book of Alchemy Why Journaling is a team sport Related Episodes: The Science Of Journaling: How Writing Reduces Overthinking, Rumination, And Anxiety | Dr. James Pennebaker (Co-Interviewed By Dr. Bianca Harris) Life, Interrupted | Suleika Jaouad    Sign up for Dan's newsletter here Follow Dan on social: Instagram, TikTok Ten Percent Happier online bookstore Subscribe to our YouTube Channel Our favorite playlists on: Anxiety, Sleep, Relationships, Most Popular Episodes Additional Resources:  Buy the Dump It Here journal

What do you do when life falls apart? In this powerful conversation, Suleika Jaouad shares how journaling, creativity, and community helped her survive cancer, heartbreak, and uncertainty - and build a life of purpose and beauty. You'll learn how to transform pain into power, rewrite limiting narratives, and reconnect with what makes you feel most alive. @SuleikaJaouad is an Emmy Award-winning writer, visual artist, and author of the New York Times bestselling memoir Between Two Kingdoms is this week's guest on the show! You may know her from her viral "Life, Interrupted" column, or from the deeply moving Oscar-nominated documentary American Symphony. Suleika's new book The Book of Alchemy is available here. Follow Suleika on Instagram and subscribe to her Substack, "The Isolation Journals." WHAT'S COVERED IN THIS EPISODE: 03:14 - The Shocking wake-up call that forced Suleika to reimagine everything 04:08 - Why "containers" like the 100-day project can be life-changing  12:38 - Stuck in a thought loop? This will set you free 16:15 - The magical key for unlocking creativity 21:20 - The behind-the-scenes chaos of launching The Isolation Journals 27:14 - Journaling vs. monetization: how Suleika made peace with both 32:05 - This journaling prompt will rewrite your future 40:08 - Why dreaming big can feel dangerous - but it's the only way forward 45:21 - The moment Suleika shrunk her truth in a room full of geniuses 54:37 - The loss that turned hallucinations into art  57:58 - Simple tools that make your journaling habit stick 1:03:21 - Rescue dogs, real estate & design on the farm 1:13:00 - Non-negotiable rituals for peace, clarity & creative downloads 1:20:45 - Stop doing this one thing if you want to live your truest life Thanks for listening! New episodes drop every Tuesday. Make sure you hit the follow button to get notified.

Take Our Podcast Listener Survey!How would you transform life's greatest challenges into inspiring works of art? Suleika Jaouad shares her journey of "creative alchemy," turning her battles with leukemia into the acclaimed memoir Between Two Kingdoms and her new book The Book of Alchemy - a collection of 100 imaginative journaling prompts to spark self-discovery. Discover how creative expression can illuminate even our darkest moments.You can find Suleika at: Website | Instagram | The Isolation Journals substack | Episode TranscriptIf you LOVED this episode, you'll also love the conversations we had with Elizabeth Gilbert about unlocking creativity and reinventing your life.Check out our offerings & partners: Join My New Writing Project: Awake at the WheelVisit Our Sponsor Page For Great Resources & Discount CodesJoin journalist Danielle Elliot as she explores why ADHD diagnoses are surging among women in the limited-series investigative podcast, "Climbing the Walls." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

New York Times bestselling author and journalist Suleika Jaouad began writing her Emmy Award-winning column, “Life, Interrupted,” from her hospital room, chronicling her experiences as a young adult with cancer. She joins to discuss her remarkable life, career, and bestselling memoir, Between Two Kingdoms.

Suleika Jaouad was diagnosed with cancer at 22. She made her illness the subject of a New York Times column and a memoir, Between Two Kingdoms. She and Steve talk about what it means to live with a potentially fatal illness, how to talk to people who've gone through a tragedy, and ways to encourage medical donations. SOURCE:Suleika Jaouad, author. RESOURCES:"The Art of Survival," by Jennifer Senior (The Atlantic, 2024).American Symphony, film by Matthew Heineman (2023).Between Two Kingdoms: A Memoir of a Life Interrupted, by Suleika Jaouad (2021)."Max Ritvo, Poet Who Chronicled His Cancer Fight, Dies at 25," by John Schwartz (The New York Times, 2016).“Life, Interrupted,” column by Suleika Jaouad (The New York Times, 2012-2015).The Fault in Our Stars, by John Green (2012).Bright-sided: How Positive Thinking Is Undermining America, by Barbara Ehrenreich (2009).The Isolation Journals, newsletter by Suleika Jaouad. EXTRAS:"John Green's Reluctant Rocket Ship Ride," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2022)."Does Death Have to Be a Death Sentence?" by People I (Mostly) Admire (2022).

313. How to Turn a Mistake into Magic with Suleika Jaouad Glennon speaks one-on-one with the brilliant Suleika Jaouad about Suleika's journey through the messy middle – living well in a body that does not feel well, and creating a life of beautiful defiance. Discover:  Why believing we should “Live everyday like our last” is unhelpful; Why the unproductive periods of life are *actually* where you do the most work; The specific, best ways to really show up for friends who are in the messy middle;  How to alchemize your pain into creativity; and The lessons we can all learn from Jellyfish   Suleika Jaouad is the author of the instant New York Times bestselling memoir, Between Two Kingdoms. She wrote the Emmy Award-winning New York Times column “Life, Interrupted,” and her reporting and essays have been featured in the New York Times Magazine, The Atlantic, Vogue, and NPR, among others. A highly sought-after speaker, her TED Talk – “What Almost Dying Taught Me About Living” – has nearly five million views. She is also the creator of The Isolation Journals, a community creativity project founded during the pandemic to help others convert isolation into artistic solitude. IG: @suleikajaouad To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In Episode 169, Catherine of Gilmore Guide to Books and I catch up on the 12 new releases from the Spring 2024 Book Preview. We share our reading stats, chat about what we liked, and what didn't quite hit the mark. Tune in to hear our thoughts on these books and get some recommendations for your next read!  This post contains affiliate links through which I make a small commission when you make a purchase (at no cost to you!). CLICK HERE for the full episode Show Notes on the blog. Access the 2024 Summer Reading Guide Cheatsheet and Free Trial on Patreon here. Highlights Catherine describes spring as “disappointing and confusing” — Is 2024 a slow year for standout reads? Catherine's spring reading trend dips over the past three years. On the flip side, spring seems to be Sarah's reading season! This spring brought Sarah two 4.5-star books. One of Catherine's auto-buy authors no longer makes the cut. Sarah's wildcard selection missed the mark this season as well. Both Catherine and Sarah's top picks from the Preview didn't quite deliver. They name the best and worst books from their spring picks.⁠ Books We Read Before the Preview [6:20] Sarah's Picks The Sicilian Inheritance by Jo Piazza (April 2) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [6:27] Colton Gentry's Third Act by Jeff Zenter (April 30) | Amazon | Bookshop.org[9:19] Spring 2024 Book Preview [10:22] April Sarah's Pick The Wives by Simone Gorrindo (April 9) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [15:09] Catherine's Picks Christa Comes Out of Her Shell by Abbi Waxman (April 16) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [10:22] Honey by Victor Lodato (April 16) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [19:56] Real Americans by Rachel Khong (April 30) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [22:23] Other Books Mentioned Other People's Houses by Abbi Waxman [13:51] The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman [14:32] You Could Make This Place Beautiful by Maggie Smith [19:17] Maid by Stephanie Land [19:19] Between Two Kingdoms by Suleika Jaouad [19:21] Know My Name by Chanel Miller [19:23] Hillbilly Elegy by J. D. Vance [19:25] Educated by Tara Westover [19:26] Greenwood by Michael Christie [26:02] May Sarah's Picks The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley  (May 7) | Amazon | Bookshop.org[27:36]  The Wealth of Shadows by Graham Moore (May 21) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [34:49] Allow Me to Introduce Myself by Onyi Nwabineli  (May 28) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [42:11] Catherine's Picks The Return of Ellie Black by Emiko Jean (May 7) | Amazon | Bookshop.org[30:58]  The Guncle Abroad by Steven Rowley (May 21) | Amazon | Bookshop.org[39:28] Lies and Weddings by Kevin Kwan (May 21) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [45:00]  Other Books Mentioned The Hunter's Daughter by Nicola Solvinic [33:17] The Last Days of Night by Graham Moore [39:26] The Guncle by Steven Rowley [39:37] Someday, Maybe by Onyi Nwabineli [42:25] Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan [47:05]

Welcome to the Spring 2024 Book Preview with Catherine of Gilmore Guide to Books!   In this episode, Catherine and I share 12 of our most anticipated books releasing in April and May.   This post contains affiliate links through which I make a small commission when you make a purchase (at no cost to you!). Announcement One of the many benefits to joining our Patreon Community is that you get access to several bonus podcast episode series, including Book Preview Extras! In these episodes, Catherine and I share at least 4 bonus books we are excited about that we did not share in the big show preview episode. Get more details about all the goodies available to all patrons (Stars and Superstars) and sign up here! Highlights Catherine is fully embracing spring with some lighter, fun reading. Sarah is joining the fun with lighter reads as she preps for the Summer Reading Guide. Among weddings, homecomings, and books set in Washington State, Catherine is bringing 5 out of 6 familiar authors. With some atypical stories, Sarah has some with historical fiction elements and a nonfiction book. Sarah's choices feature 2 debuts and 3 returning authors. Hopefully going for a tamer wildcard pick will work out for Sarah this season. Sarah has read and liked 2 of her chosen books, and has also started one of Catherine's picks! And don't forget to catch their top #1 picks for the spring season! Spring 2024 Book Preview [3:52] April Sarah's Picks The Wives by Simone Gorrindo (April 9) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [4:54] The Sicilian Inheritance by Jo Piazza (April 2) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [11:10] Colton Gentry's Third Act by Jeff Zenter (April 30) | Amazon | Bookshop.org[19:51] Catherine's Picks Christa Comes Out of Her Shell by Abbi Waxman (April 16) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [8:54] Honey by Victor Lodato (April 16) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [17:08] Real Americans by Rachel Khong (April 30) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [24:45] Other Books Mentioned The Wanderers by Meg Howrey [7:16] You Could Make This Place Beautiful by Maggie Smith [8:10] Maid by Stephanie Land [8:13] Between Two Kingdoms by Suleika Jaouad [8:17] Know My Name by Chanel Miller [8:20] Hillbilly Elegy by J. D. Vance [8:22] Educated by Tara Westover [8:24] Other People's Houses by Abbi Waxman [10:37] We Are Not Like Them by Christine Pride and Jo Piazza [13:53] Charlotte Walsh Likes to Win by Jo Piazza [14:01] Edgar and Lucy by Victor Lodato [17:17] All This Could Be Yours by Jami Attenberg [19:14] The Serpent King by Jeff Zentner [20:16] Normal People by Sally Rooney [22:36] Goodbye, Vitamin by Rachel Khong [24:55] May Sarah's Picks The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley  (May 7) | Amazon | Bookshop.org[29:20]  The Wealth of Shadows by Graham Moore (May 21) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [36:13] Allow Me to Introduce Myself by Onyi Nwabineli  (May 28) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [42:05] Catherine's Picks The Return of Ellie Black by Emiko Jean (May 7) | Amazon | Bookshop.org[33:00]  The Guncle Abroad by Steven Rowley (May 21) | Amazon | Bookshop.org[39:12] Lies and Weddings by Kevin Kwan (May 21) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [45:31]  Other Books Mentioned Outlander by Diana Gabaldon [32:03] The Holdout by Graham Moore [36:22] The Swans of Fifth Avenue by Melanie Benjamin [36:59] The Last Days of Night by Graham Moore [37:39] The Guncle by Steven Rowley [39:36] The Editor by Steven Rowley [41:45] Someday, Maybe by Onyi Nwabineli [42:12] The Buccaneers by Edith Wharton [46:28] Other Books Mentioned Say Hello to My Little Friend by Jennine Capó Crucet [3:39] About Catherine Gilmore Blog | Facebook | Instagram | X  (formerly Twitter) Catherine started The Gilmore Guide to Booksover 10 years ago after wrapping up a career as a corporate librarian. She loves books and reading (surprise!) and currently lives in Seattle, WA.

Welcome to Episode 203! Some highlights of this episode: Emily dives into the pages of THE FROZEN RIVER by Ariel Lawhon and the delicious world of baking with THE COOKIE THAT CHANGED MY LIFE cookbook by Nancy Silverton and Carolynn Carreno. Meanwhile, Chris is back in high school with Jenna Miller's new sapphic YA romance, WE GOT THE BEAT. Emily devoured Elle Cosimano's new release, FINLAY DONOVAN ROLLS THE DICE, and was deeply moved by Suleika Jaouad's memoir BETWEEN TWO KINGDOMS. She also read three short stories: "Itinerary" by Lucia Berlin in EVENING IN PARADISE and "Los Angeles" and "Office Hours" by Ling Ma in BLISS MONTAGE: Stories. Chris highly recommends the new and first biography of a once hugely popular woman writer, THE VANISHING OF CAROLYN WELLS by Rebecca Rego Barry. She also revisited ETHAN FROME before reading SUMMER by Edith Wharton. We also discuss INDIGO by Beverly Jenkins, our first-quarter readalong pick. A question for those of you who read it: do you think Hester's name could be a nod to Hester Prynne from The Scarlet Letter? In Biblio Adventures, Chris explored The Library of Congress in Washington, DC. Over On Ingredient One, Emily sat down with Louise Miller, author of THE CITY BAKER'S GUIDE TO COUNTRY LIVING AND THE LATE BLOOMER'S CLUB.

New York Times bestselling author and journalist Suleika Jaouad began writing her Emmy Award-winning column, “Life, Interrupted,” from her hospital room, chronicling her experiences as a young adult with cancer. She joins to discuss her remarkable life, career, and bestselling memoir, Between Two Kingdoms.

Who faces death at the age of 22? Suleika Jaouad did. After Suleika was diagnosed with a rare blood cancer, she had a bone marrow transplant. At the age of 26 Suleika was declared cancer free. Suleika is the author of the best-selling memoir Between Two Kingdoms. She's married to Jon Batiste, the former band leader for the Late Show with Stephen Colbert and a 5-time Grammy award winner. Two years ago, Suleika's cancer came back and she had a second bone marrow transplant. She has thought a lot about life and death and all the moments in between. Our conversation made me cry. You won't want to miss it. “Now What?” is produced with the help of Steve Zimmer, Lucy Little and Jackie Schwartz. Audio production is by Nick Ciavatta.

In this raw and revealing conversation from August 2021, Suleika Jaouad, New York Times bestselling author of “Between Two Kingdoms: A Memoir of a Life Interrupted” and her partner, music legend, Jon Batiste join Hoda Kotb to talk about Suleika's cancer journey, and their life together, both the highs and the lows. At the time, Suleika was celebrating seven years cancer-free. Since then, her cancer returned for the second time.

Joining us today is Suleika Jaouad, an Emmy award-winning journalist and celebrated Ted Speaker. Suleika is the author of the instant New York Times Bestselling memoir: Between Two Kingdoms, which recounts her odyssey of healing and self-discovery after a leukemia diagnosis at the age of 22, which has only a 35% chance of survival. Suleika is now cancer free and is our featured speaker for our wine celebration in Napa Valley at the President's and Vintner Grant Honoree luncheon. 

When sickness has become the center of your life, when the goal posts move from “get better” to “live,” you do not simply wake up better and get on with it. In today's episode, Nora talks with Suleika Jaouad, author of Between Two Kingdoms. Suleika was diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia when she was 22. A major spoiler for her book (and for this episode) is that Suleika lives. She survives cancer, the stated goal for every patient, but… then what? Wanna read the book? When you purchase from Apple Books or Bookshop.org, you help support our show! For book discussion guides and a community of Terrible bookworms just like you, join The Terrible Reading Club on Substack! It's free! Got a book you want to recommend? Send us a note at terriblereadingclub@feelingsand.co.  The Terrible Reading Club team is Nora McInerny, Claire McInerny, Megan Palmer, Marcel Malekebu, Kara Nesvig, Jordan Turgeon, and Michelle Plantan. Our upcoming reading list can be found here. Find all our shows and our store at feelingsand.co. The transcript for this episode can be found here. Originally published on “Terrible, Thanks for Asking” on October 21st, 2021 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode Alex embarks on a 100 Day Project, bringing you daily dose podcast episodes every day for 100 days. A concept she first read about in Between Two Kingdoms, a memoir written by Suleika Jaouad (read the book HERE), Alex was inspired to start her own 100 days of creativity through speaking and consistency, bringing you 100 days of identity evolution and upgrades through a daily dose podcast. Follow along as Alex brings you 100 daily dose episodes to evolve you as a CEO, upgrading your identity through habit optimization, wellness, business, energetics, healing and more. Read Between Two Kingdoms HERE. Read more about the 100 Day Project HERE. Join the FREE Enriched Community HERE. Follow Alex's journey HERE.

Suleika Jaouad joins our show today to discuss her extraordinary book "Between Two Kingdoms." Suleika shares her story of receiving an early-in-life cancer diagnosis and the way that experience changed her relationship to her sense of community and hope.  Suleika is a journalist, writer, speaker, and cancer survivor. She has written for The New York Times, Vogue, and NPR and her memoir “Between Two Kingdoms” details her journey of being treated and recovering from leukemia at the age of twenty two.  Join Jen and Suleika as they discuss the following: Suleika's experience of being diagnosed with cancer at a young age and how it changed her perspective in life. The vital role of community and support during challenging times, and how Suleika's own community rallied around her during her illness. The challenges of writing a memoir and going from a journalist to a memoirist, professionally How to practice self compassion while experiencing “Big Grief” in all it's different stages  * * * Thank you to our sponsors! Jen Hatmaker & Friends Cruise | Book your spot now at JenHatmaker.com/cruise Jen Hatmaker Book Club | Use code READ for $5 off your first month at jenhatmakerbookclub.com  Me Course — Sex | Sign up for the presale price at 40% off at mecourse.org   Thought-Provoking Quotes “I think as a culture we're so focused on positivity and self-improvement and on living our best lives that we sort of forget how to live in discomfort.” - Suleika Jouad  “We live in a culture where we're told that if we only work hard enough, we can live the life that we've always wanted to live. I've been told that my whole life. And you know, there's that saying that when you make plans, god laughs.” - Suleika Jouad  “I have a post-it note on my desk that's sort of my guiding light in terms of what I'm trying to do when I write. And it says, if you want to write a good book, write what you don't want others to know about you. Yeah. And if you want to write a great book, write what you don't want to know about yourself.” - Suleika Jouad  “With the distance of time, I see that what I initially thought of as a complete loss of my identity was actually an invitation to get closer to my truer self.” - Suleika Jouad  “I was a planner, I was a doer. I was someone who had a one year plan and a five year plan and a 10 year plan, and all of that went up in smoke when I got sick. Yeah. Um, and I realized that for much of my adult life, all four years of it at that point, uh, I really summed up my sense of self based on achievement, based on my work ethic, based on my output, based on my grade point average. Yep. And all of that was stripped away from me when I got sick. I lost my job overnight. I was dependent on my parents as much as I've been since elementary school. That's right. I lost my independence, even my ability to shower alone, which for someone who doesn't like to ask for help, who had always thought of myself as fiercely independent, that was a hard pill to swallow.” -Suleika Jouad    Guest Links Suleika Jouad Website Suleika's Instagram - @suleikajaouad Suleika's Twitter - @suleikajaouad Suleik's Facebook - @SuleikaJaouadPage   Books & Resources Mentioned in This Episode “Wolfish” by Erica Berry “Heads of the Colored People” by Nafissa Thompson-Spires “Nonviolent Communication” by Marshall B. Rosenberg PhD    Connect with Jen! Jen's website Jen's Instagram Jen's Twitter Jen's Facebook Jen's YouTube  

Join us as we discuss  Between Two Kingdoms, by Suleika Jaouad;   American Notes, by Charles Dickens;  The Guncle,  by Steven Rowley;   The War of the Worlds, by H. G. Wells, and  A Place Called Home, by  David Ambroz.   We also discuss library and bookstore visits in Arizona.To learn more about the books or to purchase - click below!https://bookshop.org/shop/youvegottoreadthisVisit us on our Instagram Page - Click below!https://www.instagram.com/youvegottoreadthispodcast/Visit us on our Facebook Page - Click below!https://www.facebook.com/Youve-Got-to-Read-This-100997165428924Please note - we receive a percentage of each purchase you make on our Bookshop page that goes to support the production of our podcast.

¡Hemos vuelto flaquitos! Se me hizo demasiado TERAPÉUTICO tener este episodio en el que les hablo dónde estuve mi verano, mi deseo de ser conocido, vivir en la incertidumbre y el peligro de descartar la historia de los demás... (Libro recomendado: Between Two Kingdoms por Suleika Jaouad)

Nancy Robey spent 34 years as a Physicians Assistant at Johns Hopkins in Maryland.  Now retired, she has a wealth of experience with pediatric transplant patients. She's here today to offer her tips and best practices to care for them.In the pediatric transplant world, the procedure may be for something other than cancer, and many patients and families don't have the knowledge base that cancer patients do.   Education is so important.Speaking of education, how do you navigate a patient being out of school for so long?  Nancy talks about different strategies she's seen, from private tutors, to virtual classrooms, and more - running through the pros and cons of each.One key is interaction with other children and peers.  Unfortunately, some friends will fade away, but social interaction is vital to a patient in isolation.  This can be achieved through handwritten notes, Zoom and Facetime calls, and even now through video games and social media.Nancy also talks about the hospital room itself.  While each facility has its own rules, she talks about ways to brighten up patients' rooms with pictures, decorations, personal items, and more.At Johns Hopkins in particular, they have a Child Life Services team, offering support to children of all ages.  Your hospital may have something similar.  You can learn more here: https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/johns-hopkins-childrens-center/patients-and-families/child-life/Nancy walks us through various aspects of the hospital stay, as well as the isolation period that follows.  It's important not to be disheartened if your patient is re-admitted.  That's often a minor setback and just part of the process.  After all, that's why you're close by!We wrap up with a couple of Nancy's book recommendations, for kids of various ages and their families.For the younger set and families: More Than You Can Handle: A Rare Disease, A Family in Crisis, and The Cutting-Edge Medicine That Cured The Uncureable - https://www.amazon.com/More-Than-You-Can-Handle/dp/0593085914For older kids and young adults: Between Two Kingdoms, a Memoir of a Life Interrupted: https://www.amazon.com/Between-Two-Kingdoms-Suleika-Jaouad/dp/0399588582Other ResourcesNational Bone Marrow Transplant Link - (800) LINK-BMT, or (800) 546-5268.nbmtLINK Website: https://www.nbmtlink.org/nbmtLINK Facebook Page:  https://www.facebook.com/nbmtLINKnbmtLINK YouTube Page can be found by clicking here.Thank you to this season's sponsors:The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, www.lls.orgSanofi: https://www.sanofi.com/

Listen to ASCO's Journal of Clinical Oncology essay, “Being on The Other Side; An Oncologist's Perspective on Grieving,” by Shannon MacDonald, an Associate Professor at Harvard Medical School and a Radiation Oncologist at the Massachusetts General Hospital & Mass General Brigham. The reading is followed by an interview with host Dr. Lidia Schapira and essay author Shannon MacDonald. MacDonald shares her experience with grief, loss, and love after her husband was diagnosed with a mitochondrial disorder that ultimately took his life. MacDonald explores what grief means and how it can be different from what you originally imagined. TRANSCRIPT Narrator: Being on the Other Side: An Oncologist's Perspective on Grieving, by Shannon MacDonald, MD (10.1200/JCO.22.01363) As an oncologist, I had cared for patients facing grave illness and death. I imagined the loss of loved ones and expected grief to be an unbearable sadness, most poignant in the earliest days and lessening with time. I somehow expected that counseling people who grieved would make me more prepared. When my husband Dan died at age 42 years, I realized that I had no idea how grief felt. It was surreal and disorienting, I was displaced from a life that made sense into a new reality, one my mind acknowledged but my heart and soul would not accept. Dan's initial diagnosis offered a glimpse into a different life. It was unsettling but included us both. When we were newly engaged, Dan abruptly lost vision in one eye quickly followed by the other. I vividly remember the dark, neuro-ophthalmologist's office in New York City where I was a resident. I sat next to a young medical student who appeared fascinated as my 31- year-old fiance´—who did not yet appear blind— struggled to count fingers or the big E projected on the wall before us. As unremarkable magnetic resonance imaging, spinal tap, and laboratory results were posted, rare disorders floated into the differential. Dan had a mitochondrial disorder. My fiance´ had transformed into a medical student case study. It is not possible to understand the impact of a life-altering diagnosis until you are on the receiving end. How dramatically life can change in an instant. How painful the guttural yearning to go back in time can be. Dan and I both came from healthy, loving, families and had a close knit and fun group of friends. Dan had an MBA and ran a family company. I was a doctor in training. We lived active, full lives with plans for our future. We had no medical problems, and although aware as an oncologist that a medical diagnosis can derail a healthy young person's life, we or I never thought this could happen to us. In the weeks that followed Dan's diagnosis, his vision deteriorated. We retreated into a world that included just us. We moved our couch just a few inches from our television. I read menus to Dan at restaurants, and he corrected my mispronunciation of ingredients. I took over as our driver despite being a city dweller with little driving experience. We got handicapped plates, a cane, researched seeing eye dogs, and had a conversation that abruptly ended when I uttered the word “Braille.” One night when I asked why he could not fall asleep, Dan answered, “I am afraid I won't be able to see your face when I wake tomorrow.” We left the lights on and did not sleep that night. Fortunately, Dan's vision loss was not complete and, although painfully slow, he recovered some of his sight. Over time, he reintegrated into his friend circle and work with adaptions and the help of a low vision clinic. We were grateful throughout. Dan was an avid skier and was able to ski again once he realized that muscle memory was more important than vision. With time, he no longer appeared blind. He gained the confidence to return to contact lenses, which allowed him to remove his glasses and sunglasses that hid his eyes. Dan had to face additional challenges. He developed bilateral avascular necrosis of his hips from the single dose of steroids given to him when multiple sclerosis was thought to be his diagnosis. This led to bilateral hip replacements and a year on crutches. This experience taught me to appreciate the subjective nature of function loss: I had perceived vision loss would have the most profound impact on his quality of life, but undergoing hip replacements and loss of mobility were unequivocally worse for Dan. In fact, this triggered such emotional distress that it challenged our relationship more than ever. Anxiety dominated over depression, and rather than medication, Dan used alcohol to soothe his pain. Over time, with therapy and lots of tears, we accepted this life with appreciation for what is truly important and we learned to ignore the trivial. We grew closer than ever, and, for this, I will be forever grateful. I find comfort in the thought that we lived together with more emotion and a deeper passion for each other and for life. Dan died of a sudden cardiac event during a business trip. When his dad called to tell me the news, I was doing yoga, and I recall him asking me “are you sitting down?” So, I kneeled on my yoga mat. I can't recall how many synonyms for death he attempted before he was forced to say the word “dead” to make me understand what had happened. When I got off the phone, I quickly called my sister and bluntly said “Dan is dead” and then repeatedly apologized for not asking her if she was sitting before I told her. I was derailed. I felt utterly unprepared for a life without the man who provided me with guidance, confidence, and experience that I had not had on my own. I never knew what true anxiety was until his death and would never again feel anxious about public speaking after giving his eulogy. I will forever be grateful for the people in my life who sat with me silently, fed me, and even slept in my bed in Dan's place. They would later recall memories in those early disorienting days that I did not. After reading that people often sigh when grieving, I asked my friend Alice if I ever sighed. She looked surprised and responded, “Shannon, you cried softly and sighed all day long.” When I was disappointed that I never dreamed that Dan was alive or woke up having forgotten that he was dead, those closest to me said that I would wake in the middle of the night reaching for him, realize he was not there, and then settle back into some sort of sleep. After his funeral, I became obsessed with determining exactly how he died, as if figuring it out could bring him back. The wait for final autopsy results was excruciating, but the findings of a hypertrophic cardiomyopathy likely related to his mitochondrial disorder was utterly unsatisfying. I remained convinced that if I had joined him for that business trip as I had planned to, I would have been with him, and he would still be alive. I still believe this. I also remember telling his father about my feelings of guilt, and he replied with both surprise and relief saying, “I feel so guilty too.” For months, I could not think of any future and preferred to live in the past. The sadness of missing him was more comforting than the thought of moving forward in a life that did not include him. Although I never thought of doing any harm to myself, I remember spending an hour convincing a patient to accept treatment for an advanced cancer only to walk out of her hospital room thinking that if I were her right now, I would do nothing and welcome death. With the support of friends, family, and therapy and the passing of time, I slowly became more functional and was able to reintegrate into society. My grief morphed into anxiety and feelings of guilt when my memories of Dan became less vivid as if I was not honoring him enough. When I finally had the courage to pack his clothes to give to charities, I was saddened that it evoked less emotion because they no longer carried his scent. What I had thought of in the past as “moving on” and a healthy step in the grieving process was not a simple forward advance but came with a longing to return to a period of greater grieving. Moving on and making new memories made me feel disloyal, as though I was abandoning him. With time, I came to accept my new life that was so different than the one I had planned. Eventually, I reached that place that Didion described: “I know why we try to keep the dead alive: we try to keep them alive in order to keep them with us. I also know that if we are to live ourselves there comes a point at which we must relinquish the dead, let them go, keep them dead.”1 But this took time, support, and a disciplined effort to change myself by reimagining my values and creating a new identity that did not include my husband or the children we planned to have together. My evolution aligned with the teachings of social scientist Boss,2 who refuted the idea of finding closure and instead posited that we must learn to live for a future that contains the loss. I learned over time to accept the discomfort it caused me to speak of him in the past tense. I could be true to myself; my identity was shaped by Dan but not in the present. I learned to say “I” instead of “we.” I accepted that my niece and nephews—and all my patients with pediatric cancer—would be the children in my life. I met a man and partner secure enough to be with a woman who speaks about a man she loves that is not him. Grief is personal, and I am only an expert in my personal grief. I found the support from colleagues, family, and friends helped me, but they could not make me feel close to my old normal—only Dan's return could have done that. I learned that some people simply could not acknowledge the loss and that in turn had a profoundly negative effect on our relationship. Even a card or e-mail would have sufficed, but silence created an awkwardness that was hard to bear. I was told by a coworker that a colleague had tried so many times to say something to me but was too afraid that he would say the wrong thing, so he said nothing. Hearing this helped me understand how his silence was not because he did not care but because his fear of hurting me by saying the wrong thing was paralyzing. I also discovered that avoiding conversation that included Dan made Dan feel more dead. I would have preferred to speak of him, even if this made me emotional. I learned to answer the “how are you” question by replying okay, as I could not lie and say “well.” When my nephew died, I texted my sister daily “How are you on a scale of 1- 10?” She loved this. People said perhaps well intended but strange things, such as “don't worry. You are young and will marry again.” and “you are lucky you did not have children and you will be a mother to somebody else's children.” With these comments I heard, “Dan is replaceable” and “it is good thing that you don't have a piece of him in a child you shared.” I recognized that I sometimes needed more space and that loneliness can feel unbearable. I had no way of predicting my needs, which made it difficult to plan ahead. I found it took years to work through my emotional pain and am forever grateful to those who believed in my ability to heal myself. Dr. Lidia Schapira: Hello, and welcome to JCO's Cancer Stories: The Art of Oncology, brought to you by ASCO Podcasts, which covers a range of educational and scientific content, and offers enriching insight into the world of cancer care. You can find all ASCO shows including this one at podcast.asco.org. I'm your host, Dr. Lidia Shapira, Associate Editor for Art of Oncology and Professor of Medicine at Stanford University. Today, we are joined by Dr. Shannon McDonald who's an associate professor at Harvard Medical School and a radiation oncologist at the Massachusetts General Hospital, and Mass General Brigham in Boston. In this episode, we will be discussing her Art of Oncology article; “Being On The Other Side: An Oncologist Perspective On Grieving”. At the time of this recording, our guest has no disclosures. Shannon, welcome to our podcast and thank you for joining us. Dr. Shannon MacDonald: Lidia, thank you so much for having me. It's a pleasure and privilege to be here today. Dr. Lidia Schapira: I'd love to start by having you tell us a little bit about what motivated you to write this essay that is so personal and so important, and to share it with the large community of oncologists. Dr. Shannon MacDonald: So, writing it was easy. I found it very cathartic to write about my experience. So, the act of writing it, I did over many years. I started it soon after Dan died, picked it up a couple of years later, and then put it away for a long time, and recently was motivated to pick it up and start writing again based on reading “Beautiful Boy”, which was one of the Art of Oncology pieces and also, based on another medical narrative that I wrote just before this one. And the decision to publish it and make it public was a little more challenging. Dan was a very private person. We spent many years being very private about his medical problems. He never wanted to be seen as having a disability or a medical issue. I think he was wise enough to know he'd be perceived differently, but I made a decision when I gave his eulogy to share some of his medical history and how brave I think he was during that time. And I think one of the reasons to publish it was to help others. I found reading very helpful when I went through this experience and I think helpful in my career as an oncologist, and reading people's stories, short stories, books, any type of reading about the human experience is helpful to try sort of put yourself in those shoes and try to understand what it feels like. And I was also motivated by giving a few talks or joining others to give talks on grief during the pandemic and speaking about my experience and was told by colleagues a long time ago,' we just want to know how it feels'. And when I gave these talks, I think residents in particular, but also, colleagues of any age were very grateful for the sharing of my experience. And it made me feel sharing this was meaningful. Dr. Lidia Schapira: And when you talk about how it feels, the sentiment I took away from reading the essay, and I've read it many times, is how raw that felt. And your wisdom in saying that you had lived as a professional in a culture that's immersed in grief, and you were exposed to suffering, and the suffering of children even, every day in your professional life, and yet you were unprepared. Can you talk a little bit about what you felt helped you to learn to accept and move on or live with Dan's absence? Dr. Shannon MacDonald: Yeah, so I think what you said about being totally unprepared and what I said in my essay was completely true. I guess, I thought somehow that seeing patients suffer, seeing them lose loved ones, seeing parents lose children would have somehow made me more prepared, but it did not at all, I was completely caught off-guard. And I remember calling a colleague who was also 40 and she lost her husband suddenly, about three months after I lost Dan. And one of the first things she cried out when I called her is, “I can't believe I had no idea what this felt like.” And I think that that resonated with me, I felt exactly the same way, and that's what I answered back to her. And as much as we live it and see it every day, it's so different being on the other side of it. I think we see the illness, the sadness, and you think of it for moments. You can't think of it every moment of every day. And I remember hearing people say that person that I lost is in my mind every moment of every day, and I couldn't understand that, but it's true. Somehow, it's constantly there. Even though Dan was gone, he was constantly there, and to do anything meant sort of pushing him out of my mind in order to do another task. And that part is the part that I think is unimaginable. And why would you want to imagine that, and how could anyone? And that is the part that we don't see. And I think as oncologists, we see our patients through a tremendous amount of suffering. We see them at the time of death of a loved one, and then we see them shortly after, but we don't always see them in the weeks, months, years after that loss. So, it was that part that was so unknown to me until that happened. And I think you do what you can to get through it. It's not easy, it's messy, and it's hard. And I can't say that I could give someone advice on how to get through it in a better way. I think you just have to go through it. And that was yeah, the experience I learned from my loss. Dr. Lidia Schapira: So, you say that it's messy and complicated, and in your essay, you reflect also on the reaction that you had or the way that your colleagues responded to this catastrophe that took you by surprise. It was not as if Dan had a chronic illness and was approaching the end, this was totally unexpected despite the fact that he did have an illness. And you talk about the silence of your colleagues as a wound. At least that's the way I interpret it. Can you talk a little bit about that? Dr. Shannon MacDonald: Yeah, and it's silence of colleagues and also friends. But I think for me anyway, I can only speak about my personal experience — that was the hardest because it created this awkwardness that was hard to get past. So, in my opinion, it's better to say anything or write something if you can't say something. But also, I also have learned, and I understand that it's just so hard and people are so afraid of saying the wrong thing that it's natural to avoid it or to try to say something, and then be too nervous to say something. But I guess, my advice would be to try to write or say something rather than saying nothing because it's so awkward when nothing is said, and it creates an additional stress on that person that's grieving, and sometimes, a sad loss of a relationship for a time or forever. Dr. Lidia Schapira: Sounds like you have used your experience to now, talk about and write about your personal grief, and you're seen perhaps, as a resource for others or a teacher. What does that feel like? Dr. Shannon MacDonald: It feels good. I'd like to be that as much as I can be. Again, it's only my personal experience. I've received feedback that it's helpful, but I'm sure I wouldn't receive feedback that it was unhelpful or negative feedback. But I think that makes me feel like there's some meaning to the writing and the work that I've done, in speaking to others. And I think there's a lot of oncologists, maybe particularly those new to training that are eager for more teaching in the human experience of what we see every day. They certainly want to learn the trade and the skills, and they can find that in textbooks and in our teaching, but the humanistic part of it is more difficult to learn. So, it's been very rewarding to have colleagues and residents tell me that it felt great to be able to ask in a comfortable setting how it feels to have someone die, so that they can understand better how their patients feel. Dr. Lidia Schapira: Can you reflect a little and share with us some of the sort of milestones in your sort of recalibrating and being able to find joy, and then find a relationship and transform your experience into part of who you are and carry with you, but in a way sort of embrace this new place in your life? Dr. Shannon MacDonald: So, I'd say a lot of steps forward and steps back. And if anyone had told me I would be as happy as I am again, now, right after Dan died or within the first year after he died, I would've said no way, that's never going to happen. I'd say in the initial time of his death and months after his death, I had no desire to ever date or be with anyone again. As I mentioned in my essay, it was easier to live in the past than to think about the present in an identity that was no longer what I knew was my identity or the future, was daunting. And I would say, again, time is different for everyone, but maybe after 10 or 11 months, I could be happy again. I could enjoy friends, I thought I was ready to date. And one of my best friends said, “I don't think you are.” And I said, “I think I am.” And then I wore my wedding ring on the first date I was set up on. And I thought maybe foolishly, “Oh, I don't think he noticed or he cared. He knew I was widowed” and he did. And we didn't go out on another date. But in time, I learned to date other people and not feel guilty about it or disloyal to Dan. As I mentioned, I met someone who allowed me to speak of him, which was very important for me that I not lose that past part of my life, and that person could still come forward into new relationships and new friends and family. I still am very close to my in-laws and keep them as part of my family. And I think that keeping my old identity and what Dan did for me and how he shaped me was very important to me in moving forward. And I feel that I'm able to do that now, and know that he lives on in the person he made me, and the other people that he shaped in his life that was too short. Dr. Lidia Schapira: So, the question I'm sure on our listeners' minds is how has that impacted you in your professional life as a radiation oncologist? Dr. Shannon MacDonald: It allows me to be probably more empathetic rather than sympathetic. I remember being taught in medical school, in my psychology rotation that you can only truly be empathetic if you've been through something. And it's still similar, everyone's experience is different. But for some patients, I think it allows a little more empathy. I think in the initial months, years after Dan died, I was too empathetic. I was too sensitive to the losses that other people experienced. And that made me realize that somehow, maybe I built up some desensitization over time that was very subtle. And after Dan died, I worked hard to build that up again to allow me to work with patients and not be too sad and too empathetic, or too upset by what was happening to them. And I do think that that has happened again, but it's beautiful to be able to empathize, but hard to empathize too much. Dr. Lidia Schapira: So, in the last few minutes, Shannon, I'd love to hear your take on the value of narratives, of stories to bring these topics to our discussions in the clinic, to the curriculum of our trainees, and I think create a community of people who really deeply care about our lived experiences and want to support each other. Dr. Shannon MacDonald: So, I think they're extremely important. I love the narratives. I always look at Art of Oncology and I love the New England Journal of Medicine ‘Perspective', and JAMA's ‘Piece of My Mind '. And I also found books; Joan Didion's, The Year of Magical Thinking, and also, those stories by Emily Rapp Black, The Still Point in the Turning World; When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi. I think those are three books that I tell my residents to read and narratives, I think we need more of that in the curriculum for our residents and students. And I do feel like there's a generation that is craving that more. I don't know if you've seen this in the residents you mentor, but, in ours, I feel that they're asking more and more for that to be part of their curriculum more so than they had a decade ago. And it may be that this generation is just more comfortable speaking about feelings and acknowledging that that's an important part of medicine. And we want to cure patients. We want to help them live with their cancers for a long time with a good quality of life, and we aim to do that. But the reason we aim to do it is so they can have a human experience. So, that part is so important. It's why we do what we do. And I think that it motivates us to take care of our patients and help them to live as well as they can with their disease. Dr. Lidia Schapira: And we become part of their stories too. I've often thought that in some ways, if we have a strong relationship with patients, we are invited to co-edit those illness narratives, and what a privilege that is. Dr. Shannon MacDonald: I agree. Dr. Lidia Schapira: My last question is; what are you reading now? Dr. Shannon MacDonald: So, what I would recommend that I've recently read for the Art of Oncology listeners would be Between Two Kingdoms by Suleika Jaouad. I love that book. It's also a great audio book. She narrates it herself and does a beautiful job with that. I also recently, probably a year ago now, read Sanctuary by Emily Rapp Black, which I thought was very meaningful as well. So, for your readership, those are two books I would recommend. Dr. Lidia Schapira: Well, Shannon, thank you for an extraordinary essay, for the power of your conversation. And for our listeners, until the next time, thank you for listening to JCO's Cancer Stories: The Art of Oncology. Don't forget to give us a rating or a review wherever you listen. Be sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode of JCO's Cancer Stories: The Art of Oncology that is just one of ASCO's many podcasts. You can find all of the shows at podcast.asco.org. Voiceover: The purpose of this podcast is to educate and to inform. This is not a substitute for professional medical care, and is not intended for use in the diagnosis or treatment of individual conditions. Guests on this podcast express their own opinions, experience, and conclusions. Guest statements on the podcast do not express the opinions of ASCO. The mention of any product, service, organization, activity or therapy, should not be construed as an ASCO endorsement. Like, share and subscribe so you never miss an episode and leave a rating or review. Additional Reading: My Beautiful Boy Bio: Dr. MacDonald who is an Associate Professor at Harvard Medica School and a Radiation Oncologist at the Massachusetts General Hospital & Mass General Brigham in Boston.

책 한 권을 집어들 때 우리는 막연히 그 안에서 일종의 결론 하나 정도씩은 기대합니다. 이 책이 어떤 이야기를 하고 있든, 내가 공감하거나 혹은 뚜렷하게 반대할 수 있는 통일된 사유를 접하게 되리라고 예상하는 겁니다. 오늘의 책은 그 예상의 경계선 바깥에 위치합니다. 아 안에는 ‘대답'이라고 할 만한 게 있기도 하고, 어쩌면 전혀 없기도 합니다. 정리된 해답, 예정된 길, 마땅한 결론이라는 건 역시 없을지도 모른다는, 질문에 가까운 대답 비슷한 것만이 이 안에서 찾게 되는 소중한 이야기에 가장 가깝습니다. 마지막 책장을 넘기는 순간, 그럼에도 불구하고 우리는 이 길을 걸을 것이라는 ‘느낌'이 가슴을 가득 채울 뿐입니다. 우리나라에서 1월 말에 출간된 따끈한 신간 [엉망인 채 완전한 축제]는 올해 33살로 접어드는 술라이커 저우아드라는 여성이 썼습니다. 친구들 사이 애칭은 ‘수수'로 통하는 이 사람은 지금으로부터 딱 10년 전, 프린스턴 대학을 갓 졸업하고 언론인으로서의 첫 발을 떼기 일보 직전이었던, 똑똑하고 자유롭고 자기 삶에 대해 야심만만한 22살짜리 여성이었습니다. 뉴욕에서 태어나 지적인 부모 밑에서 자랐고, 장학금을 받으며 대학을 졸업한 뒤 프랑스 파리를 오가면서 미래를 설계하고 있었습니다. 특별한 관계로 막 발전하기 시작한 멋있는 남자친구도 생겼습니다. 이 22살의 어느 날, 수수는 급성 골수성 백혈병(루케미아)라는 암에 걸렸다는 진단을 받게 됩니다. 아주 공격적인 암으로, 수수 또래의 젊은이가 이 병에 걸려서 생존하는 확률은 현대의학에서도 35%밖에 되지 않습니다. 수수는 살아남게 되는 35% 중의 한 명이 되기는 했습니다. 하지만, 수수가 우리에게 들려주는 이야기는 바로 그 살아남는 게 확실해진 다음부터 본격적으로 전개됩니다. 투병기이기도 하지만, 투병 이후의 회복기에 초점이 더 맞춰져 있다는 게 이 책의 남다른 점입니다. 먼저 떠나보낸 65%의 친구들과 그 가족들의 몫까지 영혼 속에 짊어진 채로 다시 삶으로 나아간다는 것은 도대체 어떤 여정이며 무엇을 의미하는가. 번역서는 우리나라에서 출간되는 시점에 현지 출간으로부터 시차가 크게 나는 책들도 많은 편입니다. 하지만 [엉망인 채 완전한 축제(원제: Between Two Kingdoms)]는 미국에서 원서가 처음 나온 것도 지난해 2월입니다. 세상의 빛을 본 지 1년이 채 안 되는 시간 동안 뉴욕타임스 베스트셀러로 현지 독자들의 많은 사랑을 받았습니다. 특히 지난해는 (미국 입장에선) 코로나19 대유행의 회복기 첫 단계였던 만큼, 자기 자신의 경험을 가지고 이 책에 감정이입하게 되는 독자들이 더 많을 수 있었을 것 같다는 생각도 해봅니다. 끔찍한 병, 또는 사건사고, 어떤 충격이 삶에 느닷없이 발생할 수 있습니다. 세상의 잣대로 보기에 그 시기가 지나갔다고 판단될 때쯤 되면, 사람들은 “그만하면 다행이었어” “지금부터 다시 원래 생활로 잘 돌아가면 돼” 류의 위로를 많이 꺼냅니다. 저 역시 그런 비슷한 말들을 누군가를 향해 주워섬긴 적이 있습니다. 하지만 그렇게 커다란 충격을 겪은 사람들이 정말 ‘원래의 삶으로 돌아갈' 수 있는 것일까.저는 수사물, 범죄물, 법정물 장르의 드라마를 특히 좋아하는 편입니다. 하지만 그런 드라마들을 재밌게 보면서도, 볼 때마다 늘 마음이 불편한 점이 하나 있었습니다. 수사물에는 거의 모든 에피소드마다 각각 다른 피해자가 등장합니다. 그런 피해자들은 (죽는 사람도 많지만) ‘죽지까지는 않더라도' 커다란 상처와 충격을 떠안은 채 남겨집니다. 그런데 수사물 드라마들은 대체로 피해자들이 ‘죽지만 않으면', 일단 그 에피소드는 ‘그나마 다행이다'의 분위기로 전개되는 경향이 좀 있습니다. 죽지 않은 게 확인되는 시점부터, 피해자의 이야기나 고통은 ‘불행 중 다행이다' 기조에서 크게 벗어나지 않습니다. 하지만 남겨진 피해자가 맞닥뜨려야 하는 어마어마한 고통과 후폭풍은 실은 그때부터 비로소 시작입니다. 길을 가다 누가 갑자기 내 뒤통수를 단 한 대 치고 지나간 기억이 있다 해도, 그 불행의 끔찍한 임의성 때문에 평생 악몽을 꿀 수 있는 것이 사람입니다. 그런데 우리는 “불행 중 다행”이라는 위로를 너무 쉽게 건네는 것은 아닐까. “지금부터 다시 원래 생활로 돌아가면 돼” 라는 위로는 그 고통의 실재를 마주보기가 너무 괴로운 주변 사람들이 도망가면서 꺼내는 말일 수 있습니다. 정작 당사자, 그리고 그를 사랑하며 계속 지켜보아야 하는 사람들은 어떻게 다시 삶과 마주서게 될까요. 그들이 실제 겪는 삶은 어떠하며, 들려주고 싶은 진짜 목소리는 어떤 것일까요. [엉망인 채 완전한 축제]에는 차분하면서도 강력한 그 육성이 담겨 있습니다.수수의 투병기에는 이른바 “불행 중 다행이다”의 면모들이 조금씩 들어 있습니다. 동생으로부터 골수를 이식받을 수 있었기 때문에 35%의 생존자 관문 쪽으로 방향을 틀 수 있었으며, 부모님과 주위의 넘치는 사랑과 걱정을 받습니다. 암 진단 직전에 고작 몇 달 만났을 뿐인 20대 남자친구가 자신의 젊음과 커리어를 유예해 가며 몇 년 동안 헌신적으로 수수를 돌보아 주기도 합니다. 누가 보아도 감히 엄두 내기 힘든 사랑입니다. 그 남자친구와 헤어지게 되는 과정에서 수수가 느끼는 상실감이나 외로움이 결코 아프지 않은 것은 아니지만, 결국 남자친구와 이별하게 될 때 ‘남자 놈이 나쁜 놈이라 아픈 애를 버리고 떠났다!'고 대충 말해버릴 수 있는 상황이라고는 누구도 말할 수 없습니다.하지만 “불행 중 다행”이란 위로처럼 수수를 외롭게 하는 말이 없을 것입니다. 이토록 큰 고통이 어떻게 불행 중 다행일 수 있겠습니까. 이 책에서 수수뿐 아니라 수수가 투병과 회복의 여정에서 만나는 사람들이 공통적으로 하는 말은 ‘커다란 병이 발생하는 순간 ‘나'라는 사람은 사라져 버리기 쉽다'는 겁니다. 나 자신이 그렇게 느낄 뿐 아니라, 다른 사람들 역시 나를 나로 본다기보다 병을 겪은 사람이라는 필터를 통해서 보거나 아예 고개를 돌려버립니다. 그래서 내 혼란은 더욱 가중되고 ‘원래의 삶'으로 돌아가기는 더더욱 요원해집니다. ‘병'이라는 단어의 자리에 ‘사건'이나 ‘사고', ‘불행'을 집어넣어도 마찬가지입니다. 이 책의 전반부는 수수의 투병기입니다. 이 부분만으로도 굉장히 많은 이야기를 우리에게 들려줍니다. 수수가 22살에 시작한 투병은 26살 무렵에 어느 정도 마무리됩니다. ‘마무리'라는 말이 무색하게 여전히 정상적이지 않은 몸과 재발에 대한 가능성을 동반한 채입니다. 그럼에도 불구하고 남 보기에는 고비를 지났다고 하는 그 시점부터, 이 책의 후반기, 수수의 외로운 회복이 시작됩니다. 오늘 낭독에서는 이 후반기에 좀더 중점을 두어 읽었습니다.수수는 투병 기간에 투병 외에 무엇이라도 스스로의 삶을 유지할 수 있을 만한 프로젝트를 찾다가 블로그를 운영했습니다. 그 블로그가 수수 같은 환자들 뿐만 아니라 세상의 관심을 끌면서, 뉴욕타임스로부터 칼럼 연재 제안을 받게 됩니다. '중단된 삶'이라는 제목으로 병을 경험하는 수수의 이야기를 나누자, 다른 아픈 사람들, 또는 가족의 자살처럼 인생을 송두리째 뒤흔드는 큰 사건을 겪었거나 겪고 있는 사람들이 수수에게 편지를 보내 고통과 공감을 나눕니다. 하지만 22살에 시작된 투병이 4년을 지나 남들 보기엔 마무리 단계로 접어든 26살이 되자, 오히려 본격 투병이 끝난 이후로 자기 삶을 어떻게 걸어야 할 지 갈피를 잡지 못하는 상태였던 수수는 (방금 인용한 대목에도 나오듯이) 정작 뉴욕타임스 연재마저 중단한 상태였습니다. ‘이대로 있을 수 없다'는 위기감에 도달한 수수는 자신에게 편지를 보냈던 그 생면부지의 사람들을 하나하나 찾아가는 미국 대륙 횡단 자동차여행을 홀로 떠납니다. 물론 아직 몸은 완전하지 않고, 육체적으로는 부담이 됩니다. 하지만 그럼에도 불구하고 삶을, 이어나가기로 한 것입니다. 이 여정에서 수수는 자신과 같은 사람들을 만납니다. 병이 완치되었다고는 하지만 여전히 건강한 사람은 짐작하지 못하는 컨디션의 하루하루를 어떻게든 살아내고 있는 사람들이 있습니다. 사랑하는 아들의 자살을 겪은 어머니도 있습니다. 잘못된 과거 때문에 무기수로 여생을 살게 된 남자도 만납니다. 그들 모두가 각기 다르면서도 같은, 같으면서도 다른 여정을 들려줍니다. 수수는 단언합니다. 병이 나기 전의 자기 자신으로 돌아갈 수는 없었습니다. 어떤 일을 겪은 사람들은 아무 일도 없었던 것처럼 흔히 막연히 떠올리는 ‘정상'이라는 지역으로 돌아갈 수는 없습니다. 하지만 애초 우리 삶에 그런 ‘정상'의 면적이 얼마나 될까. 원래부터 정해진 답이라는 게 누구에게나 있기는 한 걸까. 원래대로. 제자리로. 응당 그래야 하는 어떤 결론으로. 그런 것들은 어디에도 존재하지 않았습니다.이 여정의 막바지에서 수수는 질문을 하나 받았습니다. “당신에게 일어난 일들을 전부 없던 걸로 할 수 있다면, 그렇게 하겠어요?” 그럴 수만 있다면, 자신의 삶에 고유하게 일어났던 그 고통을 수수는 이제라도 지워버리고 싶을까. 발병으로부터 10년 가까이 지난 시점 수수가 이 질문에 내놓은 답을, 이 글의 맨 앞에 인용했습니다. 이 책의 핵심은 수수가 내놓은 그 대답에 이르기까지 수수의 여정입니다. 수수의 삶도, 그리고 우리 모두의 삶도, 아직 마지막 목적지를 분명히 알지 못하는 저마다의 여행입니다. 수수의 이야기는 여전히 현재진행형이고, 떠나왔던 원점으로는 다시 돌아가지 않을 것입니다. 우리 모두의 삶이, 어떤 방식으로든, 미리 그려진 예정 경로 같은 것을 따르지 않습니다. 수수와 수수가 만나는 사람들의 대화가 매일매일 각자의 자리에서 새롭게 나아가는 우리 모두에게도 많은 것을 들려줍니다. 이제 [엉망인 채 완전한 축제]를 직접 펼쳐서 함께 대화해 주신다면 더없이 기쁘겠습니다. 들어주시는 모든 분들, 늘 깊이 감사드립니다.*윌북 출판사의 낭독 허가를 받았습니다.진행: 권애리 기자ART19 개인정보 정책 및 캘리포니아주의 개인정보 통지는 https://art19.com/privacy & https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info 에서 확인하실 수 있습니다.

Parenting, revisitedWe give an update on all things parenting: what's going well, our biggest challenges, mantras we rely on, and intentions going forward. Links mentioned:Previous parenting episodes: parenting, at home parenting, and parenting wins and failsTeacher Tom on bickeringParenting Without Power Struggles by Susan StiffelmanLife latelyAbby is biking with Pepper using a Mac Ride.Sarah has been incorporating various breathing techniques after reading Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art by James Nestor.Reading latelyAbby read the magical romance Payback's a Witch by Lana Harper and Sarah listened to Suleika Jaouad's memoir Between Two Kingdoms.Eating latelySarah found a new Chipotle order while Abby's Instant Pot salmon did not turn out as planned.If you'd like to join in the conversation, please leave us a comment, email us at friendlierpodcast@gmail.com, or find us on Instagram @friendlierpodcast. Thanks for listening! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Transitions can be anxiety inducing! And in this first episode of Season 2, we each speak into how we've been managing transitions with our health journey, the ups & downs, lessons learnt and what has kept us going. Speaking of transitions, we'd like to shout-out Suleika Jaouad who is a NYT bestselling author and chronic illness warrior. Her book “Between Two Kingdoms” is a memoir of how her life was interrupted by cancer. She's also the creator of the Isolation Journals, a journaling community that empowers people to turn life's challenges into creative writing. We highly recommend her book if you haven't had a chance to read it yet! https://linktr.ee/suleikajaouad?utm_source=linktree_profile_share<sid=4da27c49-a662-4525-a7b0-58438ce94804

This week on the Handsell, Jenn recommends Between Two Kingdoms by Suleika Jaouad. Follow the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Stitcher. This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In Episode 99, Susie Boutry (@NovelVisits) and I share our favorite books from 2021, overall and by genre, along with a ton of bookish superlatives. We also talk about whether our reading has recovered from COVID and I reflect on the past year of the podcast. This post contains affiliate links through which I make a small commission when you make a purchase (at no cost to you!). I also included Bookshop.org affiliate links. Announcements Upcoming “Ask Me Anything” podcast, airing December 8, to celebrate the 100th episode of Sarah's Bookshelves Live! Sarah's 2021 Holiday Gift Guide 2022 Rock Your Reading Tracker is coming soon! You'll be able to purchase it for $14.99 on my website OR Superstars Patrons will get it for FREE! Highlights My 2021 Podcast Overview — including top episodes based on download stats and polled favorites.  Overview of our reading this year including key stats (including the ongoing impact of COVID-19). Our favorite books of 2021: overall and by genre. 2021 Bookish Superlative Awards. Our Favorite Books of 2021 (Overall and by Genre) [17:09] Susie Landslide by Susan Conley | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [17:33] Voices from the Pandemic by Eli Saslow | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [19:27] Animal by Lisa Taddeo | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [22:01] The Love Songs of W. E. B. Du Bois by Honorée Fanonne Jeffers | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [23:37] The Nine Lives of Rose Napolitano by Donna Freitas | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [25:32] Olympus, Texas by Stacey Swann | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [28:00] What Comes After by Joanne Tompkins | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [29:19] Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [30:55] Voices from the Pandemic by Eli Saslow | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [33:43] Nowhere Girl by Cheryl Diamond | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [35:12] Femlandia by Christina Dalcher | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [38:02] Sarah When the Stars Go Dark by Paula McLain | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [18:52] What Happened to You? by Oprah Winfrey & Bruce D. Perry | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [20:14] Make it Nice by Dorinda Medley | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [22:55] The Final Revival of Opal & Nev by Dawnie Walton | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [24:53] Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [26:27] Seven Days in June by Tia Williams | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [28:49] The Damage by Caitlin Wahrer | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [30:01] The Unwilling by John Hart | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [32:02] Empire of Pain by Patrick Radden Keefe | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [34:00] Dear William by David Magee | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [35:51] Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [37:02] 2021 Bookish Superlative Awards [38:55] Susie We Are Not Like Them by Christine Pride & Jo Piazza | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [39:15] Falling by T. J. Newman | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [40:16] Unsettled Ground by Claire Fuller | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [42:50] The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [45:25] Friends Like These by Kimberly McCreight | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [46:48] Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [49:33] The People We Keep by Allison Larkin | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [52:55] Between Two Kingdoms by Suleika Jaouad | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [54:51] Beautiful World, Where Are You by Sally Rooney | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [56:38] The First Day of Spring by Nancy Tucker | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [59:47] These Silent Woods by Kimi Cunningham Grant | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [01:00:32] Things We Lost to the Water by Eric Nguyen | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [01:02:36] God Spare the Girls by Kelsey McKinney | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [01:04:00] How the Word is Passed by Clint Smith | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [01:08:46] Sarah Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [39:58] Empire of Pain by Patrick Radden Keefe | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [40:01] Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [42:05] All Together Now by Matthew Norman | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [43:58] The Push by Ashley Audrain | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [45:58] Imposter Syndrome by Kathy Wang | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [47:47] We Begin at the End by Chris Whitaker | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [51:39] Last Call by Elon Green | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [53:32] The Turnout by Megan Abbott | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [57:49] Beautiful World, Where Are You by Sally Rooney | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [58:34] The View Was Exhausting by Mikaella Clements & Onjuli Datta | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [01:01:43] Voices from the Pandemic by Eli Saslow | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [01:03:19] The Sweet Taste of Muscadines by Pamela Terry | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [01:04:35] The Nine Lives of Rose Napolitano by Donna Freitas | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [01:09:32] Other Books Mentioned The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller | Buy from Amazon [11:15] Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley | Buy from Amazon [11:59] Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid | Buy from Amazon [25:02] Seating Arrangements by Maggie Shipstead | Buy from Amazon [31:41] Astonish Me by Maggie Shipstead | Buy from Amazon [31:43] Iron House by John Hart | Buy from Amazon [33:13] & [01:08:30] Vox by Christina Dalcher | Buy from Amazon [38:13] Last Couple Standing by Matthew Norman | Buy from Amazon [44:57] Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney | Buy from Amazon [59:28] Normal People by Sally Rooney | Buy from Amazon [59:30] Our Endless Numbered Days by Claire Fuller | Buy from Amazon [01:01:01] Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston | Buy from Amazon [01:02:13] Fallen Mountains by Kimi Cunningham Grant | Buy from Amazon [01:06:17] Too Good to Be True by Carola Lovering | Buy from Amazon [01:06:34] Tell Me Lies by Carola Lovering | Buy from Amazon [01:06:42] Can't Look Away by Carola Lovering (June 2022) | Buy from Amazon[01:06:46] The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz | Buy from Amazon [01:08:04] You Should Have Known by Jean Hanff Korelitz | Buy from Amazon [01:08:11] About Susie Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram Susie has loved reading for as long as she can remember. Some of her fondest childhood memories involve long afternoons at the library and then reading late into the night. More than ten years ago, she began journaling about the books she read and turned that passion into writing about books. Her first forays were as a guest reviewer on a friend's blog, but she soon realized she wanted to be reviewing and talking about books on a blog of her own. From there, Novel Visits was born. That was in 2016 and, though the learning curve was steep, she loves being a part of the book community. Novel Visits focuses on new novel reviews (print and audio), previews of upcoming releases, and musings on all things bookish. Next Episode In two weeks (December 8), Catherine (@gilmoreguide) and I will be celebrating the 100th episode of Sarah's Bookshelves Live with the “Ask Me Anything” episode. 

Welcome to the Terrible Reading Club, sponsored by Betterhelp Online Therapy. Think of it as our book club for truly terrible times. Haven't read the book we're discussing? Good news: In this reading club, that's not a requirement. Today, we're chatting with Suleika Jaouad about her memoir, Between Two Kingdoms, in which she writes about the aftermath of recovering from an illness she was not expected to survive.

Welcome to the Terrible Reading Club, sponsored by Betterhelp Online Therapy. Think of it as our book club for truly terrible times. Haven't read the book we're discussing? Good news: In this reading club, that's not a requirement. Today, we're chatting with Suleika Jaouad about her memoir, Between Two Kingdoms, in which she writes about the aftermath of recovering from an illness she was not expected to survive. Check out The Isolation Journals for weekly journaling prompts. — Sign up today for TTFA Premium! For $7.99 a month, you get access to exclusive bonus content, ad-free episodes *and* the knowledge that you're keeping our show afloat! Visit TTFA.org/Premium to get started. Want (sporadic) emails from Nora and Team TTFA? Sign up here.  When you shop our Bookshop.org store, you support the author, independent bookstores AND our show! Shop here. You can purchase Nora's books here. Shop for your favorite TTFA gear at TTFAmerch.com. Read the transcript for this episode here. You can catch up with TTFA on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook using @ttfapodcast. Nora's Instagram is @noraborealis. — And check out our sponsor this week: BetterHelp: betterhelp.com/ttfa

Welcome to the Terrible Reading Club, sponsored by Betterhelp Online Therapy. Think of it as our book club for truly terrible times. Haven't read the book we're discussing? Good news: In this reading club, that's not a requirement. Today, we're chatting with Suleika Jaouad about her memoir, Between Two Kingdoms, in which she writes about the aftermath of recovering from an illness she was not expected to survive. Check out The Isolation Journals for weekly journaling prompts.Can't get enough TTFA? Sign up for TTFA Premium for $8 a month. You'll get access to exclusive bonus content, ad-free episodes, extended guest interviews and more! Visit TTFA.org/Premium to get started.Join the TTFA reading club: TTFA.org/readingclubOur twice-monthly newsletter features behind-the-scenes content, previews of upcoming episodes and more. Sign up.You can purchase Nora's books here.Shop for your favorite TTFA gear at TTFAmerch.comRead the transcript for this episode here.You can catch up with TTFA on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook using @ttfapodcast. Nora's Instagram is @noraborealis.TTFA is public media. Which means we are supported by you. You can join us with a contribution at ttfa.org/donate.And check out our sponsor this week:BetterHelp: betterhelp.com/ttfa

“If we live long enough, we have experiences where our life gets upended.” Suleika Jaouad is an Emmy Award-winning journalist and celebrated TED speaker, the author of the instant New York Times bestselling memoir Between Two Kingdoms, which walks us through her journey of healing and self-discovery after a diagnosis of leukemia at the age of twenty-two and given only a 35% chance of survival. Grounded, generous, and deeply present are just a few words to describe this week's amazing guest. Ben and Suleika discuss what happens when we're forced to shed an identity, how to reimagine our relationship to risk, how to "suffer well," and how she found purpose within her unique limitations. This is a truly inspiring and uplifting conversation that will have you inquiring about the ways in which you, too, have walked through the interruptions of your own life. Join the community on Instagram instagram.com/hopestillwins/! We'd love to hear your answer to the weekly question, "Where do you believe we can find hope and purpose within life's limitations - whether temporary or permanent?" Connect with Suleika: - Instagram: instagram.com/suleikajaouad/ - Website: suleikajaouad.com/ - Purchase her new book, Between Two Kingdoms: suleikajaouad.com/book Connect with Ben: - Instagram: instagram.com/higgins.ben/ - Twitter: twitter.com/benhiggi - Generous Coffee: https://generouscoffee.com/ Thank you to our sponsors: - Christian Mingle: Finding your true love is life's greatest adventures. Discover why so many Christian singles find love by visiting christianmingle.com/hope - Policygenius: Compare personalized quotes from over a dozen top insurers all in one place. Head to policygenius.com to get started. - Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. http://anchor.fm/ --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

In den bisherigen Episoden haben wir uns damit auseinandergesetzt, wie Kirche unser Leben und das Bild, das wir von Gott haben, geprägt hat. Ich habe mit tollen Menschen gesprochen, die ihre Geschichte mit dem Glauben erzählt oder einen Einblick gegeben haben, wie sie Kirche gestalten möchten. Vor ein paar Monaten schrieb mir meine Freundin Anastasia: “Du interviewst all diese spannenden Menschen – aber mich würden ja mal deine Antworten auf diese Fragen interessieren, die du so stellst…” Dieser Vorschlag klang reizvoll und so bin ich heute in meinem eigenen Podcast bei Anastasia zu Gast. Viel Spaß bei dieser etwas anderen Episode! Nützliche Links zur Episode und das Kleingedruckte: Mehr von meinen Gedanken kannst du hier lesen. Falls du Kontakt mit anderen auf der Reise in die Wildnis suchst, solltest du mal beim Netzwerk @freikirchen.ausstieg oder bei "@glaubensweite” vorbeischauen. Suleika Jaouad. Between Two Kingdoms. Random House, 2021. Den Podcast findest du bei Instagram unter @strichpunkt.pod Musik: “Upbeat Corporate” by JP Bianchini Copyright: strich;punkt 2021

"We tell the story we need to tell, and we have no business trying to avoid it." When Suleika Jaouad was twenty-two years old, she was diagnosed with leukemia and was only given a thirty-five percent chance to live. As she moved through her twenties and from the kingdom of the sick to that of the well, Suleika documented her life in both a personal journal and a column in the New York Times. Now, she shares her journey in Between Two Kingdoms, one of Zibby's favorite memoirs to date, and challenges readers to live their lives in technicolor even when everything has been upended.Purchase on Amazon or Bookshop.Amazon: https://amzn.to/3x9HoBVBookshop: https://bit.ly/3ycPPfR See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Suleika Jaouad's career aspirations as a war correspondent were cut short when, at age 22, she was diagnosed with leukemia.Faced with slim survival odds, she knew she wanted to find a way to still participate in the world and give back more than she had taken. It started with a daily journal and eventually became “Life, Interrupted,” the Emmy award-winning New York Times column and video series she wrote from her hospital bed.In this episode of Stories of Transformation, Suleika recounts the darkest and lightest moments of her four-year battle with leukemia. She shares what important life lessons she learned throughout her journey from diagnosis to remission and beyond on her cross country road trip of healing and self discovery.Suleika Jaouad is an Emmy-award winning journalist, and author of her memoir Between Two Kingdoms. Her Ted Talk, "What Almost Dying Taught Me About Living", has over 4 million views.For full show notes: https://www.baktashahadi.com/podcastConnect with Suleika JaouadWebsite | Instagram | Twitter | FacebookFollow and Subscribe to Stories of Transformation PodcastInstagram | Facebook | Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | StitcherCreditsProduced and hosted by: Baktash AhadiAudio Engineering by: Joseph GangemiDigital Marketing & Media by: Katherine AnTheme Music by: Qais EssarArtwork by: Masheed AhadiAdditional Music CreditsMusic Credits"Corals Under The Sun (instrumental version)" by Sivan TalmorSivan Talmor . Israeli Singer songwriter"Wonder" by Tristan BartonTristan Barton Music | Australia based composer"Continuance" by Yehezkel Razhttps://yehezkelraz.com/"Reflections" by Pete James JohnsonHighway Meditation, by Pete James Johnson

You finish cancer treatment and then what? Suleika Jaouad's memoir, Between Two Kingdoms, beautifully captures the young adult cancer experience. Traveling through diagnosis to discovering and creating a life after treatment, her words provide the springboard for a rich discussion amongst the Life on Pause crew.

Suleika Jaouad penned her Emmy award-winning New York Times column “Life, Interrupted” from her hospital bed after being diagnosed with cancer at 22. Her memoir, Between Two Kingdoms, was an instant New York Times bestseller and is one of Indigo's best books of the year. She speaks to us about the four years she spent in the kingdom of the sick and how she found her place among the “living” again after emerging from treatment. “I wasn't a cancer patient anymore, but I had no idea who I was and no idea how to move forward with my life.” Listen to find out how she's continued on and inspired people around the world in the process.For a transcript & to shop this episode, click here.Please make sure to subscribe so you don't miss an episode!To shop books and products mentioned in this episode visit: indigo.ca/podcast 

Suleika Jaouad on Invaluable Road Trips, the Importance of a To-Feel List, and Finding Artistic Homes | Brought to you by Dry Farm Wines natural wines designed for fewer hangovers, Allform premium, modular furniture, and LMNT electrolyte supplement. More on all three below.Suleika Jaouad (@suleikajaouad) is the author of the instant New York Times bestselling memoir Between Two Kingdoms. She wrote the Emmy Award-winning New York Times column + video series “Life, Interrupted,” and her reporting and essays have been featured in The New York Times Magazine, The Atlantic, Vogue, and NPR, among others. A highly sought-after speaker, her mainstage TED talk was one of the ten most popular of 2019 and has nearly four million views.She is also the creator of The Isolation Journals, a community creativity project founded during the COVID-19 pandemic to help others convert isolation into artistic solitude. Over 100,000 people from around the world have joined. You can find one of my favorite prompts, which I shared on my blog last spring, at tim.blog/dialogue.Please enjoy!This episode is brought to you by Dry Farm Wines. I’m a wine drinker, and I love a few glasses over meals with friends. That said, I hate hangovers. For the last few months, all of the wine in my house has been from Dry Farm Wines. Why? At least in my experience, their wine means more fun with fewer headaches. Dry Farm Wines only ships wines that meet very stringent criteria: practically sugar free (less than 0.15g per glass), lower alcohol (less than 12.5% alcohol), additive free (there are more than 70 FDA-approved wine-making additives), lower sulfites, organic, and produced by small family farms.All Dry Farm Wines are laboratory tested for purity standards by a certified, independent enologist, and all of their wines are also backed by a 100% Happiness Promise—they will either replace or refund any wine you do not love. Last but not least, I find delicious wines I never would have found otherwise. It’s a lot of fun. Dry Farm Wines has a special offer just for listeners of the podcast—an extra bottle in your first box for just one extra penny. Check out all the details at DryFarmWines.com/Tim.*This episode is also brought to you by Allform! If you’ve been listening to the podcast for a while, you’ve probably heard me talk about Helix Sleep mattresses, which I’ve been using since 2017. They just launched a new company called Allform, and they’re making premium, customizable sofas and chairs shipped right to your door—at a fraction of the cost of traditional stores. You can pick your fabric (and they’re all spill, stain, and scratch resistant), the sofa color, the color of the legs, and the sofa size and shape to make sure it’s perfect for you and your home.Allform arrives in just 3–7 days, and you can assemble it yourself in a few minutes—no tools needed. To find your perfect sofa, check out Allform.com/Tim. Allform is offering 20% off all orders to you, my dear listeners, at Allform.com/Tim.*This episode is also brought to you by LMNT! What is LMNT? It’s a delicious, sugar-free electrolyte drink mix. I’ve stocked up on boxes and boxes of this and usually use it 1–2 times per day. LMNT is formulated to help anyone with their electrolyte needs and perfectly suited to folks following a keto, low-carb, or Paleo diet. If you are on a low-carb diet or fasting, electrolytes play a key role in relieving hunger, cramps, headaches, tiredness, and dizziness.LMNT came up with a very special offer for you, my dear listeners. For a limited time, you can claim a free LMNT Sample Pack—you only cover the cost of shipping. For US customers, this means you can receive an 8-count sample pack for only $5. Simply go to DrinkLMNT.com/Tim to claim your free 8-count sample pack.*If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really makes a difference in helping to convince hard-to-get guests. I also love reading the reviews!For show notes and past guests, please visit tim.blog/podcast.Sign up for Tim’s email newsletter (“5-Bullet Friday”) at tim.blog/friday.For transcripts of episodes, go to tim.blog/transcripts.Discover Tim’s books: tim.blog/books.Follow Tim:Twitter: twitter.com/tferriss Instagram: instagram.com/timferrissFacebook: facebook.com/timferriss YouTube: youtube.com/timferriss

There are two different worlds people inhabit. In one world, people feel infinite bounce. They can see every silver lining and believe in their bones things will always get better and that any set back is probably temporary. But then, there's the other world. These people know what it feels like to live scan-to-scan and hold their breath when the doctor's number shows up on their phone. Bestselling author of Between Two Kingdoms, Suleika Jaouad knows what it means to carry this dual citizenship between the kingdom of the well and the kingdom of the sick. In this conversation, Kate and Suleika discuss what it was like to have a terrible diagnosis as a young person and how to keep living when you can't go back to the way things were. Kate ends with a blessing for those who have lost too much, too quickly.CW: cancer as a young person, incurable illnesses, fertility treatments To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There are two different worlds people inhabit. In one world, people feel infinite bounce. They can see every silver lining and believe in their bones things will always get better and that any set back is probably temporary. But then, there’s the other world. These people know what it feels like to live scan-to-scan and hold their breath when the doctor’s number shows up on their phone. Bestselling author of Between Two Kingdoms, Suleika Jaouad knows what it means to carry this dual citizenship between the kingdom of the well and the kingdom of the sick. In this conversation, Kate and Suleika discuss what it was like to have a terrible diagnosis as a young person and how to keep living when you can’t go back to the way things were. Kate ends with a blessing for those who have lost too much, too quickly. CW: cancer as a young person, incurable illnesses, fertility treatments Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

During a visit to my local bookstore a couple weeks ago, a bookseller ushered me over to the nonfiction table and grabbed a copy of Between Two Kingdoms by Suleika Jaouad. “A Memoir of a Life Interrupted” was the subtitle. On the cover, a photo of the author and her terrier, Oscar, atop a goldenrod-colored Volkswagen bus.

During a visit to my local bookstore a couple weeks ago, a bookseller ushered me over to the nonfiction table and grabbed a copy of Between Two Kingdoms by Suleika Jaouad. “A Memoir of a Life Interrupted” was the subtitle. On the cover, a photo of the author and her terrier, Oscar, atop a goldenrod-colored Volkswagen bus.

Gayle and Nicole kick off Round 1 of the 2021 March Madness tournament, where we narrow down the best book that we've both read in the last two years. (We had some input from our Facebook fans as well.) Tune in to find out which books will move on to the next round! Books mentioned: Between Two Kingdoms by Suleika Jaouad The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward Educated by Tara Westover The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead Daisy Jones And The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid Long Bright River by Liz Moore The Dreamers by Karen Thompson Walker Ask Again, Yes by Mary Beth Keane A Woman Is No Man by Etaf Rum My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell Such A Fun Age by Kiley Reid In The Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado The Last Flight by Julie Clark There There by Tommy Orange Leave The World Behind by Rumaan Alam Normal People by Sally Rooney The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett *Books linked above are our affiliate links through Amazon. There's no additional expense to you, but if you make a purchase through us a small portion of that contributes to the costs associated with making our podcast. Thanks so much for listening and for your support! Please help support the podcast and take a few minutes to https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-readerly-report/id1141898658?mt=2 (leave a review and/or rating) for the podcast on https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id1141898658?i (iTunes), a comment on https://soundcloud.com/user-399446357 (Soundcloud) or interact wherever you listen to podcasts and talk about books. Connect With Us We'd love to hear from you at any and all places that you love to talk about books. You can find us at the spaces below. Nicole Bonia: http://www.nicolebonia.com/ (Nicole's Website) | http://www.instagram.com/nicolebonia (Instagram) | https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1248236-nicole-bonia (Goodreads) Gayle Weiswasser: http://everydayiwritethebookblog.com/ (Everyday I Write The Book Blog) | https://twitter.com/gweiswasser (Twitter) | https://www.facebook.com/everydayiwritethebook/ (Facebook)| https://www.instagram.com/gweiswasser/ (Instagram) | https://www.goodreads.com/gweiswasser (Goodreads) The Readerly Report: https://www.facebook.com/ReaderlyMag/ (Facebook) |http://www.instagram.com/readerlymagazine (Instagram) | https://www.facebook.com/groups/ReaderlyReport/ (Join Our Facebook Group) Feedback. We love it! If you have any questions or ideas for a podcast, email us! You can reach Nicole at nicole@nicolebonia.com, and you can reach Gayle at gweiswasser@gmail.com. As always, thanks for listening and happy reading! Support this podcast

Between Two Kingdoms: A Memoir of a Life Interrupted: Book by Suleika Jaouad “When the life we had is snatched away, how do we find the conviction to live another? Between Two Kingdoms will resonate with anyone who is living a different life than they planned to live. This is a propulsive, soulful story of mourning and gratitude—and an intimate portrait of one woman's sojourn in the wilderness between life and death.”—Tara Westover, author of Educated Website : https://gobookmart.com --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/gobookmart-review/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/gobookmart-review/support

For many reasons, many of us have been traveling less and reading more right now, which is why hearing from mother, outdoor adventurer, Licensed Nursing Assistant, and book reviewer Alessandra Hurt is especially important right now. Because what we can learn from stillness, BIPOC authors, accessible travel, and Alessandra's insights on motherhood are all lessons we can use to make our world a better place.Resources From This Episode:Follow Alessandra on Instagram: @naturemamareadsJoin the On the Road, Our Way Facebook Group!Alessandra's Reading List Recommendations:Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall KimmererBlack Faces, White Spaces by Carolyn FinneyHonouring High Places by Junko TabeiReclaiming the Commons by Vandana ShivaIn Open Country by Rahawa Haile (2021)Between Two Kingdoms by Suleika Jaouad (2021)Sponsor Websites & Codes:Betterhelp - get 10% off with promo code ROADEnjoy this episode? Rate us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen. It'll help other people find us. You can also share this podcast with a friend. Thank you for your support!Episodes air weekly on Fridays-- subscribe wherever you listen so you never miss an episode. This episode of On the Road, Our Way is produced and hosted by Laura Borichevsky.Music is by Josh Woodward.A production of Ravel Media Additional music by Layup via Musicbed license.