Anne-Marie Oomen is an essayist, memoirist, poet, playwright, and educator who is the author of seven books. Not only is she a late bloomer whose first book was published when she was 53 years old, her most recent book titled As Long as I Know You: The Mom Book, has won the Association of Writers & Writing Programs Sue William Silverman Award for Creative Nonfiction. The book focuses on the troubled relationship Anne-Marie held with her mom as her mom entered dementia, and how, as Anne-Marie began to lose her mother, they somehow, in awkward and comic ways, found each other. It is a compelling read for any adult grappling with a living elder who is challenging and difficult to begin with, then add the lethal combination of dementia and defiance to the painful mix.IN THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL HEAR ABOUT THINGS LIKE: ·        What it has been like for Anne-Marie to be a “late bloomer” who wrote her first book at 53 years old. ·        The ways Anne-Marie came to understand her mother better over time. ·        The important insight Anne-Marie gained from a trauma-broken teenaged girl with an anxiety disorder. ·        The story behind the title “As Long as I Know You.” SOME QUESTIONS IRENE ASKS ANNE-MARIE: ·        Did your mother eventually grow to accept you, including your non-compliance regarding her desires for your religious life? ·        What was the affirmation you received from your mother that you had not hoped for or expected in any way? ·        What have you learned about the underlying issue of elder care in the USA that you would like to share with our Grief and Rebirth Podcast audience?