“Kintsugi” with Tegan O'Neill

Writing PromptsBody
Written By Angela Firman

Tegan O'Neill was diagnosed at 27 with Stage I Triple Negative breast cancer. She is a clinical social worker who finds meaning in helping herself and others heal through movement, dance, reading, and writing. In this episode, Tegan reads her essay “Kintsugi” from the 2025 “Hair” issue of Wildfire Journal. Her piece is about experiencing a ritual of burning her own hair—a haunting remnant of chemotherapy—in the company of two close friends. April and Tegan will talk about the alchemy of pain into beauty, being vulnerable with friends, and advice for making rituals.  

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