Where does the story end? with Emily Voreas
Emily Voreas was diagnosed at 33 with Stage IIIb breast cancer, and also carries the BRCA2 gene. Emily has a Masters in Elementary Education and currently works as a reading interventionist. In this episode she reads her poem “Where does the story end?” from the 2024 “Family” issue of Wildfire Journal. Her poem is about four generations of women and cancer. April and Emily will discuss family cancer legacies, fertility, aesthetic flat closure, and the evolving advocacy in each generation of breast cancer.
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Vanessa Cuccurullo is a two-time cancer survivor who was diagnosed with synovial sarcoma at 20 and breast cancer at 48. She is the founder of Mrs. C Botanicals, a clean cannabis brand, and lives between New York City and Shelter Island with her family.
In this episode, Vanessa shares her essay, “The Life I Choose, Every Day,” from the 2025 Living Well issue of Wildfire Journal. The piece reflects on a deeply personal moment one year after treatment during a wellness retreat in Portugal, where she experiences a ritual of reclamation after cancer. Instead of returning to who she was before cancer, Vanessa steps fully into who she is now.
April and Vanessa talk about losing yourself in who you become to other people after before and after cancer, embracing joy, and choosing when and where to share your cancer story. Vanessa also shares how founding Mrs. C Botanicals and incorporating cannabis into her life has supported her well-being in survivorship.
At 27, Sarah Deer was diagnosed with early stage breast cancer. By 33, she faced a metastatic recurrence. An English language arts teacher turned librarian, Sarah now lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with her husband, Ryan.
In this episode, Sarah shares her essay “The Gift of Koselig” from the 2025 “The Second Time Around” issue of Wildfire Journal. Her writing invites us into a world of sensory grounding, reclaiming pleasure, and daring to seek joy even in the face of a terminal diagnosis.
April and Sarah talk about Sarah’s current season of survivorship, the contradictions living alongside cancer, and intentionally cultivating balance in life.
Pye is a returning guest to The Burn, having last joined us in January 2023. She is a writer and artisan who was first diagnosed with breast cancer at 37, and again at 59. Pye’s work has appeared in five issues of Wildfire Journal to date. She lives in Western Pennsylvania with her husband, Steve, a photographer.
In this episode, Pye reads two poems she wrote for the 2025 “The Second Time Around” issue of Wildfire Journal. These poems explore the strange familiarity and quiet revelations of facing cancer again after more than two decades.
April and Pye talk about what it’s been like to be an ongoing contributor to Wildfire, the differences in cancer care across decades, parenting with cancer at two very different stages of life, and how you decide who to share details of your diagnosis with. They also discuss the role of art in Pye’s life.