25 Years Worth of Stories

April 23, 2020

Anne Basting

I’ve been writing about the power of creative engagement since the moment that first, small group of elders in a Milwaukee nursing home decided to name a cowboy Fred Astaire.

That moment changed my life.  I wrote plays.  I wrote books. I wrote articles. I wrote short essays.  Then as the web emerged and grew, I wrote blog posts and e-news articles and social media posts.

But then my mother was diagnosed with Mild Cognitive Impairment.  Over the years, I have counted many people with dementia as friends.  But this was new territory.  I was in a position to rethink my work of using creativity to connect to people and transform care systems with a new depth of emotional insight as it touched my deepest relationships.

Over the last two years, I looked back at 25 years of work with this lens of thickened emotion.  It was an amazing journey – to revisit and write about incredibly moving experiences with elders and artists and caregivers, and to look at my parents as they, who have watched my work evolve, entered this same space. I continued to learn as I observed them – and myself – in real time. And I am humbled by the experience.

I am really proud of this book. My voices are all entwined. As a daughter, an artist, a writer, a teacher, a parent, and human being. And I got to profile incredible people and programs – and share them with what will hopefully be a broad audience.

My deepest hope is that this book gives others hope. That we can connect.  That we can change our care and education systems. That creative care can lead us to being better human beings.

It’s a big hope. But why not aim high?

The book is available May 19th! You can pre-order the book here.

Please email courtney.nobile@harpercollins.com to arrange a virtual book reading.
The reader’s guide and links for ordering can all be found on the author’s page.