Beyond the Wall

Told from the perspective of a first-generation American, Beyond the Wall is a memoir about the walls I inherited and the walls I built to survive. Those walls start to come down in March 2020 when I grieve the end of a 20-year marriage while the COVID lockdown forces me to live under the same roof as the man I am divorcing. After he moves out, I embark on a cosmic healing journey to break the silence of domestic violence, discover the joy of pleasure, and feel the liberation of menopause. At the end of 2021, faced with the prospect of yet another heart-wrenching loss, I dare to keep going and finally embody my dreams.

It is a story about mothers and daughters; the impact of alcoholism and addiction; and the creativity we carry within. And it is the story of how each of us can feel at home in our bodies, experience wholeness within ourselves and become women who step out and say: "I am here. Here I am."

The Stories That Sparkle

Every one of us is facet on the giant disco ball of life. When the light hits just right, it is our stories that sparkle in the dark.

The Stories That Sparkle on Substack is the container for my writing and creative multi-tasking. Every Monday, I publish Monday Missives (updates on my current events, what’s on my mind and in my heart, and a bit about what I listen to or read when I am not writing or recording). If you’re a free subscriber, those land in your inbox along with new podcast episodes.

Paid subscribers will also have access to three sections of different content:

• “From the Vault”: Longer written pieces, mostly background stories from my life or essays that cover topics like grappling with my body, starting over, and grieving the loss of just about anything.

• “Behind the Scenes”: Video content of what I get up to when I am at home and working as a one-woman audio/visual department.

• “On the Road”: Video and audio of the people I meet and the places I visit on my travels around the country (or abroad).