This is our first episode focused on poetry featuring two poems written by academic librarian Amy Austin of Florida.  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. Today Amy reads two poems.  First is “Lost” from Wildfire’s 2022 “Body” issue, and then “Lines” from the 2022 “Legacy Stories” issue.  April and Amy talk about what Amy’s mastectomy scars mean to her, the privilege of aging while living with metastatic breast cancer, and writing poetry to tell a part of your story.  They will also discuss Amy’s writing process, and how making lists can be useful to start writing.  April will also share a writing prompt that will inspire you to create your own poem.

More about Amy: https://www.instagram.com/amy_r_austin/

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*Free* The Burn Writing Companion: Guided Prompt Journal (Vol. 1): https://www.wildfirecommunity.org/the-burn

Buy the Wildfire book “Igniting the Fire Within: Stories of Healing, Hope & Humor, Inside Today’s Young Breast Cancer Community”: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BJVJ629F?ref_=pe_3052080_397514860