Isabel Allende

Omega Co-Founder Elizabeth Lesser (who I was thrilled to meet last night) moderates this next panel with novelist Isabel Allende, author Loung Ung, Co-Director of Development at Mujeres Unidas y Activas (MUA) Andrea Lee, Executive Director of the Isabel Allende Foundation Lori Barra, and the fabulous Lateefah Simon we have been gushing about.

Speaking of gushing, Loung Ung introduces Isabel by talking about the first time she read her book about her late daughter Paula, and how it made Loung feel connected to her late mother. In short, she become a crazy huge fan and determined to meet her, which she did and a great friendship was formed.

This was a touching discussion between Loung and Isabel (who has a ridiculous potty mouth, by the way - and I love it) because they don't just talk about using writing as outlet for pain, but how readers can connect with it and use it alleviate their own. It was also about how friendships can be formed through these connections and the story-sharing involved - stories about family, loss and survival, and how activism through writing can not only help ourselves work through our own lives, but trigger a domino effect with others.

As Loung said, "Some of us do it all, and some us do it with writing."

Andrea Lee talks about her work at MUA, which was a good discussion to follow after Loung and Isabel - she talks about the ways that while the Latina immigrants who find the organization have their own story to tell, connecting with other Latina immigrants, hearing their stories and how they parallel allows them to feel connected and fuels their activism together to make their stories visible.

My favorite part of the panel was when Allende said towards the end, "Death is a terrible inconvenience, but not an obstruction," an obstruction to connecting with people, to love and working towards change.

Yes, this is a gushy post. Eat it up.