Embracing Our Grief with Eileen Vorbach Collins

Send us Fan Mail TW: Mention of Suicide Eileen Vorbach Collins joins the Writing Your Resilience podcast to talk about living with and writing about grief, breaking free of stigma and shame, how your structure serves your readers, and the importance of humor, even when writing about unimaginable pain. Here are a few questions to ponder as you listen to this episode: Have you experienced a profound loss like death, divorce, or something else? What helped you make sense of it? What helped you learn to live with this experience? What are your thoughts on Prolonged Grief Disorder? How do you find the light in the darkest of moments? Eileen Vorbach Collins, a Baltimore native, has a BS degree in nursing and an MA in pastoral care. She has written extensively about child loss since her 15-year-old daughter's suicide. Eileen’s writing has received several literary awards and two Pushcart Prize nominations. Her micro essay, “Howl and Whisper,” was nominated for Best Microfiction 2024, and her award-winning essay collection, Love in the Archives, A Patchwork of True Stories About Suicide Loss, was published in 2023 by Apprentice House Press. Episode Highlights: 2:00: How structure serves your readers 10:00 Roadblocks to write the unimaginable 15:30 The importance of including humor 17:00 The problem with Prolonged Grief Disorder 25::00 Living with grief and dealing with sibling loss 33:30 Battling the stigma of suicide loss 39:00 Writing as a way to combat shame Resources for this episode: To learn more about the history of homosexuality and the DSM, click here To read about Prolonged Grief Disorder, click here; to read about the criticisms of it, click here Essays by Eileen: Howl and Whisper A Publishing Contract: When Jupiter Aligns with Mars Give Sorrow Words Connect with Eileen: Website: https://www.loveinthearchives.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vorbachcollins/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/evorbachcollins Connect with your host, Lisa: Get Your Free Copy of Write More, Fret Less: https://lisacooperellison.com/newsletter-subscribe/ Website: https://lisacooperellison.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lisacooperellison/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UColPDzpoQlVktIv7-f7ObRg Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lisacooperellison/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-ellison-b5483840/ Sign up for Find the Memoir Structure that Works for You: https://janefriedman.com/find-the-memoir-structure-that-works-for-you-with-lisa-cooper-ellison/ Visit https://lisacooperellison.com/yourdesign/ and use promo code RESILIENCE to get 30% off your foundational report. Visit https://lisacooperellison.com/yourdesign/ and use promo code RESILIENCE to get 30% off your foundational report. Building Better Memoir Scenes: https://janefriedman.com/building-better-memoir-scenes-with-lisa-cooper-ellison/ Connect with your host, Lisa: Get Your Free Copy of Ditch Your Inner Critic: https://lisacooperellison.com/subscribe/ Website | Instagram | YouTube | Facebook | LinkedIn Produced by Espresso Podcast Production