When grief left them speechless, award-winning authors Julia Park Tracey and Christine Walker turned to fiction—not just to cope, but to give their sons a voice that would live on forever.
In today’s episode, I’m joined by Julia Park Tracey and Christine Walker—two accomplished creatives who have transformed personal grief into meaningful art. Julia is an award-winning author, journalist, and publisher at Sibylline Press. Her historical novels The Bereaved and Silence are inspired by ancestral stories and deeply shaped by the loss of her stepson. Christine is a visual artist, designer, and writer whose novel Tap Dancing at the Bluebird, drawn from her grandmother’s Depression-era diaries, was reimagined through the lens of losing her son, Quinn. Both women use their work to explore themes of loss, healing, and transformation.
Throughout this episode, Julia and Christine share how their sons’ deaths profoundly influenced their creative processes. Julia describes how grief deepened the emotional truth of her characters and led her to speak openly about loss, both in life and on the page. Christine talks about infusing her novel’s character with Quinn’s essence—his “quinescence”—to give him a lasting literary presence, and how painting helped her process pain when words failed. Together, they reflect on the healing power of storytelling and the ways creativity can offer connection, comfort, and a sense of continuity through grief.
Tune in to episode 328 as Julia Park Tracey and Christine Walker share how channeling their grief into writing and art helped them honor their sons, process profound loss, and discover a lasting sense of connection, creativity, and healing.
In This Episode, You Will Learn:
Julia’s story: Writing through historical grief and personal loss (1:14)
Christine’s journey: From garden journals to literary healing (6:12)
Giving their sons a literary afterlife (9:40)
How grief alters language and social norms (14:17)
To tell or not to tell: Sharing a child’s death publicly (17:24)
Redefining happiness: Can we ever feel joy again? (23:39)
Writing fiction as a healing tool for grievers (28:22)
When grief silences you: Finding voice through action (31:45)
Connect with Julia Park Tracey:
Get Julia’s books!
Connect with Christine Walker:
Get Christine’s books!
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