The GAB Gazette—January-February 2026

The GAB Gazette

January-February 2026 Edition

“What the new year brings to you will depend a great deal on what you bring to the new year.” – Vern McLellan

You can find previous GAB Gazette editions on our website at: https://thebirrencenter.org/the-gab-gazette

The Gazette is continuously improving in content. Please share your feedback and ideas for future GAB Gazette editions with us at: newsletter@thebirrencenter.org

In this Issue:

Happenings in The World of GAB
Participant Experiences: Fresh Start in Community, by Angie Turner and Beginnings We Choose, by Alice Gaddi-Roselo
Spotlight On: Alicia Borisonik and Camila Reimers
Q & A with Dr. James Birren
Book Corner: Shelf Worthy Books and Podcasts🌟
New Year’s Exercise

As Bob Dylan so prophetically sang in 1963, “The Times They Are A-Changin’.”

The Birren Center has been a California-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit for three years. We are guided by a committed, working board—none of whom has ever been paid—and fueled by a shared passion for Guided Autobiography and for honoring and advancing Jim Birren’s legacy.

I have served as director for the past three years, and during that time the organization has grown steadily. Due to health issues in my immediate family, I now need to step back from the 24/7, day-to-day responsibilities of running the organization. I want to be clear: I am not leaving the Birren Center, and I never will. I will remain involved, but in a different capacity.

We are deeply grateful that Sarah White has graciously agreed to step in as Interim Director as we move forward. You may not notice many changes—but this moment offers an important opportunity.

We want to reach out to each and every one of you to invite deeper engagement: as part of a committee, a planning team, or even as a future board member. This organization was built around your needs—to serve you and to help spread guided autobiography to ever-wider communities.

Please join us for our Town Hall meeting, when we will take over the GAB Chat space to share what’s happening, where we are headed, and where we stand in our nonprofit journey. We look forward to connecting with you.

Warmly,

Cheryl

GAB Chat

Town Hall

January 21, 2026

As we step into a new year, we invite you to join us for a Birren Center Town Hall—a time to come together, reconnect, and look ahead as a community grounded in shared values and purpose. This meeting will take the place of our usual GAB Chat so that we can bring you up-to- date on changes in the Birren Center and our world of GAB.

This month’s meeting details:

Date: Wednesday, January 21st
Time: 4:00 pm-5:30 pm PST / 7:00 pm-8:30 pm ET
Subject: 🌟—Special Event: Birren Center Town Hall
Hosts: Cheryl Svensson, Founding Director, and Sarah White, Interim Executive Director Birren Center for Autobiographical Studies
Over the past several months, the Board has been engaged in thoughtful, behind-the-scenes planning to ensure the long-term strength and sustainability of the Birren Center. At the Town Hall, we’ll share updates about the organization’s financial health, leadership transitions, and governance work, while also affirming what remains steady at the heart of the Center: our commitment to life story work, high-quality training, and instructor support.
Because the Birren Center is a volunteer-led nonprofit, we’ll also be opening the door to participation. We’ll talk about current opportunities to serve in volunteer leadership roles, including Board and committee positions, and what it looks like to help shape the future of this work in practical, meaningful ways.
There will be time for listening, questions, and conversation, as well as a look at new courses, instructor development opportunities, and ways your ideas can find a home at the Center.
Whether you’re deeply involved or quietly curious, we hope you’ll join us for this shared time of reflection, connection, and possibility.

We hope to see many of you there!

Register for GAB Chat

Call for Essays: Birren Center Anthology No. 5

The Birren Center has selected the theme for the fifth volume in the Birren Collection, scheduled for publication in November 2026:

Moments That Shape Us

Write about a brief moment that changed you—a turning point, realization, or incident that revealed something essential about who you are. Choose a small scene with a big echo.

Submission window: February 1–April 30, 2026
An announcement with details on how to submit will go out when submissions open.

Guidelines at a glance

Original, unpublished work on the theme
800–1,000 words
Written in English or Spanish
One submission per person
Include a 50-word author bio
Author must hold publication rights

Essays will be selected based on how well they reflect the theme and their ability to enlighten, inspire, and/or entertain the reader. The Anthology is open to all GAB instructors and any student who has taken a Guided Autobiography workshop.

GAB Instructors: Please encourage your students to submit. An informational session on coaching students for anthology submissions will be offered soon; contact sarah@thebirrencenter.org for details.

Starts Soon!

Life Portfolio invites reflection on what truly matters—

We’re excited to introduce a new offering from The Birren Center: Life Portfolio Certification Training. This upcoming course supports instructors in expanding their teaching repertoire while guiding participants through meaningful reflection on their life journeys.

About the Course
A life portfolio reflects how we invest our time, energy, and lived experience. Through guided exercises and structured reflection, participants explore relationships, skills, and key life experiences, examine how these investments align with core values, and identify opportunities for growth and realignment. Life transitions are framed as gateways to renewed purpose, clarity, and meaning.

Fridays, Feb 27–April 3, 2026 | 10:00 am–12:00 pm PST
Online | Certification | Resources included

For more information visit the Birren Center’s Follow On Courses page at: https://thebirrencenter.org/follow-on-courses or contact Leigh Morrow at: morrowreports@shaw.ca

Space is limited—register now.

Coming Soon!

Shaking the Family Tree: Discovering Family Through Story

This certification course will be offered from March 18 - April 22, 2026 10:00 am -12:30 pm PST.

About the Course: Discover the stories behind your family history. In this 6-week Guided Autobiography–inspired workshop, participants explore their cultural roots, family roles, traditions, values, and the meaning behind treasured artifacts. Through themed writing, sharing, and feedback, students bring past generations to life—not through genealogical research, but through story.

Created for GAB Instructors, this ready-to-teach course includes a full curriculum, guiding principles, and craft tips to help your students start writing family history with confidence and creativity.

Registration will open in mid-February. For more information visit the Birren Center’s Follow On Courses page at :

https://thebirrencenter.org/follow-on-courses or contact Sarah White whitesarah.cnf@gmail.com or Heidi Thorsen tyememoirwriting@gmail.com for further information.

Participant’s Experience: Fresh Start in Community, by Angie Turner

This past November marked a meaningful new beginning as I launched my first in-person GAB group. What started as an idea became a warm circle of connection when a wonderful group of women came together to share, support, and grow. There's something powerful about gathering face-to-face—the conversations flowed naturally, laughter came easily, and authentic relationships began to form.

As we step into this new year, we're reminded that fresh starts aren't always about solo journeys. Sometimes the best new beginnings happen when we open ourselves to community, show up with open hearts, and discover the strength that comes from walking alongside others. This group has been a beautiful reminder that when we create space for genuine connection, something special unfolds.

Here's to more gatherings, more stories shared, and more of the joy that comes from doing life together.

Beginnings We Choose

A gentle checklist for moving forward in life and story, by Alice Gaddi-Roselo

Spotlight On

Alicia Borisonik and Camila Reimers

Building International Community Through Story: Alicia Borisonik and Camila Reimers’ Journey with GAB

By Barbara Smith

From the beginning, Alicia Borisonik and Camila Reimers’ journey with GAB has been rooted in connection, creativity, and community. The two long-time friends took the GAB training in 2020 in Ottawa, Canada with the desire to find new ways for connection during a time of isolation. They were immediately drawn to what GAB offers: a respectful, structured way for people to explore their life stories and share them in a supportive group setting. For Alicia and Camila, GAB was not simply a writing method; it was a powerful tool for honoring lived experience.

After completing their training, they began teaching immediately. The timing coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic when isolation and disconnection were especially acute. Looking closely at their own community in the Ottawa area, the two recognized a large Spanish-speaking population that could benefit from GAB. While they taught GAB initially in English, it wasn’t long before they saw a gap and an opportunity and began offering courses in Spanish, expanding both access and cultural relevance.

Both Alicia and Camila are accomplished in a variety of areas in the arts and love being able to incorporate their unique talents to their course. A native of Argentina, Alicia’s impressive career in music spans being a composer, music educator, and musician. Chilean-born Camila is an award-winning novelist who combines her literature with artisan work such as embroidery and loom. Their sessions incorporate music, visual art, and other creative elements, expanding the ways participants can access and express their stories. Writing remains central but the arts offer an ever more expansive doorway into memory and story.

Their 6-week courses are offered online in both Spanish and English, depending on the participants. As interest grew, Alicia and Camila developed “level two” courses for participants who wanted to continue the journey, deepening both their writing practice and their relationships with fellow storytellers. Currently operating independently, they set their course fee at $150 CAD but also offer scholarships to increase inclusiveness and address needs of underserved communities.

Rather than relying on social media, which they find challenging, Alicia and Camila have leaned into community-based strategies to find participants, including an annual Book Fair in Ottawa that attracts publishers of Spanish-language books and many members of the Spanish-speaking community. Word-of-mouth is an effective tool, with enthusiastic past participants often referring new students. Over time, their reach has expanded far beyond their immediate area. Participants joined from Chile, Argentina, Mexico, Panama, and other Spanish speaking-countries, creating a truly international learning community. Their hope is to find even more outreach to Latin America and continue to amplify GAB’s influence.

The impact of their work is best seen in the stories of their students. Former participant Verónica Mejía Araujo’s story “The Gifts of Life” was published in GAB’s most recent anthology Second Chances, an achievement that generated excitement and pride throughout the group and has opened unexpected international doors including an invitation for Verónica to present her story at the Mexican embassy in Ottawa, honoring her milestone. Her story and the Birren Center’s GAB program have since been featured in an article published in EcoLatino, a Spanish language newspaper in Ottawa, furthering GAB’s international reach.

Notably, the publication of the Second Chances anthology marks the first time Spanish-language stories are included. Camila was instrumental in advocating for this inclusion, recognizing how essential it is for participants to see their stories published in the language that shaped their lives.

Alicia and Camila credit much of their success to co-facilitation supported by their long-standing relationship and complementary strengths. With Alicia currently in Costa Rica and Camila in Ottawa, they communicate regularly over Zoom and WhatsApp, planning and scheduling their courses. They encourage other facilitators who have good creative chemistry to work in pairs when possible, noting how different talents can enrich the experience.

Above all, the personal rewards keep this dynamic duo committed. They speak of the deep satisfaction that comes from creating safe, creative spaces and witnessing transformation. One group they facilitated has continued meeting for three years, maintaining connections across countries and cultures. As GAB looks toward new beginnings, Alicia and Camila’s work stands as a powerful reminder that autobiographical writing is not just about words. It is about voice, culture, creativity and the courage to be seen, no matter the language. Visit https://camilareimers.com/narrarte_en/ to learn more about this talented GAB team.

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 sixth in a series of installments devoted to the Birren Q & A.

With gratitude for Dr. Birren’s long and productive life … here are some of his thoughts on GAB and aging.

Question for Dr. Birren: What if a sibling does not agree with the autobiography written?

Dr. Birren’s Answer: All siblings experience life events differently. Every life is an individual phenomenon and there has never been another you...even if you have a twin. At the National Institute for Health (NIH), research showed that even identical twins were different because one was heavier and received more nourishment while in the placental area. Because each person is unique...they will interpret their life in their own individual fashion.

Question for Dr. Birren: How accurate are the memories that surface in GAB groups?

Dr. Birren’s Answer: When a person is relaxed and trusts the group, I would say most of the memories are true. But...you can ‘reinterpret’ past events. For instance, you may have had a teacher who was mean to you as a child, but now you ‘respect’ that teacher for what she was trying to convey to you. So is it the Truth of the Incidence or the Interpretation? GAB uses both. We bring back more correct memories from the past.

Question for Dr. Birren: I am interested in the potential impact of GAB on family relationships. How do you think that participation in GAB groups might influence the way that individuals perceive past and present relationships? Further, do you think that GAB participation could affect how individuals interact with their with family members?

Dr. Birren’s Answer: In GAB you see others and how they have had similar yet different experiences and you ‘bond’ and get closer to other people. That is an important aspect of GAB. Also the way we perceive our own past is changed. After GAB there is more understanding and accepting of family members. We forgive those in the past who may have hurt us. I feel people mellow after GAB.

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

Shelf-Worthy: This Edition’s Top Picks

Naked, Drunk, and Writing: by Adair Lara

There’s a moment familiar to many life writers: you know the material is right there—inside a life fully lived—yet the page remains blank. Naked, Drunk, and Writing by Adair Lara meets writers squarely in that moment, offering guidance that is equal parts practical, honest, and encouraging.

Lara—award-winning author, longtime columnist, and writing coach—writes as if she’s in conversation with you. The book distills decades of experience into advice that is both clear-eyed and irreverent. She reminds us that paying for a workshop can matter because commitment matters, and she boils the writing life down to its most essential acts.

Especially valuable for memoirists and personal essay writers is Lara’s willingness to address the real questions behind the craft.

Where does a piece truly begin—and end? How do we write when fear, distraction, or self-doubt take over? What happens when we’re ready to publish, or when family members read what we’ve written? Lara handles these anxieties with with compassion, and authority.

Reading Naked, Drunk, and Writing feels like working with a seasoned writing coach—thorough, candid, and deeply human—without the high cost. For aspiring columnists, essayists, memoirists, or anyone trying to tell a true story with courage and clarity, this book offers both solid instruction and something just as important: permission to begin.

Shelf Worthy suggestion from Angela Turner, GAB Facilitator

A Book That Takes Its Time: An Unhurried Adventure in Creative Mindfulness by Irene Smit and Astrid van der Hulst:

Take time to breathe. Take time to create. Take time to reflect—and to let go. A Book That Takes Its Time invites readers into a slower, more intentional way of being, offering what feels like a mindfulness retreat between two covers.

Created in partnership with Flow, the international magazine known for celebrating creativity, beautiful illustration, and life’s small pleasures, this book is as much an experience as it is a read. It blends short articles, inspiring quotes, and what the editors call “goodies”—bound-in cards, mini-journals, stickers, posters, and blank pages for collaging that give it the tactile pleasure and handcrafted feel of a keepsake.

The book gently alternates between reflection and action. Read about the benefits of not multitasking, then open The Joy of One Thing at a Time notebook tucked into the pages. After a brief meditation on slowing down, fill in cards for a Beautiful Moments jar. Along the way, you’re invited to make a personal timeline, experiment with hand-lettering, explore a Beginner’s Mind, embrace the art of quitting, and even try “the writing cure”.

This is not a book to rush through—or to read straight through at all. It’s one to dip into, linger with, and return to again and again. Moving slowly and with intention through A Book That Takes Its Time, readers may discover that rare, sweet place where life feels both thoughtful and playful—and where doing less opens the door to noticing more.

Shelf Worthy suggestion from GAB facilitator Roselyn O'Connell.

For the Memoir-Minded: What to Listen to & Why

It seems everyone these days is talking about and listening to podcasts. One report notes approximately 450,000 active shows in the U.S. Most podcasts are free, easy to access on phones and available on-demand. It is an easy way to learn on the go. Perfect for busy GAB instructors.

That is why we went looking for memoir and writing podcasts. We found some that you might like. The following podcast hosts and guests offer practical advice and share their own experiences in meeting the challenges of staying with the writing and helping others write their stories. When you are out walking, doing tiresome household chores, driving to a dental appointment or thinking about your next class, try listening to one of the following podcasts for inspiration.

Happy listening.

A New Year’s Resolution Alternative: Ask a Question, Don’t Set a Goal

Krista Tippett and Monoush Zomorodi

Krista Tippett and Manoush Zomorodi offer a radical alternative to the traditional New Year’s resolution: don’t set a goal—ask a question and listen.

Instead of deciding what you will do or achieve, you choose a question to live with. That question stays with you for the entire year. Not for two weeks. Not until motivation fades. It’s your question until January 1, 2027. At that point, you can take stock—not to judge success or failure, but to notice what has emerged.

As Krista Tippett explains, this isn’t about searching for an answer. That would be too narrow. When we look only for answers, we risk disappointment. The deeper invitation is to notice what begins to show up in us—what we start to see that we didn’t see before simply because we started looking. When we pay attention, we discover things that were invisible to us before.

Manoush offers her own question for 2026:
How do I stay more open to the people and ideas that come my way, instead of trying to grab them? How do I let them come to me?

Krista responds by pointing out that a question like this becomes a companion—a good friend. When reactions inevitably arise, the question returns: How do I stay open here? Living with the question requires developing new skills and reflexes. It may also reveal when we need the help of others. Along the way, we learn things we didn’t know we needed to learn.

The beauty of this approach is that you can’t fail. There’s no implementation to get wrong. The goal isn’t achievement—it’s attention. The goal is the question itself.

This is a profound reimagining of the New Year’s resolution: ask a New Year’s question and live inside it for a full year.

Jim Birren was a lifelong questioner. He loved curiosity, conversation, and the exchange of ideas. Every New Year’s Eve, he asked the people gathered with him a single question: What have you changed your mind about lately?

Seen through this lens, Jim’s question becomes a powerful annual practice. It invites us to reflect: How entrenched am I in my opinions? How open am I to new ideas? How judgmental have I become? What might I be missing because I’m holding too tightly to my beliefs?

This approach stands in sharp contrast to the familiar New Year’s resolutions—go to the gym every day, lose ten pounds, eat less ice cream. Instead of self-improvement through discipline, this practice offers self-discovery through curiosity.

So here is the invitation: find your question. Live with it for an entire year. Let it follow you through conversations, reactions, assumptions, and surprises. Notice how it shapes your attention, your attitudes, and your relationships.

Then, on January 1, 2027, return to the question and see where you are.

This isn’t about finding an answer.
It’s about opening yourself to discovery—of yourself, and of others—in a deeper, more human way.

If you have a recommended podcast or you yourself were interviewed for a podcast please send it to us. We will be updating this series in the future.

Listen Here

New Year’s Question Exercise

New Year’s Question Exercise, an alternative to a New Year’s Resolution practice

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

GAB Gazette Team

Editor: Cheryl Svensson

Contributors: Melissa Coats, Ansley Dauenhauer, Alice Gaddi Roselo, Roselyn O’Connell, Barbara Smith, and Angela Turner