Allison Landa: Family Secrets, Shame, and Healing Through Memoir
Explicit content warning
10/05/22 • 29 min
2 Listeners
Today, I’m joined by Allison Landa, writer and educator, to discuss the themes in her memoir, Bearded Lady. At the age of ten, Allison was diagnosed with congenital adrenal hyperplasia, which is a genetic hormonal condition that creates dark, obvious facial hair and other symptoms. We talk about the role of her mom in hiding her condition, Allison’s process for accepting herself and opening up to the world, and why it’s so important to recognize that everyone is going through a personal battle.
Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Castbox, or on your favorite podcast platform.
Topics Covered:
● What congenital adrenal hyperplasia is and how it was expressed in Allison
● Allison’s conflicting feelings when she discovered her mother had the same condition
● The incredible catharsis that Allison felt when she told her partner about her diagnosis
● How Allison became comfortable and confident enough to open up to the world about her experience with congenital adrenal hyperplasia
● The kindness that comes from understanding that everyone is going through something
Guest Info:
● Order your copy: Bearded Lady: When You’re a Woman with a Beard, Your Secret is Written All Over Your Face
Follow Me:
● Art Heals All Wounds Website
● Art Heals All Wounds Instagram
● Art Heals All Wounds Twitter
Today, I’m joined by Allison Landa, writer and educator, to discuss the themes in her memoir, Bearded Lady. At the age of ten, Allison was diagnosed with congenital adrenal hyperplasia, which is a genetic hormonal condition that creates dark, obvious facial hair and other symptoms. We talk about the role of her mom in hiding her condition, Allison’s process for accepting herself and opening up to the world, and why it’s so important to recognize that everyone is going through a personal battle.
Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Castbox, or on your favorite podcast platform.
Topics Covered:
● What congenital adrenal hyperplasia is and how it was expressed in Allison
● Allison’s conflicting feelings when she discovered her mother had the same condition
● The incredible catharsis that Allison felt when she told her partner about her diagnosis
● How Allison became comfortable and confident enough to open up to the world about her experience with congenital adrenal hyperplasia
● The kindness that comes from understanding that everyone is going through something
Guest Info:
● Order your copy: Bearded Lady: When You’re a Woman with a Beard, Your Secret is Written All Over Your Face
Follow Me:
● Art Heals All Wounds Website
● Art Heals All Wounds Instagram
● Art Heals All Wounds Twitter
Previous Episode
Bradley Berman, The Right to Die With Dignity
1 RecommendationsToday, I’m joined by filmmaker and writer Bradley Berman to discuss his most recent documentary, Jack Has A Plan. The film follows the last three years of Jack Tuller’s life and his decision to exercise his right to die with dignity.
For 25 years, Jack lived with a brain tumor and was determined to navigate the medical system, his life, and his relationships in a way that meant he didn't suffer or burden other people around him with suffering. In my conversation with Bradely, we discuss what this process was like as both a filmmaker and close friend to Jack, what he came to understand about Jack’s decision, and the empowerment that takes place for a terminal person when they decide their own destiny.
Topics Covered:
● What's being made possible through new laws that allow us to transform the experience of terminal illness
● How this film changed my perspective of The End of Life Option Act
● The resistance and discomfort that people in Jack’s life had around him making this decision
● What the public reaction to the film has been like so far
● How Bradley used the filmmaking process as a way to work through grief
Guest Info:
● Check out a screening of Jack Has A Plan at the Clarion Performing Arts Center on October 1st
Resources:
● If you're having thoughts of suicide or harming yourself, please call 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline here in the United States, or connect with other hotlines and resources
● Being Mortal: Illness, Medicine and What Matters in the End by Atul Gawande
● The Day I Die: The Untold Story of Assisted Dying in America by Anita Hannig
Follow Me:
● Art Heals All Wounds Website
● Art Heals All Wounds Instagram
● Art Heals All Wounds Twitter
Next Episode
Claudia Marulanda, Creating New Narratives with Art
Today, I’m joined by Claudia Marulanda, a New York City-based visual artist and educator. Claudia describes how she hit an emotional rock bottom and turned to her colored pencils and paint brushes to process her feelings. She’s expanding her reach by leading a series of workshops and art programs that encourage participants to build awareness around their emotions and channel their energy into a creative outlet. In our conversation, we discuss how Claudia uses art as a way to heal from within, connect with herself spiritually, and help others do the same.
Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Castbox, or on your favorite podcast platform.
Topics Covered:
● How Claudia managed to reframe the pain and depression she was experiencing through her art
● Discovering a sense of safety and clarity through a creative process
● Using art as a way to create new narratives and gain new perspectives
● The story behind how Claudia started weaving elements of hair into her drawings and paintings
● Why Claudia created a series of workshops and art programs, and what she hopes people will gain from them
Resources Mentioned:
● The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel van der Kolk M.D.
Guest Info:
● Claudia's Website
Promoted Podcast:
Follow Me:
● Art Heals All Wounds Website
● Art Heals All Wounds Instagram
● Art Heals All Wounds Twitter
Art Heals All Wounds - Allison Landa: Family Secrets, Shame, and Healing Through Memoir
Transcript
Pam Uzzell 00:12
Do you want to change the world? So do I. On the show, we meet artists whose work is doing just that. Welcome to Art Heals All Wounds. I'm your host Pam Uzzell.
Allison Landa 01:14
Don't expect to understand my family, you'll have better luck comprehending the history of the Middle East, or a Rubik's Cube. The answers there may not be formal or finite, but they at least exist. When it comes to my family. There were a few ans
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