Gayle talks about renovating homes while grieving, and how renovations can feel like a mirror
for grief. She renovated one home when her mother just died by suicide, and another when her
dad died. She shares numerous insights on this episode and touches on the crisis in Israel and
Palestine. She hopes grief can lead to peace.
Gayle Brandeis is the author of nine books, most recently, of the essay collection Drawing
Breath: Essays on Writing, the Body, and Loss. All titles can be found on her website:
https://gaylebrandeis.com. Gayle's essays, poetry, and short fiction have been published in places
such as The Guardian, The New York Times, The Washington Post, O (The Oprah Magazine),
The Rumpus, Salon, and more, and have received numerous honors, including the Columbia
Journal Nonfiction Award, a Barbara Mandigo Kelly Peace Poetry Award, Notable Essays in
Best American Essays 2016, 2019, and 2020, the QPB/Story Magazine Short Story Award and
the 2018 Multi Genre Maverick Writer Award. She was named A Writer Who Makes a
Difference by The Writer Magazine, and served as Inlandia Literary Laureate from 2012-2014,
with a focus on bringing writing workshops to underserved communities. She teaches in the
MFA programs at Antioch University and University of Nevada, Reno at Lake Tahoe. She lives
in Highland Park, Illinois.
Thank you for letting us be in your ears.
Coffee, Grief, and Gratitude is a created by Anne Gudger and Maria Gibson, a mom/daughter
duo who talk about grief.
You can find them on Facebook at Coffee and Grief. Please join their private Facebook page:
Coffee and Grief Community.
You can also email Maria and Anne at: coffeeandgrief@gmail.com
Anne’s memoir, THE FIFTH CHAMBER, a memoir of loss and love, is just out. You can buy it
wherever you get your books. Please review it on Amazon and Goodreads. No matter where you
bought your copy, you can review it on those sites.
Anne will be reading and signing books at Zibby’s Bookstore in Santa Monica on November 6 th
at 6pm where she’ll be in conversation with Jen Pastiloff. November 29 th she’ll be in
conversation with Anne Liu Kellor in Seattle at Nook and Cranny at 6:30. She’d love to meet
you!
