Diana M. Raab
Diana M. Raab, MFA, RN was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1954 and received her undergraduate degree in Health Administration and Journalism in 1976. A few years later, she received her RN degree. After twenty-five years as a medical and self-help writer, she’s directed her creative energy toward nonfiction and memoir writing. In 2003, she earned her MFA in Writing from Spalding University’s low-residency program. Diana is the author of eight books, including her first memoir, “Regina’s Closet: Finding My Grandmother’s Secret Journal” (2007) the recipient of the 2009 Mom’s Choice Award for Adult Non-Fiction and the 2009 National Indie Award for Excellence in Memoir. Her award-winning work has also been published in numerous literary magazines and is widely anthologized. Her poetry collection, “Dear Anaïs: My Life in Poems For You” won the 2009 Next Generation Indie Award for Poetry. She teaches in the UCLA Extension Writers’ Program and facilitates writing workshops and attends conferences around the country, with a focus on writing for healing. She is a frequent panel moderator. |
Healing with Words: A Writer’s Cancer Journey
Synopsis: is a unique, compassionate story written by a nurse, author, and mother of three, who at the age of forty-seven found her life shattered by a diagnosis with DCIS with invasion. Five years later she was diagnosed once again to yet another, seemingly unrelated and incurable blood cancer—multiple myeloma. The book includes the author’s experiences, reflections, poetry, journal entries, in addition to writing prompts for readers to express their own personal story. While coping with her loss, Raab realized that in addition to seeking immediate health care and having a supportive family, her lifeline to survival was writing about her experience. When Raab received her abnormal mammogram report, she pulled out her journal and began writing. She usually wrote first thing in the morning when her thoughts were the purest. Raab considers journaling to be like a daily vitamin—healing, detoxifying and essential for optimal health. |