A Bit About My Journey…
September 9, 2022
No Comments
I was about to learn everything I thought to be true about love and politics was wrong.
POSTS
Why Bother Talking to The Other Side?
September 8, 2022
No Comments
Why bother? Why cross party lines or bridge the political divide? We already know what the other side has to say (Our media tells us!) and
it’s not easy or comfortable. In fact, it’s frightening.
Why Talking Politics is So Difficult
September 8, 2022
No Comments
We assume talking politics should be as easy as making sure they have all the facts we have. So we share our facts. But when our facts don’t change their mind, we’re likely to walk away complaining that “they just won’t listen!” or “they’re duped by the fake news they watch.”
Books
Use the Pop-Out icon to open samples of these books.
These days you’ll find plenty of books containing advice for how to have better political conversations. What we need, though, is to learn how to apply that advice in real-life situations.
Yes, You CAN Talk Politics is a workbook for talking with people whose views are so different from yours that it’s hard not to see them as ignorant, duped or just plain crazy.
It covers such topics as:
- Your Brain on Politics
- How to Talk so Others Will Listen
- How to Listen so Others Will Share
- Moral Foundations in Political Conversations
- A Risk-Free Approach to Talking Politics in the Real World
- A Deeper Look at Why We Disagree and Why Disagreeing is Okay
This is the first workbook teaching the skills for talking across political differences. It contains more than 90 activities to help you master the skills that will help you rebuild friendships and move from arguing politics to finding solutions to the problems facing America today.
Available at Amazon.com
In February, 2016, Lisa set herself the goal of figuring out how to talk politics with her (politically opposite) cousin in a civil, respectful way. She spent months researching, reading the works of others and running experiments of her own. Eventually she discovered was that it is possible. She also discovered that applying what she was learning to her own life was really, really hard.
The one thing that kept her going was the guidance she received from her therapist, Mary, who reminded her over and over again that while the inner work required might feel difficult, all it really took was practice, and she was making progress and would get there.
Doing this work professionally, Lisa discovered while her clients appreciated the skills and techniques she teaches, they were most grateful for inspiration she provides by sharing her own journey. She want to make it possible for anyone, anywhere to learn to talk across differences. So, she’s written a second book, a memoir, sharing the ups and downs of her personal journey.
No One Was Listening lays it all outwith sometimes-embarrassing honesty: Lisa’s fears and frustrations, her ignorance and self-doubt, her shame and stubbornness. It also captures the joys of discovery and connection, and her growing confidence as she faced her fears and grappled with the challenge of talking across differences in love and politics.
Available at Amazon.com
Lisa's Other Writing
While Lisa’s recent work has been nonfiction, she has always considered herself a fiction writer. She has written picture books, novels and adult short stories.
Two of her short stories that she is quite proud of are “Dirty Pain” (Women of Darkness II) and “S’Olcarius’ Sons”(Tales from the Witch World, Vol 2), both published by TOR books.
She has recently completed a Middle Grade fantasy adventure novel, Unwrapped, which she has submitted to Gollancz Press for publication. This is the first in a time-travel trilogy set alternately in Third Dynasty Egypt and modern-day San Francisco Bay Area.
Lisa has also written a cookbook celebrating four generations of her family’s love of food. It’s included here for families and friends who often ask for her recipes.