Elizabeth Austin

An Open Letter to the Old Man Who Bartered with My Cancer-Patient Daughter at the Community Yard Sale Fundraiser Dear Old Man Who Bartered with My Cancer-Patient Daughter at the Community Yard Sale Fundraiser, Thank you for attending the Alex’s Lemonade Stand ...

Some levity for your Wednesday over on @mcsweeneys.net based on actual events!

www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/an-...

05.02.2025 14:16 — 👍 2    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0

I Was the World’s Worst Cancer Mom The cancer ward (and my Insta feed) were filled with picture-perfect moms moving heaven and earth for their sick kids. Meanwhile, I spiraled into heavy drinking, depression and self-destruction.

Carolyn’s years in cancer treatment were harrowing. I am still reckoning with how we managed COVID, cancer, and being a single parent household in a country with desperately insufficient social supports.

I’m grateful to Narratively for giving this a home. I believe ours is a story worth telling.

05.02.2025 14:15 — 👍 3    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0

I Was the World’s Worst Cancer Mom The cancer ward (and my Insta feed) were filled with picture-perfect moms moving heaven and earth for their sick kids. Meanwhile, I spiraled into heavy drinking, depression and self-destruction.

In research for my book I read hundreds and hundreds of stories by and about people affected by cancer. This one's rare, and real. www.narratively.com/p/i-was-the-...? by Elizabeth Austin @writingelizabeth.bsky.social

28.01.2025 16:51 — 👍 5    🔁 1    💬 0    📌 0

The Cost of Distrust: How RFK Jr.’s Leadership Threatens Families Like Mine - Ms. Magazine The consequences of anti-vaccine rhetoric are often felt not by those trying to make a political statement, but the most vulnerable among our communities. RFK Jr.'s elevation from the fringe to the pi...

“Real freedom, for families like mine, means knowing that our healthcare choices are grounded in rigor and reason, not fear and conspiracy.”

I’d give a whole lot to never have cause to write this piece, but I’m grateful to @msmagazine.com for giving it a place and amplifying this conversation.

04.02.2025 21:02 — 👍 6    🔁 2    💬 0    📌 0

The Gift of a Good Editor By Elizabeth Austin In the early days of my writing career, sending a draft to an editor felt like unzipping my chest and offering up my insides to someone holding a pen instead of a scalpel. I’d h…

"In the early days of my writing career, sending a draft to an editor felt like unzipping my chest and offering up my insides to someone holding a pen instead of a scalpel." ~ Elizabeth Austin brevity.wordpress.com/2024/11/18/t...

18.11.2024 12:06 — 👍 17    🔁 1    💬 0    📌 1

A shaggy black dog sits in the sun in front of stone stairs. A pink leash trails out of the frame.

This is Numa, she’s perfect 🖤

12.11.2024 03:45 — 👍 7    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0