The GAB Gazette-May 2025

The GAB Gazette

May 2025 Edition

And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom."
— Anaïs Nin

The GAB Gazette Has a New Home!

We’ve updated the format of The GAB Gazette! No longer on Substack—instead, you can now find it on our website under Resources.

We’d love to hear your thoughts on the new format! Share your feedback with us at newsletter@thebirrencenter.org.

In this Issue:

News from the Birren Center
An Adorable Gabber: Poem by The Spillers
Spotlight: Tricia Homrighausen
Q & A with Dr. James Birren + Bonus Video Short!
Book Corner: The Life Story Writer’s Book Project
Community Poll Returns

GAB Chat

May 21st

We're delighted to announce our second monthly gathering designed specifically for Guided Autobiography Instructors across the globe. This initiative aims to foster a supportive community while enhancing our professional work through shared experiences and collaborative learning.

This event will take place:

Date: Wednesday, May 21st
Time: 10:00am-11:30 PDT / 5pm GMT (London, England)
Duration: 90 minutes
Format: Online Via Zoom ( Click Button below to connect)

The agenda includes:

Welcome and check-in
Writing exercises-Lily Bengfort
GAB Panel Discussion: Heidi Thorsen, Janet Ferguson and Gord Deyell; Three seasoned Guided Autobiography Instructors with decades of combined teaching experience will lead this interactive panel discussion. They will address all your burning questions about class structure and facilitation for both general GAB classes and specialized thematic workshops. They can also share their experiences with virtual versus in-person formats, pricing structures, and marketing approaches to help you launch or enhance your own GAB classes. Please forward your questions ahead of time to Heather: heatheraknox@gmail.com
Social Time- (optional, final half hour)

We hope to see many of you there!

Join GAB Chat

Help! We Need Somebody … (But not just anybody!)

Are you passionate about Guided Autobiography (GAB) and want to contribute to a growing, global community of life story facilitators?

We're seeking creative and committed volunteers to help shape the GAB Gazette—the digital newsletter of the Birren Center and the public face of our vibrant network. The GAB Gazette is published bi-monthly and shared with members, supporters, and visitors to the Birren Center’s website.

We’re looking to expand our team and need help with:

• Community Poll – design and analyze interactive polls

• Videos – help bring our stories to life through short, engaging clips

• Content – write articles, interviews, or event recaps

• International GAB Liaison – bring global perspectives into the spotlight

• Marketing and Outreach – help us spread the word

Why volunteer? You’ll have the chance to collaborate with a great team and make a meaningful impact.

Our mission is to keep GAB instructors inspired and connected—with timely updates, practical teaching tools, and stories that reflect the heart of our shared work.

Interested? Reach out to us at admin@thebirrencenter.org and tell us how you’d like to contribute.

Second Chances Anthology Update: Over 100 Stories Received! Spanish submissions extended to midnight May 7.

We’re thrilled to share that we’ve received more than 100 submissions for our upcoming anthology, Second Chances: Lives Change One Story at a Time. For the first time, the anthology will also feature five stories in Spanish—an exciting step toward greater inclusivity.

The anthology team is now hard at work reading, reviewing, and editing these inspiring pieces. Fifty stories will be selected for the anthology. Thank you to everyone who submitted a story—your voices and vulnerability are what make this project so meaningful.

As our editor, Sarah White, so eloquently put it, the Birren Center’s anthology series …”reflects what makes Guided Autobiography so special: community, courage, and the transformative power of personal narrative. As instructors, we are both witnesses to and facilitators of this magic.”

We deeply appreciate everyone who helped bring this effort to life.

From Page to Screen~Use Your GAB Skills to Create a Short Film

Join Dr. Mike Lang and Heather Alicia Knox for an immersive online workshop that bridges the gap between written storytelling and visual storytelling. In just a few sessions, you'll learn how to breathe cinematic life into one of your stories.

Select Link or Image in this section for more info and registration:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe7KZIqsCao4JSoLqLpLdztqJb_QHP8vi2YdUfDV604kDw_zw/viewform

An Adorable Gabber

On the last day of a GAB 1 class, we usually had a potluck dinner and a “graduation” where I would call up people one by one, read them my wishes for them and give them a certificate of completion. With this group, after I was done with my wishes, they presented me with a gift. I opened it and it was this poem nicely framed which they had written. They read it to me and gave me a figurine of a woman holding a heart close to her chest as a thank you. It was such a fun, emotional moment. This group stayed together through GAB 4 and are the closest of friends. It’s all about the magic connection that happens with the GAB process. All I do is invite them to join in and set the table. They bring the magic.

Sheri Kohlmann, GAB Instructor since 2010

Read Poem

Spotlight On

Tricia Homrighausen

THE WIND BENEATH HER WINGS

By Barbara Smith

“I always felt that I was the bridge that was bringing the power of storytelling to people,” says Tricia Homrighausen, whose career as an advocate for seniors in Orange County led her to GAB. With creativity, passion, and just plain boots-on-the-ground hard work, she has brought the magic of GAB to nearly a thousand participants.

From 2009 to 2019 Tricia served various positions with the Council on Aging - Southern California and then the SCAN Health Plan, encompassing a variety of positions, all geared toward reducing social isolation and engaging seniors in meaningful ways. Among her special skills were volunteer management, grant writing, and fundraising, but nearest and dearest to her heart was and still is her work with seniors, designing and delivering classes and GAB-related activities.

Tricia discovered GAB in 2013 while researching ways to incorporate storytelling to engage and increase social connections for seniors. She took the GAB training in 2014 from Cheryl Svensson, and, under the SCAN umbrella, began offering GAB courses at senior centers, community groups and anywhere in Orange County she saw the need. Thus began some of the most rewarding years of her career.

Joy and gratitude are infused in any conversation one has with Tricia when she speaks of her 10+ years facilitating GAB classes. She estimates she taught 400 GAB classes during her nearly six years with SCAN’s Independence at Home, Volunteer Action for Aging and other programs, which translates to about 3,840 stories. “That story number makes me smile,” she sighs, adding her gratitude for SCAN’s belief in the value of the GAB program and that it has continued, even after her retirement, enriching the lives of seniors.

A favorite activity that grew out of her 5-week classes was the Friends and Family events she created and hosted along with other volunteers, where participants, some of whom had never even stood before a group before, took to the podium, held a microphone, and shared their stories. One of the big advantages of working through SCAN was that classes were offered at no cost. A challenge she mentions is that often the planning, securing of venues and spreading the word of GAB courses was left to her. Tricia took these challenges as opportunities, visiting senior centers, churches, libraries, and senior apartment complexes, making connections and bringing more and more venues and people to the GAB community.

Tricia received a Senior Care Hero Award for her advocacy, and other recognition, but most important to her is the satisfaction of knowing she played a part in growth, self- discovery and healing among her participants, all hallmarks of GAB.

Since retirement, Tricia continues with volunteer activities and most recently offered a GAB class at her home in a special perch she calls “the Nest,” a space for nurturing and growth. Her approach continues to evolve, allowing ever more generous time for feedback for each story. She draws special pride in sharing that several of her participants have gone on to become GAB instructors, and two recent participants have submitted stories to the upcoming GAB Second Chances anthology.

For all that she has given through GAB and her myriad activities, Tricia remains humble. “I am so thankful I had the forum to touch so many peoples’ lives. It was the wind beneath my wings.”

Tricia and her husband Art reside in Yorba Linda, California and a family cabin in Lake Arrowhead, California. She is passionate about her family and friends, the serenity of lake life, and sharing with others the Guided Autobiography experience.

Tricia and her latest GAB participants perched in the Nest.

A Series of Q & A with Dr. Birren

As our founder and friend through GAB, Dr. James Birren had many words of wisdom to share with GAB instructors. Through an online Q & A series with Dr. Cheryl Svensson during her GAB online instructor training sessions from 2010 to 2015, he answered questions from GAB instructors. You may find that you have similar questions. His answers are as relevant and helpful today as they ever were. This is the second in a series of installments devoted to the Birren Q & A.

Photo of Dr. Birren

More from Dr. Birren on the process of Guided Autobiography:

Full professors talk full time! One thing that happens in GAB and the groups-your memories get primed. We have so much in our nervous system that is latent and needs stimulation to get the memories out. After that happens, then you can reorganize the memories. For instance, with a crossword puzzle, if you do not have any of the letters, you may not be able to guess the word. But if one letter shows up, then the word comes to you much easier. This happens in GAB groups. Someone says something and you say, “Oh something like that happened to me but the effect was different.” One of the biggest things about GAB is that the memories are primed and this leads to increased richness. By the time we retire, our vocabulary has more than doubled from what it was when we were in high school…up to 40,000 to 50,000 words.

Question for Dr. Birren: I've witnessed a number of older adults who achieve a time of "wisdom" and "integrity" at some point in their older years (often their 80's); yet I've also seen them outlive this time. As they approach their 90s and beyond and the losses mount (of health, friends, family) many lose that sense of wisdom and slip into sadness, depression and fear.

Just as you and others have found "tools" to help older adults discover meaning and purpose through introspection and learning about themselves through autobiography, and other methods, are there different methods needed to help these adults hold on to meaning and purpose into extreme aging that they discovered years earlier?

Dr. Birren’s Answer: I think there are many ways to stimulate older adults and I would encourage them to bring in photos, mementos, from the past. Bring in things of meaning from their own past. A life is so rich that there are many ways to bring up the details of the past. You might even bring up some of the bad things. Did your house burn down? Memories need to be stimulated in positive and negative directions. The neutral questions are used for the positive and negative effects are allowed to surface. It may be that you recall an earlier ‘bad’ memory and you change your attitude towards it. It may have been very negative at the time it occurred but over time you have reevaluated it and come to even appreciate the occurrence. You might even remember your parents as being ‘overbearing’ but now realize they were just doing the best they could.

We live in a CCRC (continuing care retirement community) and I have led five GAB groups here with the residents. The average age is 84 years and it goes up to over 100 years of age. They are all interested in talking about their life. The GAB groups have been popular and the conversations often extend into dinner table conversations. Everyone has an interesting life story to tell.

Professor Emeritus James E. “Jim” Birren, the founding dean of the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology and an aging-research pioneer considered by many to be the father of modern gerontology, passed away on January 15, 2016, at the age of 97. Remembering James E. Birren

Watch Dr Birren Video Short

Shelf-Worthy: Top Picks for Life Story Writers

A collection of books on the craft of writing and the benefits of life story writing is an invaluable resource for GAB instructors. Ever had that moment when you needed a bit of wisdom or a curated perspective for inspiration as you planned your next class? Or perhaps a class member asked for recommendations for a great memoir?

Let’s build our own GAB Book Resource List! We’re gathering recommendations for the best books on life story writing and memoir to create an annotated bibliography that all GAB instructors can benefit from.

How You Can Help:

Send us your favorite books on life story writing or memoir.

Volunteer to help compile and annotate the list.

Share insights on why a book has been valuable to you.

If you’d like to contribute, we’d love your help! Email us at admin@thebirrencenter.org, and we’ll put you to work on this exciting new project.

Shelf Worthy Suggestions from Kimberly Lee, GAB Instructor

Old Friend From Far Away, By Natalie Goldberg:

This book teaches writers how to tap into their memories to tell their stories. Building on her groundbreaking Writing Down the Bones, Goldberg offers a beautifully written guide filled with timed, associative, and meditative exercises that help writers access forgotten memories. Part memoir, part writing course, and part meditation on life, Old Friend from Far Away reaffirms Goldberg’s place as a master teacher and invites writers of all levels to find their unique voice.

Tell It Slant, By Brenda Miller and Suzanne Paola:

A cornerstone text for writers of creative nonfiction. Drawing on Emily Dickinson’s advice to “tell the truth but tell it slant,” the book encourages writers to move beyond mere reportage and discover their unique perspective. The updated third edition expands its relevance with new chapters on identity, work/life balance, and navigating the publishing world. It includes fresh writing exercises, an expanded anthology featuring diverse voices and forms—from traditional essays to graphic memoirs—and an insightful discussion of evolving genres. Both practical and inspiring, this guide blends instruction with encouragement, making it ideal for classrooms and self-directed learners alike. Miller and Paola, accomplished writers and teachers, offer wisdom with generosity and clarity, empowering writers to craft honest, artful narratives. Tell It Slant is more than a manual—it’s a companion for anyone seeking to tell their truth with purpose and grace.

Writing for Your Life, By Deena Metzger:

In Writing for Your Life, poet and therapist Deena Metzger offers an inspiring guide to harnessing writing as a path to healing and self-discovery. With warmth and wisdom, Metzger invites both writers and nonwriters to explore creativity through journals, dreams, myths, and personal narratives. Her approach encourages readers to confront inner silences and rediscover the joy of storytelling. Through powerful anecdotes and practical exercises, Metzger shows how writing can mend what is wounded and bring hidden parts of ourselves into the light. Rather than focusing solely on technique, she emphasizes writing as a sacred, transformative act. Compassionate and profound, Writing for Your Life is an essential companion for anyone seeking to heal, grow, and connect more deeply with their authentic voice.

Got 60 seconds? We’d love to hear your thoughts! Please take a moment to complete our brief poll. Your responses are confidential and will be used solely to better serve our GAB Community.

Select Link or Image in this section to complete poll.

https://thebirrencenter.org/newsletter-poll

The GAB Gazette is a bi-monthly publication from the Birren Center.

GAB Gazette Team

Editor: Cheryl Svensson

Our Team: Stephen Dolainski, Roselyn O’Connell, Barbara Smith, Melissa Coats