Anne-Marie Oomen: Nice Mother-Daughter Stories Are A Dime A Dozen; Pain-In-The-Ass Mother-Daughter Stories Are The Ones That Grab Us: How Humor And Compassion Grew Belatedly Between A Mother And Daughter Who Didn’t Much Like Each Other

Anne-Marie Oomen is an essayist, memoirist, poet, playwright, and educator who is the author of seven books. Not only is she a late bloomer whose first book was published when she was 53 years old, her most recent book titled As Long as I Know You: The Mom Book , has won the Association of Writers & Writing Programs Sue William Silverman Award for Creative Nonfiction. The book focuses on the troubled relationship Anne-Marie held with her mom as her mom entered dementia, and how, as Anne-Marie began to lose her mother, they somehow, in awkward and comic ways, found each other. It is a compelling read for any adult grappling with a living elder who is challenging and difficult to begin with, then add the lethal combination of dementia and defiance to the painful mix. IN THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL HEAR ABOUT THINGS LIKE: · What it has been like for Anne-Marie to be a “late bloomer” who wrote her first book at 53 years old. · The ways Anne-Marie came to understand her mother better over time. · The important insight Anne-Marie gained from a trauma-broken teenaged girl with an anxiety disorder. · The story behind the title “ As Long as I Know You .” SOME QUESTIONS IRENE ASKS ANNE-MARIE: · Did your mother eventually grow to accept you, including your non-compliance regarding her desires for your religious life? · What was the affirmation you received from your mother that you had not hoped for or expected in any way? · What have you learned about the underlying issue of elder care in the USA that you would like to share with our Grief and Rebirth Podcast audience?