In this episode you are going to hear a collection of short pieces we are dubbing “Flash Memoir” from our archives. These are little gems we’ve published in Wildfire Journal, read for you by April Stearns. We have nine years of published stories in our archives that are just too good not to share. In the past we used to do a call for submissions for short-form stories with a very specific prompt in mind. We would get back some very impactful bite-size vignettes – not long enough to be a full essay. This collection of dense and sparkling flash memoir pieces comes from our 2017 “Body” issue of Wildfire Journal. The writing prompt was, “What were your surgery experiences?” with pieces written by Vicky Finch, Maegan Molnar, Libby, Riley and Laurie.
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More From The Burn
In this episode you are going to hear a collection of short pieces we are dubbing “Flash Memoir” from our archives. These are little gems we’ve published in Wildfire Journal, read for you by April Stearns. We have nine years of published stories in our archives that are just too good not to share. In the past we used to do a call for submissions for short-form stories with a very specific prompt in mind. We would get back some very impactful bite-size vignettes – not long enough to be a full essay. This collection of dense and sparkling flash memoir pieces comes from our 2017 “Body” issue of Wildfire Journal. The writing prompt was, “What were your surgery experiences?” with pieces written by Vicky Finch, Maegan Molnar, Libby, Riley and Laurie.
Erika Giovanniello was diagnosed at 32 with breast cancer. She is a camper, backpacker, Frenchie dog mom, and a nurse anesthetist who has made the transition from healthcare provider to patient. In this episode, Erika reads her essay “Decision Fatigue” from the 2024 “Body” issue of Wildfire Journal. Her piece is about wanting to be a part of the life milestones her friends are experiencing, but she has to do cancer instead. April and Erika will discuss the complexity of decision making, being included in decisions by medical staff, quality of life decisions, and how cancer impacted Erika’s approach to her healthcare career going forward. They will also discuss dressing a flat chest. Contains explicit language.
Amy Austin returns to The Burn for a second visit. Amy was diagnosed with Stage IV de novo breast cancer at 34 after initially being misdiagnosed with a complex benign cyst. She is the third in a direct family line to be diagnosed with breast cancer without a known genetic link. In this episode, Amy reads her poem “In Praise of Quiet Advocacy” from the 2024 “MBC: Advocacy” issue of Wildfire Journal. Her poem is about the role of “quiet” advocacy in supporting individuals living with metastatic breast cancer (MBC). April and Amy will discuss what quiet advocacy means, the importance of being seen and seeing other young breast cancer patients, and the impact of friendships when sharing an MBC diagnosis. Amy will also share how her poem came to be with the support of another MBC friend, and the writing prompts that are all around us.
