HI THERE,
I’m Julianne Lepp
I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis in 2021 and I have been learning about living with chronic illness as a mother, partner and a full-time Unitarian Universalist minister. I previously worked for over ten years as a professional massage therapist and reiki practitioner with a focus on clients struggling with grief and addiction. I managed a grief group and encouraged holistic spiritual and body wellness in my clients.
Since 2010, I have served as the solo minister of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. I am currently pursuing certification as a Spiritual Director, and I have provided spiritual and pastoral support to my congregation as well as active engagement with the local community.
I am a published poet and game designer and a long-time explorer of labyrinths, spiritual practice and earth-centered spirituality. I live in Wisconsin with my spouse Karl, children Ehren and Kendra, mother-in-law Eleta and four beloved cats.
HI THERE,
I’m Florence Caplow
I have been affected by chronic auto-immune illnesses of various sorts since 1999. For the first three years of being ill, I had no diagnosis. Fatigue, pain, and an unreliable body have been my companions for more than two decades.
I was diagnosed with another auto-immune disease, rheumatoid arthritis, in 2021. As a Unitarian Universalist minister, I served congregations in Washington, Colorado, and Illinois before leaving full time ministry due to increased disability.
I am also a Zen Buddhist priest and teacher, teaching through Cloud Way Zen, as well as a change coach and spiritual director. I offer online classes for those living with chronic illness and pain, through San Francisco Zen Center. The next 6-week class will begin Saturday, September 27th.
My previous books are Wildbranch: An Anthology of Nature, Place-Based, and Environmental Writing, with Susan Cohen, and The Hidden Lamp: Stories from Twenty-Five Centuries of Awakened Women, with Susan Moon. You can also find my writing in national Buddhist publications.
Although I was living in the Midwest during the writing of the book, I now live (with my two cats) between the Olympic Mountains and the Salish Sea.
To watch my recent dharma talk at San Francisco Zen Center on Tend to Your Spirit, click here.
Fun Facts About Us
FAVORITE BOOK GROWING UP
Julianne: The Chronicles of Narnia
Florence: The Chronicles of Narnia
QUIRKY WRITING HABIT
Julianne: I like to chew on my pens
Florence: I usually have a cat on my lap
SERIES I’M CURRENTLY BINGE-READING
Julianne: Books by Craig Childs
Florence: Outlander
THE AUTHOR I’D MOST LIKE TO MEET
Julianne: Billy Collins
Florence: Rebecca Solnit
FAVORITE NON-WRITING HOBBY
Julianne: Walking labyrinths and gaming
Florence: Being in the mountains
WEIRDEST THING I’VE GOOGLED WHILE WRITING
Julianne: What does an Irish woman wear in the 1700s on the Dingle Peninsula?
Florence: Sex in ancient China