Be Well Be Here presents our summer online literary event
Be Brave Book Group: Grief, Light & Love
Tuesday, August 17 at 7:30 pm
MARYANNE O’HARA
author of Little Matches: A Memoir of Grief and Light
Join author Maryanne O’Hara as she shares the story of her unforgettable journey with her daughter Caitlin, diagnosed with cystic fibrosis at age 2. What began as a mother’s blog while she faced uncertainty about her daughter’s wellBeing became a literary celebration of life, Little Matches: A Memoir of Grief and Light, which explores what it means to Be human, to grieve and to love.
As Maryanne writes, “Living with chronic uncertainty and fear became a way of life for us. It took its toll, of course, but it also produced some marvelous benefits. Carpe diem. Live in the moment. Cherish what you have while you have it.”
FREE and open to all. Come with questions, and Be present for moments of compassion and wisdom.
BWBH’s Be Brave Book Group features celebrated authors sharing mindful conversation about their personal journeys as writers and the risks taken to craft authentic, meaningful narratives.
Maryanne O’Hara is the author, most recently, of Little Matches: A Memoir of Grief and Light (HarperCollins, 2021). Little Matches is inspired by 9LivesNotes.com, a blog that Maryanne kept while her daughter Caitlin was waiting for a lung transplant. Maryanne and Caitlin’s story has been featured in The New York Times, TIME Magazine, The Boston Globe, Psychology Today, People Magazine, and elsewhere. She holds an MFA in creative writing, has taught creative writing at Emerson College, and was a longtime editor at the literary journal, Ploughshares. She is the author of an award-winning novel, Cascade (Viking/Penguin 2012), many short stories, and is a recipient of literary grants from the Massachusetts Cultural Council and the St. Botolph Club.
After volunteering as an end-of-life volunteer at care facilities in Boston and Pittsburgh, Maryanne became a certified end-of-life doula at UVM’s Larner College of Medicine in 2019. She lectures on topics including chronic illness, bereavement, and secular spirituality and is the developer of a legacy writing workshop that facilitates personal and communal reflective creative practices across identity, age, and health status.
Caitlin was her only child. Maryanne and her husband Nick live near Boston.
Learn more about Maryanne and Caitlin’s story…
About BWBH’s Be Brave Book Group
This online program was established by BWBH founder Lara Wilson along with board members Marjan Kamali and Whitney Scharer to celebrate courageous authors and diverse stories.
The Be Brave Book Group features authors who courageously share mindful conversation about their personal journeys as writers exploring the risks taken to craft meaningful personal narratives. Join us to hear the real story-behind-the-story, and Be inspired by storytellers whose words make a difference.
