Suzanne Edison, MA, MFA

Poet • Educator

  • Suzanne Edison, MA, MFA
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October 15, 2017 By Suzanne

Resources for Writing, Illness, Grief, Loss, & Healing

I have been accumulating books and articles that might help people who have come to my workshop, Writing as a Righting Journey and also to my class at Hugo House, The Words to Say It.

In my teaching I bring in many other poems, stories, (fiction and non-fiction) and essays that are too numerous to mention here.

Please see this document, on the Resources page. There will be some duplication from the Resource listing of books, but there is also more related to writing in the document. And More Resources.

Filed Under: blog, literature review

September 6, 2016 By Suzanne

Healing for Caregivers

Recently, I re-read an article that Catherine St. Louis wrote in The New York Times in 2014. She presented research about coping techniques for parent caregivers of children with chronic health needs. This paragraph stood out for me.

“All parents endure stress, but studies show that parents of children with developmental disabilities, like autism, experience depression and anxiety far more often. Struggling to obtain crucial support services, the financial strain of paying for various therapies, the relentless worry over everything from wandering to the future — all of it can be overwhelming.”

The research focused on two coping approaches. “The first group practiced meditation, breathing exercises, and qigong practices to hone mental focus. The second received instructions on curbing negative thoughts, practicing gratitude and reclaiming an aspect of adult life. Both groups were led by specially trained mentors, themselves the parents of special-needs children.”

Not surprisingly, both groups reported reductions in stress and anxiety and even “how to redirect their anxiety into positive action.” The group given the meditation techniques seemed to report greater reductions in anxiety.

When my child was diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder I also experienced high levels of stress, anxiety, sleep deprivation and fear. It was then that I refocused my writing journey to include all of what was happening in my life. I found great relief and new wells of creative energy. I became a better advocate for my daughter too.

I have had similar reports from parents in my Writing as a Righting Journey workshop where we use writing and body awareness to help reduce anxiety and find ways to channel it into creative, and more productive thinking and action.

Next week I’ll be presenting my work at an international health humanities workshop in Spain and in November, I’ll share some insights of my work at a Mayo Clinic conference in Phoenix, Humanities in Medicine. Stay tuned.

Filed Under: blog, literature review, workshops Tagged With: caregivers, healing, writing

August 29, 2016 By Suzanne

Resources

People frequently want to know where I’ve gotten my ideas. They are a conglomeration of personal and professional experience along with a lot of reading and experimentation.

Here is a list of some of my resources and Evaluation Forms. Here is another approach to evaluate Writing as a Righting Journey workshop.

Filed Under: literature review Tagged With: Evaluations, Resources

May 21, 2016 By Suzanne

Review of The Moth Eaten World

Thank you to Mindy Kronenberg for her thoughtful words in The Mom Egg Review of my chapbook, The Moth Eaten World. This is a good literary magazine for issues surrounding all aspects of mothering.

Filed Under: literature review, poetry

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Events & Workshops

The Words To Say It: Reading and Writing Poems about Illness, Trauma, & Healing

In the Time of Virus–Part 2–Writing Workshop

Writing as a Righting Journey-San Francisco/Oakland–2020

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Poetry, the pandemic, healing and medicine–Intima: A Journal of Narrative Medicine

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After Remission, Her First Tattoo–poem

June 3, 2020

My Friend Claims Her Second Round of Cancer–poem

May 9, 2020

In the time of Virus

March 24, 2020

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