Sometimes, the bad thing happens—again. The kind of news that flattens your plans, your energy, your sense of who you are. And you think, surely that’s enough now. Haven’t we hit the quota for suffering? But there’s no quota, just the long middle where life doesn’t follow a script and you’re left figuring out how to be a person again.

Suleika Jaouad knows this terrain well. She’s a writer, artist, and advocate, beloved for her memoir Between Two Kingdoms and her new offering The Book of Alchemy—a creative companion for those learning to live when life doesn’t go according to plan. Diagnosed with leukemia in her twenties and now navigating her third relapse, Suleika brings a voice shaped by experience, beauty, grief, and humor.

Together again on the Everything Happens podcast, Suleika and Kate talk about:
how illness reshapes the rhythms of a life
the grief and freedom of falling apart—and not rushing to fix it
the idea of “creative injuries” and why so many of us stopped making
how small rituals can anchor us in seasons of uncertainty
why creating something, anything, can be a way to stay human in the in-between

If you liked this episode, you might also like: 
Artist Lanecia Rouse Tinsley on “When Hope Seems Lost”
Stacey Heale, “The Aftermath of the Aftermath”
Suleika’s first and second Everything Happens episodes

 

Watch clips from this conversation, read the full transcript, and access discussion questions by clicking here or visiting katebowler.com/podcasts.

Follow Kate on Instagram, Facebook, or X (formerly known as Twitter)—@katecbowler. Links to social pages and more available at linktr.ee/katecbowler.

Sometimes, the bad thing happens&mdash;again. The kind of news that flattens your plans, your energy, your sense of who you are. And you think, surely that&rsquo;s enough now. Haven&rsquo;t we hit the quota for suffering? But there&rsquo;s no quota, just the long middle where life doesn&rsquo;t follow a script and you&rsquo;re left figuring out how to be a person again.
Suleika Jaouad knows this terrain well. She&rsquo;s a writer, artist, and advocate, beloved for her memoir Between Two Kingdoms and her new offering The Book of Alchemy&mdash;a creative companion for those learning to live when life doesn&rsquo;t go according to plan. Diagnosed with leukemia in her twenties and now navigating her third relapse, Suleika brings a voice shaped by experience, beauty, grief, and humor.
Together again on the Everything Happens podcast, Suleika and Kate talk about:
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">how illness reshapes the rhythms of a life</li>
<li aria-level="1">the grief and freedom of falling apart&mdash;and not rushing to fix it</li>
<li aria-level="1">the idea of &ldquo;creative injuries&rdquo; and why so many of us stopped making</li>
<li aria-level="1">how small rituals can anchor us in seasons of uncertainty</li>
<li aria-level="1">why creating something, anything, can be a way to stay human in the in-between</li>
</ul>
If you liked this episode, you might also like:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">Artist Lanecia Rouse Tinsley on <a href="https://katebowler.com/podcasts/lanecia-rouse-tinsely-when-hope-seems-lost/">&ldquo;When Hope Seems Lost&rdquo;</a></li>
<li aria-level="1">Stacey Heale,&nbsp;<a href="https://katebowler.com/podcasts/the-aftermath-of-the-aftermath/">&ldquo;The Aftermath of the Aftermath&rdquo;</a></li>
<li aria-level="1">Suleika&rsquo;s <a href="https://katebowler.com/podcasts/suleika-jaouad-the-kingdom-of-the-sick/">first</a> and <a href="https://katebowler.com/podcasts/suleika-jaouad-you-are-not-the-bad-thing-part-2/">second</a> Everything Happens episodes</li>
</ul>
<hr>
&nbsp;
Watch clips from this conversation, read the full transcript, and access discussion questions by <a href="https://katebowler.com/podcast/">clicking here</a> or visiting katebowler.com/podcasts.
Follow Kate on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/katecbowler/">Instagram</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/katecbowler">Facebook</a>, or <a href="https://twitter.com/KatecBowler">X</a> (formerly known as Twitter)&mdash;@katecbowler. Links to social pages and more available at linktr.ee/katecbowler.

Are you living your best life now? Not always? This is a podcast for you. Duke Professor Kate Bowler is an expert in the stories we tell about success and failure, suffering and happiness. She had Stage IV cancer. Then she didn’t. And since then, all she wants to do is talk to funny and wise people about how to live with the knowledge that, well, everything happens.  Find her online at @katecbowler.

Sales and Distribution by Lemonada Media https://lemonadamedia.com/

Are you living your best life now? Not always? This is a podcast for you. Duke Professor Kate Bowler is an expert in the stories we tell about success and failure, suffering and happiness. She had Stage IV cancer. Then she didn’t. And since then, all she wants to do is talk to funny and wise people about how to live with the knowledge that, well, everything happens.  Find her online at @katecbowler.
Sales and Distribution by Lemonada Media <a href="https://lemonadamedia.com/" data-stringify-link="https://lemonadamedia.com/" data-sk="tooltip_parent">https://lemonadamedia.com/</a>

Honest conversation about life's less-shiny moments.

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