When Words Heal: Writing Through Cancer by Sharon Bray, Ed.D. North Atlantic/Frog Books, 2006 (Preface by Martin L. Rossman, M.D., author of Guided Imagery for Self-Healing & Fighting Cancer from Within)
With eloquence, clarity and wit, Sharon Bray invites us to share the fears and joys of courageous women, teaching us not only how to write, but how to live. When Words Heal is a practical yet sublime resource for anyone touched by cancer or intrigued by the intersections of healing and writing. Chockablock with detailed session outlines, specific writing prompts and accessible writing samples, Bray's book is the definitive guide to creating and nurturing a cancer writing group. --Audrey Shafer, MD, Associate Professor, Anesthesia, Stanford University School of Medicine; Director, Arts, Humanities & Medicine Program, Stanford Center for Biomedical Ethics.
Sharon Bray's innovative approach offers essential way to share and learn from stories of illness, healing and community.
--Caryn Mirriam Goldberg, PhD, Poet Laureate of Kansas, founder of Transformative Language Arts, Goddard College.
When Words Heal is an insightful and useful book for anyone whose life has been touched by cancer. With her compassionate and informative manner, Dr. Bray structures each chapter as a writing session. Each chapter includes writing exercises, support resources, interviews with cancer survivors, and excerpts from a number of cancer survivors’ writings. By writing through cancer, readers discover the resilience of human spirit and create a supportive community. Writing and telling a story in a supportive environment releases something deeply vital that can heal each person, even when it can not cure. Readers can not help but be touched by the words of other cancer patients, and, in the gentle and encouraging voice of the author, be inspired to help others write their stories.
A Healing Journey: Writing Together Through Breast Cancer By Sharon Bray, Ed.D. Amherst Writers & Artists Press, 2004 (Foreword by Pat Schneider, author of Writing Alone & With Others)
Translating emotional upheavals into words can help to heal the body, mind, and soul. Sharon Bray's masterful book is the perfect example. ... The Healing Journey describes Bray's profound experiences with an amazing group of women dealing with the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer... Anyone touched by cancer will cherish the insights from this book.
--James W. Pennebaker PhD, Professor of Psychology, University of Texas; Author of Opening Up: The Power of Expressing Emotions
Writing, Sharon Bray tells us,.is a kind of prayer. A prayer in which we don't ask for anything, except to know our own experience and to make meaning of it...Thank you for this wise and useful book.
--Ellen Bass, poet and author of The Human Line and Courage to Heal.
A Healing Journey describes and demonstrates the healing power of writing through the experience of breast cancer and sharing our stories aloud. Building on the research of James W. Pennebaker, David Spiegel and others, women's stories are interwoven with the author's observations as writing group leader. An informative and moving account of the power of writing together to heal and create community in the face of life threatening illness. It is a wise and helpful book for anyone whose life has been touched by cancer, helping professionals or writing group leaders. ISBN #0-941895-29-7, $14.95, Softcover Available from Amazon.com
See a review in the April 2005 issue of CURE Magazine:
Learning to Live Again, an anthology of writing by men and women who live with cancer. Sharon Bray, Ed.D. & Pat Fobair, LCSW, Eds. Stanford University School of Medicine, 2007. Funded by a grant from Ortho Biotech.
From the Introduction:We created this book to share the stories of cancer survivors who once sat in hospital waiting rooms... Each chapter represents a key theme in the cancer journey... Most of the writers met in support groups and creative writing classes of the Supportive Care Program in the Cancer Center of Stanford Hospital. There we gradually found our voices, told our stories and shared the pain of the new diagnosis..."
Read about the celebration for Learning to Live Again in the Palo Alto Weekly, July 25th, 2007 issue: http://www.paloaltoonline.com/weekly/story.php?story_id=5945 or through the Stanford School of Medicine news release: news-service.stanford.edu/news/2007/july25/med-cancerbk-072507.html
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