DeepSummary
Suleika Jaouad, a New York Times bestselling author and journalist, shares her remarkable life story, including being diagnosed with an aggressive form of leukemia at age 22 while living in Paris. She discusses how writing became a form of healing during her difficult cancer treatment, leading to her Emmy Award-winning column 'Life, Interrupted' for the New York Times.
Jaouad recounts her struggles with isolation, identity, and finding purpose during and after her nearly four-year cancer battle. She shares how a road trip across America helped her process the trauma and rediscover herself, an experience she chronicles in her memoir 'Between Two Kingdoms'. The interview also touches on her marriage to musician Jon Batiste and the return of her cancer, documented in the Netflix film 'American Symphony'.
Throughout her journey, Jaouad's creative pursuits, from writing to music, provided solace and a means to connect with others facing life's challenges. Her story highlights resilience, embracing uncertainty, and finding beauty amidst adversity, offering hope and wisdom for anyone grappling with upheaval and the human condition.
Key Episodes Takeaways
- Writing and creative pursuits can be powerful sources of healing, connection, and purpose during life's most difficult challenges.
- Surviving trauma like cancer is not the same as living - the aftermath and reintegration process requires patience, self-compassion, and embracing uncertainty.
- Finding beauty, curiosity, and moments of joy amidst adversity is essential for maintaining hope and resilience.
- An individual's identity is constantly evolving, shaped by experiences that both bury old dreams and unearth new possibilities for growth.
- Rituals, community, and sharing one's vulnerability can provide comfort and solidarity when grappling with the complexities of the human condition.
- Redefining societal expectations and philosophies to align with one's authentic needs is crucial for well-being and living with intention.
- Embracing life's highs and lows as a cohesive journey, rather than compartmentalizing experiences, allows for a deeper appreciation of the full human experience.
- Maintaining a sense of optimism and making plans for the future is an act of defiance and resilience in the face of life's uncertainties.
Top Episodes Quotes
- “I couldn't go back to the person I'd been pre diagnosis. I didn't know who I was.“ by Suleika Jaouad
- “I remember feeling a kind of bifurcation, a sense that there was my life before and now everything that would come after, and that the person I'd been, the dreams I'd had were buried.“ by Suleika Jaouad
- “But it's also a phrase that has always filled me with a sense of panic. The sense and the pressure of needing to make as much meaning out of every moment, which, honestly, is fine in the short term, but an exhausting way to live.“ by Suleika Jaouad
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Episode Information
Design Matters with Debbie Millman
Design Matters Media
3/4/24
New York Times bestselling author and journalist Suleika Jaouad began writing her Emmy Award-winning column, “Life, Interrupted,” from her hospital room, chronicling her experiences as a young adult with cancer. She joins to discuss her remarkable life, career, and bestselling memoir, Between Two Kingdoms.