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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\\u2019LL HEAR ABOUT THINGS LIKE:

\\xb7        What it has been like for Anne-Marie to be a \\u201clate bloomer\\u201d who wrote her first book at 53 years old.

\\xb7        The ways Anne-Marie came to understand her mother better over time.

\\xb7        The important insight Anne-Marie gained from a trauma-broken teenaged girl with an anxiety disorder.

\\xb7        The story behind the title \\u201cAs Long as I Know You.\\u201d

SOME QUESTIONS IRENE ASKS ANNE-MARIE:

\\xb7        Did your mother eventually grow to accept you, including your non-compliance regarding her desires for your religious life?

\\xb7        What was the affirmation you received from your mother that you had not hoped for or expected in any way?

\\xb7        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?