Writing, Memory, and Healing with Kerry Malawista

My guest this week is Kerry Malawista, a psychoanalyst and writer who uses writing to heal. She’s the co-director of the New Directions in Writing project, which offers programs in writing from a psychological perspective. Her publication credits include the Washington Post, New York Times, and Delmarva Review, which nominated her for a Pushcart Prize. Her first novel, Meet the Moon, focuses on a young teen after the loss of her mother. Kerry talks with me about how she came to writing later in life, creating a writing program—The Things They Carry Project—to help healthcare workers cope with the pandemic, how she turned her own story of loss into a novel, how we perceive memory and truth, and more. Episode breakdown: 00:00 Parents' encouragement led to unexpected creativity. 04:40 First published piece inspired by Costa Rica trip. 09:33 Overcame challenges, found success, inspired others. 12:09 Email testimonials show positive impact on frontline workers. 15:57 Led groups for teachers, immigrants, college-bound youth. 20:32 Reading shapes perception and understanding of truth. 22:59 Realization of an impossible event from memory. 24:34 Using writing to process powerful personal experiences. 30:25 Struggling writer finds inspiration to use imagination. 32:17 Fiction captures therapist's view on loss and resilience. 34:58 Conveying ideas in a novel can be challenging. 38:48 Memoir vs novel: finding the right structure. 43:39 Humorous movie turns into husband's choking ordeal. 47:07 Effective writing balances trauma with humor. 50:29 Use all 5 senses to describe experiences.   Check out the full show notes at fycuriosity.com, and connect with me and fellow creatives on Substack. Please leave a review for this episode and in it, tell us how you deal with feedback. If you enjoyed our conversation, I hope you’ll share it with a friend. Want more? Here's a handy playlist with all my previous interviews with guests in writing.