In Praise of Quiet Advocacy with Amy Austin
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.
Swim: Searching for Answers in Memoir with Tova Wolking
Tova reads her piece “Swim” from Wildfire Magazine’s 2021 “Bay Area Young Survivors” issue. In the wake of Tova’s mom passing away, breast cancer took root in her body. This is the story of one woman asking how to find the key to unlocking her own grief about her breast cancer when her mother took so many of those answers with her when she died. Note of warning for sensitive listeners, this episode touches upon loss and suicide.
Memories in Color: Four Generations with Erica Fitch
Erica reads her piece “Memories in Color: Four Generations” from Wildfire Magazine’s 2020 “Family” issue, where she uses the structure of color to explore and write the hard stories in our lives. Her story is about growing up with intimate knowledge of illness and the parallels that exist when you face it yourself.
“March 13” with Kate Rowbotham
Kate Rowbotham is a mom and professor who was diagnosed at 47 with de novo Stage IV metastatic breast cancer. In this episode Kate reads her essay “March 13” from Wildfire Magazine’s 2024 “Family” issue. Her story is about three generations of overlapping cancer. April and Kate will discuss understanding how love plays out in decision making, patient and caregiver experiences during the pandemic, and the intersection of work and cancer. They will also discuss the challenge of living with metastatic breast cancer and wondering about what comes next.