Suzanne Ohlmann [Host: Holly Pelesky]

On today's episode of The Lives of Writers, Holly Pelesky interviews Suzanne Ohlmann.

Suzanne Ohlmann is the author of Shadow Migration: Mapping a Life (University of Nebraska Press) and a registered nurse. Her work has been published by the Associated Press, Intima: A Journal of Narrative Medicine, Longreads, and Texas Monthly.

Holly Pelesky is the author of the essay collection, Cleave, from us at Autofocus Books. She also writes fiction and poetry and co-edits Vast Chasm literary magazine.

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PART ONE, topics include:

-- walking the neighborhood

-- growing up Lutheran in rural Nebraska

-- Suzanne and Holly's books from different sides of adoption

-- Suzanne's Shadow Migration: Mapping a Life

-- finding families while traveling

-- feeling disconnected from your body

-- metabolizing a missing person in your life

-- growing up with music

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PART TWO, topics include:

-- Suzanne's search for her biological parents

-- vulnerability and creativity

-- life changing after sharing the story

-- trauma and healing

-- inviting the reader to sit down with you

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PART THREE, topics include:

-- Suzanne's path to publishing a very personal book

-- the trouble of self-promoting, particularly for personal writing

-- deep-seated religious programming

-- shame and guilt, particularly around adoption

-- the need for human connection

-- mother wounds and how we define love

-- meeting Kurt Vonnegut

-- writing letters

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Podcast theme music provided by Mike Nagel, author of Duplex. Here's more of his project: Yeah Yeah Cool Cool.

The Lives of Writers is edited and produced by Michael Wheaton.