Name: Minds On Design Lab Inc.
Price range: $

This event was part of Reimagine Events

Let's honor our loved ones, hold space for grief, and reflect on the possibilities of transformation with family caregivers Amy Bloom - author of the NY Times bestseller memoir "In Love" - and Jacquelyn Revere.

Reimagine has been hosting candlelight vigils throughout the pandemic in order to break down taboos and hold space for all that we've lost. Tonight's program, co-hosted with the Jewish Community Center of San Francisco (JCCSF), will feature two family caregivers: author Amy Bloom, hailed “a national treasure” by Michael Cunningham and “one of America’s unique and most gifted literary voices” by Colum McCann; and Jacquelyn Revere, a TikTok influencer who shares the hardships and joys in caring for a loved one with Alzheimer's.

Amy Bloom

Amy Bloom is the author of four novels: White Houses, Lucky Us, Away, and Love Invents Us; and three collections of short stories: Where the God Of Love Hangs Out, Come to Me (finalist for the National Book Award), and A Blind Man Can See How Much I Love You (finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award). Bloom is the author of a children’s book, Little Sweet Potato, about appreciating one’s self and finding a community that takes all kinds.

Her most recent book is the widely acclaimed New York Times bestseller memoir, In Love, an illuminating story of two people whose shared life experiences led them to find a courageous way to part—and of a woman’s struggle to go forward in the face of loss. Kirkus Reviews writes, "Readers will be locked into this gorgeously written memoir. As Alzheimer's becomes more prevalent, this shimmering love story and road map is must-read testimony. You will never forget this book, and if you do, let's hope someone close to you remembers." In this heartbreaking and surprising memoir, Bloom sheds light on a part of life we so often shy away from discussing—its ending. Written in Bloom’s captivating, insightful voice and with her trademark wit and candor, In Love is an unforgettable portrait of a beautiful marriage, and a boundary-defying love.

A National Magazine Award winner, Bloom has demonstrated her versatility and wit in the essays she has written for magazines such as The New Yorker, The New York Times Magazine, Vogue, The Atlantic Monthly, Slate, and Salon, on subjects as diverse as cooking lasagna, marrying at 50, and a history of portrait-painting. Her work has been translated into fifteen languages.

A practicing psychotherapist for twenty years (after being a waitress, a bartender, an actor, and a peanut-picker), Bloom has an acute understanding of human nature and an ear especially attuned to the inner and outer voices of her characters. “I spent my professional life exploring the gap between what people said and how they said it, the chasm between what they felt and what they said they felt,” she has said.

She is the Shapiro-Silverberg Professor of Creating Writing at Wesleyan University.

Jacquelyn Revere

Jacquelyn became the sole caregiver for her mother (Lynn) and grandmother (Joyce) in 2016 after a faulty furnace leaked carbon monoxide into her family home, causing both to develop dementia. She began documenting her journey on Youtube and Tiktok under the handle @MomOfMyMom. She has since been acknowledged by Teepa Snow for her devotion to implementing fun and creating joy around caregiving. Jacquelyn was just invited to be a 2022 CareFellow with caring Across Generations. The Care Fellowship is a national cohort of current and former family caregivers who work to raise awareness of the value of care and create equitable care infrastructure within our country. With Mom Of My Mom Jacquelyn continues to offer emotional support to caregivers through courses, classes and consultations.

About Reimagine

Reimagine hosts community-driven experiences that bring creativity, connection, and essential conversation to face adversity, loss, and mortality, and channel the hard parts of life into meaningful action and growth. Reimagine envisions a world where we can embrace life fully—from this moment through the end—and collectively contribute to a more just and compassionate society. Reimagine experiences encompass arts + entertainment, healthcare + social services, spirituality + religion, and Innovation + design.