Episode Details

Psychotherapist, writer, and co-author of the New York Times bestseller The Tools, Barry Michels joins Zibby Owens to discuss his powerful new memoir, Ahead of All Parting: On Learning to Live with an Open Heart. After being diagnosed with Lewy body dementia, a disease that also affected his father, Barry found himself facing profound questions about mortality, identity, and connection.

Barry shares how his diagnosis unexpectedly opened him up to deeper friendships, greater vulnerability, and a surge of creative energy that inspired hundreds of poems. He also reflects on the difficult family experiences that shaped him, the practical tools that helped him navigate fear and grief, and the role music continues to play in his life.

Along the way, Barry offers advice for writers, discusses the importance of community, and shares what it means to live fully in the face of uncertainty.

Learn more about Barry Michels and his work here, and follow him on Substack. You can purchase Ahead of All Parting: On Learning to Live with an Open Heart here.

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A story for the messy middle. Zibby's essay collection Between Chapters is out now!

Love to listen? She narrated the audiobook.

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