What does it mean to truly belong? When Casey lost her father at 11, her mother at 12, and her brother at 20, she began a lifelong search for family. Through this journey, she realized that what she was truly seeking was a sense of belonging, which would shape everything that followed. I find this conversation about her new memoir, "The Full Catastrophe: All I Ever Wanted, Everything I Feared," to be deeply moving. Her story explores how grief can coexist with joy and how true belonging differs from merely fitting in.

Casey Mulligan Walsh is an author nominated for Best of the Net. She is a founding editor of In a Flash literary magazine and serves as an ambassador for the Family Heart Foundation, which has impacted her family across generations. Casey lives in upstate New York with her husband, Kevin, and has more books than she can count.

• Losing her entire family at a young age—father at 11, mother at 12, brother at 20

• The different ways we experience grief depending on our age and circumstances

• Finding a spiritual foundation that provided peace amid profound loss

• Discovering the difference between fitting in and true belonging

• How writing clarified patterns and deeper meanings in her life experiences

• The meaning behind the book title "The Full Catastrophe" is the poignant enormity of life's experiences

• Writing as a way to feel truly seen and heard in an authentic community

Casey's memoir "The Full Catastrophe: All I Ever Wanted, Everything I Feared" is available wherever books are sold.

Learn more at www.caseymulliganwalsh.com

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El momento en que Luis Alejandro Ordóñez llegó a Chicago marcó un giro decisivo en su vida creativa. Aunque había escrito durante sus años en Venezuela, fue este cambio geográfico el que transformó la escritura de una actividad secundaria a su identidad principal. Como politólogo que trabajaba en Venezuela y enseñaba a nivel universitario, la migración lo obligó a replantearse su identidad profesional y a adentrarse más en los círculos literarios, comenzando con un evento literario en español durante su primer mes en Chicago. “Fue aquí donde eso se convirtió en lo principal”, explica, capturando un cambio profundo que muchos inmigrantes creativos viven, pero que pocos articulan con tanta claridad.

Luis Alejandro es un escritor venezolano que vive en Estados Unidos desde 2008. Es autor de las novelas Aquí no encontrarás a Weeping Sally, Si me muero, abre estos archivos, El último New York Times y del libro de relatos Play. También ha editado las antologías Los mecanismos del instante y Con la urgencia del instante. Entre 2021 y 2022 fue mentor en el Writers Mentorship Program de LatinX in Publishing. Estudió Estudios Políticos en la Universidad Central de Venezuela.

Lo que distingue el proceso de Lusi Alejandro es su practicidad — siempre lleva una libreta para anotar ideas, separando la inspiración de la ejecución. Sus novelas nacen de momentos inesperados: una referencia a Saramago inspiró The Last New York Times, mientras que el clima cambiante de Chicago dio origen a You Won’t Find Weeping Sally.

“Sé más intuitivo y menos lógico”, aconseja — una sabiduría que resuena tanto en los creativos como en los inmigrantes que aprenden a confiar en sus instintos en territorios desconocidos.

La oficina de Luis Alejandro Ordóñez: www.laoficinadeluis.com

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Glenn Van Peski shares his journey from free-range kid to ultralight backpacking pioneer and accidental entrepreneur. His experiences include a cross-country bicycle adventure at 17, surviving an airplane incident, and founding Gossamer Gear, a multi-million dollar company, without ever taking a salary from it.

Glen, known by his trail name "Legend," is celebrated for his significant contributions to the backpacking community. A native Californian, his backpacking journey began when he led his son's Scout troop in their backpacking program.

• Growing up as a "free-range kid" in Southern California before moving to Massachusetts after parents' divorce
• Cycling 4,200 miles across America after high school graduation in 1976
• Finding civil engineering career through chance encounter
• Learning to sew from his mother as a basic life skill
• Starting Gossamer Gear by making ultralight backpacks for himself, then reluctantly for others
• Keeping his day job as a civil engineer rather than relying on his gear company for income
• Meeting Whole Foods co-founder John Mackey, who purchased majority stake in Gossamer Gear
• Writing "Take Less, Do More" after years of encouragement from Mackey
• Being influenced by his mother's generous spirit and motto "noblesse oblige"
• Practicing contentment while maintaining curiosity about new possibilities
• Donating all profits from his book to the Pacific Crest Trail Association

To connect with Glen: https://www.glenvanpeski.com/

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• Share Your Thoughts and Shape the Show! Tell me what you love about the podcast and what you want to hear more about. Please email me at behas.podcats@gmail.com and be part of the conversation!
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Thank you for listening - Hasta Pronto!