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Writers@Work: Writing a Memoir about Illness

An Interview with Liv Rosin

by Rochelle Melander

Congratulations on your new book, My Stroke of Blessings: A Message of Hope. Can you tell us what it’s about?

My Stroke of Blessings: A Story of Hope is a recounting of my brain hemorrhage, my determination to return to the classroom and beyond, and my discoveries along the way. That first summer was so incredibly difficult, especially when my thalamic pain kicked in, but regardless of the challenges, especially in the classroom, I found hope and support that kept me going. 

Your book is a very compelling read. I know you’re a retired English teacher and an avid reader. Can you talk about how you made this such a riveting read? 

First, thank you for your kind words about my writing. Besides being a literature and composition teacher 1985-89 and 1993-2020, I wrote for the Concordia Language Villages 1982-85 and 1989-1991 and was an editor for Augsburg-Fortress Publishing 1991-1993. 

All my experiences went beyond academic writing, especially since I also was an adviser for two different high school yearbooks and newspapers, as well as the instructor for the College in the Schools Writing Course and AP Language and Composition.

This combination of courses made me aware of the importance of rhetorical devices in writing and of writing as streamlined as possible. I certainly tried to practice what I’ve preached to my students for so many years. When my students wrote narratives, I encouraged them to imagine they were writing a screenplay. Each word needs to be the best one, specific words that convey emotions and are concrete rather than abstract. Concrete words can be experienced through the senses: sight, sound, smell, taste, touch.

This includes peer revision. I had the extreme good fortune of reconnecting with someone from my Augsburg-Fortress days, Ann Harrington, and we would send a thousand words to each other each week. After commenting on each other’s work, we would talk about the writing by phone. 

We couldn’t do the peer revision the entire time, especially since Ann had a job, but because we had about two years to comment on each other’s writing, I could still hear Ann’s comments even after I had to continue writing without her input.

Writing a memoir is both emotionally taxing and healing. What support or help did you get in the writing of the book? And how did you take care of yourself as you wrote?

First of all, I spent eleven years writing this memoir! Before I had even left Courage Kenny Rehabilitation Institute,  I had decided to write the memoir for other stroke survivors, their friends and family members, medical professionals and caregivers, and anyone who enjoys memoirs. 

I took time off to read more memoirs and discover how different writers constructed their memoir. I know there are classes on how to write memoirs, but I preferred reading people’s final product and the reviews each received. I was also still teaching, so my memoir usually ended on a back burner.

Fortunately, God kept giving me nudges. My oldest child asked me about my memoir whenever I saw him or talked with him. I suddenly reconnected with Ann Harrington at the Guthrie Theater; she wanted to restart peer editing. And Ann had taken courses on writing a memoir.

Then I retired so I could focus on my younger son’s senior year AND my memoir. I couldn’t decide how to end my memoir, so I started researching and writing some historical fiction. My writer’s block with THAT allowed me to write a conclusion for my memoir. 

Throughout the long process, I had plenty of support. It definitely helped that I didn’t have to worry about supporting myself financially. Thank you, Mark!

I believe you published the book yourself. Can you talk about what led you to that decision and any tips you have for our readers? 

I have never gone to any “meet and greets” for writers and editors and publishers. In fact, I had no clue what to do with my memoir once it was done—and I wasn’t patient. I also had no clue that so many companies are ready to pounce on unsuspecting writers. 

My husband and I decided to give Amazon a try. Along the way, we discovered a number of hidden costs that I wish had been clarified up front. I recommend doing more research up front about what needs to be done to publish a book. Don’t be afraid to ask a lot of questions. You may find helpful answers on YouTube. If you’re fortunate, you might know someone who has recently gone through the process of self-publishing. And Rochelle Melander has created a number of resources on publishing. Ask plenty of questions! 

I’ve also discovered that my technological challenges have prevented me from being able to do things at a faster pace. But I’m learning. 

What are you reading now?

I usually have only one or two books going at the same time because I’m in two book groups. But right now I have four books going (actually one I have just finished):

By Your Side: How to Find Soulful Allies and Become One by David Richo

Unruly: The Ridiculous History of England’s Kings and Queens by David Mitchell

The Stone Witch of Florence by Anna Rasche

The Bookseller of Inverness by S. G. MacLean

About the Author. Minnesota native Liv Rosin has always wanted to be a writer. A wife and mother of three who taught high school English literature and composition and also worked as an editor at Augsburg-Fortress, she read both fiction and nonfiction whenever possible. It took the biggest challenge of her life, a major brain hemorrhage, to give her a meaningful book subject. As she battled the many challenges to return to the classroom and not let her disability define her, Liv also discovered several blessings along the way.

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