Janie Starr

And on that day that I took my life in my hands and had my head shaved, I had no idea what a profound act that would be. How for me it would signify true power, separate from an attachment to hair. When I got home, after receiving Logan's proud words, "great head, Mom!" I went upstairs to the bathroom mirror. And I laughed. There stood a woman I did not know, a brave, bald-headed woman with tiredness and determination in her eyes. She looked back as if to say, "hey, I have no idea where this ride is going to take me, but I am ready, and so are you."

Janie Starr had just turned 50 when she was first diagnosed with lymphoma. As she says, "My life was not perfect before cancer but it was a good life, challenging without being overwhelming, satisfying without being mundane. I had not arrived, but I was on my way, on a path I liked, with folks who loved me back."

Starr brings both professional and personal credentials to the writing of her book. With master's degrees in public health and psychology, she has worked in both hospital and clinical settings as a counselor, educator, and mental health therapist. She has supported individuals and families coping with life threatening circumstances, using both deep relaxation and guided imagery in her therapy practice. She received training from both Stephen Levine (Meetings at the Edge, Healing into Life and Death, etc.) and Bernie Siegel, M.D. (Love, Medicine, & Miracles) around issues of living and dying with dignity, and surviving cancer. She never suspected that one day her expertise would be required to save her own life.

Prior to getting cancer, Starr spent her time focusing on many issues of the day. Healthy and fit she was the last person anyone - including herself - expected to get cancer. A skilled and seasoned public speaker, she has spoken eloquently to groups large and small on such diverse topics as human sexuality, non-violence, parent effectiveness, and race privilege. Her ability to make people laugh while discussing the most serious topics is legend! Now she is ready to take the stage on behalf of Bone Marrow Boogie and more importantly on behalf of anyone who needs a story of survival. As a result of her professional background, her marriage to a physician, and the relationships forged during treatment, she has both connections and credibility in the conventional and complementary health care fields.

Starr lives in Western Washington where she is known for her outspoken op-ed pieces on race relations, the antiquated relationship of the U.S. and Cuba, and environmental sustainability. Recently she has offered anti-bias workshops and facilitated listening councils on issues of diversity through Foundation for Global Community and co-facilitated Conversation Cafes on issues of peace and community.