
Virago 24/7
Putting It Into Words
We sit down with author and poet Linda Drattell to get to the stories under her books and the lived moments that shaped her voice, including life across three continents, the shock of feeling “other” in new cultures, and the deep question of what it really means to belong. Linda shares how progressive hearing loss in her 30s pushed her toward sign language, Deaf culture, and a community that refuses to define itself by limitation. We also talk about writing craft and process, from critique groups and poetry techniques to why she aims for a twist and keeps her work open enough to become a dialogue with the reader. If you care about mental health, self-love, and women’s empowerment, you’ll hear how writing can hold what the mind can’t safely replay. Then the conversation turns to survival and recovery as Linda recounts being caught in the 2016 Nice terrorist attack and the aftermath of fear, avoidance, and PTSD. A therapist’s “second arrow” concept becomes a practical tool for healing, and Linda explains how getting the full story onto the page can create relief instead of re-traumatizing yourself. We also dig into aging gracefully, identity labels, and her upcoming magical realism satire "The Peccadillos of Philomena Phipps", where a woman’s front-yard garden grows wildly as she refuses to be erased. If this resonates, subscribe, share the episode with a friend, and leave a review so more everyday warriors can find these stories and feel less alone. For more on Linda Dattrell : https://lindadrattell.com/ Send us Fan Mail Go to my website http://www.virago247.net for all things Virago 24/7 You can email me at virago247podcast@gmail.com Instagram: virago24_7 Facebook: Virago 24/7 Thanks for listening and don't forget to share, share, share! Everyday growth, everyday healing with everyday warriors! Music by Deli Rowe: "Space to Move" Logo by Kaylin Talley

