Making Connections, Part 4 of 4
Long before COVID, people in the U.S. and across the world have struggled with loneliness, isolation, and lack of social connection. In 2023, Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy declared loneliness an epidemic and announced a strategy to help reverse this alarming trend. And months later, journalist Allison Gilbert reported for the New York Times about the appointment of world-renowned therapist Dr. Ruth Westheimer as New York State’s Ambassador to Loneliness, the first such position in the country. Reimagine and Allison are co-hosting a new series to learn about strategies to build deeper connections, particularly among the most vulnerable.
At the final conversation of this series, Allison will be joined by Anna Quindlen (bestselling author and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist) and Dr. Tasha Golden (former Director of Research at the International Arts + Mind Lab at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine) for a special conversation about the impact creativity has on our mental health and overall wellbeing. Everyone is welcome and to bring your most pressing questions!
About Reimagine
Reimagine is a nonprofit organization catalyzing a uniquely powerful community–people of different backgrounds, ages, races, and faiths (and no faith) coming together in the hopes of healing ourselves and the world. We specifically support each other in facing adversity, loss, and mortality and–at our own pace– actively channeling life's biggest challenges into meaningful action and growth.
Speakers
Anna Quindlen’s latest book, After Annie, is a novel about grief and connection, family and friendship, and the power of love to transcend feelings of isolation that often follow the death of a loved one. She is also the author of many bestselling books including the #1 New York Times bestselling novel Rise and Shine, the #1 bestselling memoir Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake, and A Short Guide to a Happy Life. Her other novels include Object Lessons, Blessings, One True Thing, the Oprah Book Club Selection Black and Blue, Every Last One, Still Life with Bread Crumbs, Miller’s Valley, and Alternate Side. While a columnist at The New York Times she won the Pulitzer Prize and published two collections, Living Out Loud and Thinking Out Loud. Her Newsweek columns were collected in Loud and Clear.
Her national bestseller, Write for Your Life, explores the many ways putting words to the page is healing and transformative and a critical means to find community. Using examples from past, present, and future — from Anne Frank to Toni Morrison, from love letters written after World War II to journal reflections from nurses and doctors today — Write for Your Life vividly illuminates the ways in which writing connects us to ourselves and to those we cherish. Drawing on her personal experiences not just as a writer but as a mother and daughter, Quindlen makes the case that recording our daily lives in writing is essential.
Tasha Golden, PhD is a singer/songwriter turned public health scientist, and an internationally-recognized leader in the science of “Creativity x Wellbeing.” From SXSW to the US Conference of Mayors, from POLITICO to state arts councils, from industry summits to universities, Golden’s storytelling and game-changing insights motivate and inspire audiences.
Previously the Director of Research at the International Arts + Mind Lab at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Golden has led pivotal research into art’s influence on health. Now a full-time speaker, author, and consultant, Golden has guided thousands of clients and audience members to reimagine their work, purpose, and potential.
Golden’s work is shaped by her early experiences as a career artist and entrepreneur. As singer-songwriter for the critically acclaimed band Ellery, she toured internationally, with songs in TV and film (ABC, SHOWTIME, FOX, NETFLIX, etc). But when severe burnout and depression ended her music career, she began raising questions about mental health, creativity, and wellbeing that led to her PhD, ongoing research, and global work as a speaker and consultant.
Golden is a published poet (Humanist Press), founder of Project Uncaged: a trauma-informed creative writing program for incarcerated girls, and developer of “How We Human”: a training in Mental Health and Trauma-Informed Practice designed for creatives. She is also the lead author of "Arts on Prescription: A Field Guide for US Communities."
With extensive publications in peer-reviewed journals, Dr. Golden combines scientific knowledge with professional experience, personal storytelling, and a dynamic presence honed over years of performing. Leveraging her unique research and background, she helps clients and audiences raise their own new questions—linking science and creativity to grow their work.
Host
Allison Gilbert is host of Reimagine’s “Making Connections” and “Passed and Present” conversation series and co-author with Dr. Ruth Westheimer of the forthcoming book, The Joy of Connections: 100 Ways to Beat Loneliness and Live a Happier and More Meaningful Life (Rodale: October 22, 2024). Pre-order The Joy of Connections here.
Allison is also author and co-author of numerous other books, including Listen, World!: How the Intrepid Elsie Robinson Became America’s Most-Read Woman; Passed and Present: Keeping Memories of Loved Ones Alive; and Always Too Soon: Voices of Support for Those Who Have Lost Both Parents. She serves on the Advisory Board of the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors and is a past Board Member of the National Alliance for Children’s Grief. A regular contributor to the New York Times and other publications, Allison launched Pub Day, a literary consultancy, to help women writers best-position their book ideas for publication.
