MORE OPEN BOOK INTERVIEWS
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2025 INTERVIEWS
Photo Credit: Shannon Johnstone
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Jennifer Dasal is an art historian, lecturer, and tour director. She earned her M.A. in Art History from Notre Dame University and pursued Ph.D. work at Penn State University. She previously served as Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at the North Carolina Museum of Art. She hosted the worldwide hit podcast ArtCurious, which inspired her nonfiction book ArtCurious: Stories of the Unexpected, Slightly Odd, and Strangely Wonderful in Art History (Penguin, 2020). Her most recent book on art history, The Club: Where American Women Artists Found Refuge in Belle Époque Paris (Bloomsbury), was published in July 2025 and is excerpted in Sanctuary this month.
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2024 INTERVIEWS
Photo Courtesy: Ann Bancroft
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Ann Bancroft is the author of Almost Family, a novel about three unlikely friends who decide to ditch their regular support group and meet on their own. Their goal is to enjoy life while they can. This is Ann's debut novel, which was inspired by her own journey as a two-time breast cancer survivor. In this exclusive Q&A with Sanctuary, Ann discusses her journey with breast cancer and how she has soldiered on as a mentor for others as well as finding hope and optimism through writing and self-care. Ann shares, "Cancer brings with it the opportunity to focus on who and what’s most important. So, even after a new and serious diagnosis, try to notice little moments of positivity — everyday slivers of joy."
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Photo Courtesy: Donna Thomas
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James's Warr;ors, a not-for-profit organization, was founded in 2019 by Donna and Bobby Thomas after the death of their son, James. The organization works to provide resources to those affected by suicide through public awareness and education. It aims to bring change to the way mental health is perceived by reducing the stigma surrounding it, promoting open conversations about mental illness, and, ultimately, preventing suicide. James’s Warr;ors works with clinical psychologists who teach parents and educators about signs of depression, self-harm, and suicidal ideation. Last year, the organization presented to 6,800 students. It now has parent conferences before the student presentations. It allows parents to open a line of conversation with their kids.
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Photo Courtesy: Gayle Kirschenbaum
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Centenarian Mildred Kirschenbaum is an unlikely media influencer. She started to make opinionated videos on a wide range of subjects when she was 99. Her daughter, Gayle, taught her how to shoot the raw footage. She then sends it from her home in Florida to Gayle in New York to be edited and uploaded. She has over 100,000 followers on TikTok and Instagram. Her videos have been featured on mainstream media outlets (like The Today Show) and have a celebrity following. Mildred and Gayle subsequently collaborated on Mildred’s Mindset: Wisdom from a Woman Centenarian, a 76-page self-published book that melds anecdotes, photos, and life advice.
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Photo Courtesy: Amy Gravino
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Amy Gravino, M.A., is an autism sexuality advocate and Relationship Coach at the Center for Adult Autism Services at Rutgers University. She is also the President of A.S.C.O.T Consulting, which offers autism consulting, college coaching, and mentoring services for organizations, schools, individuals on the autism spectrum, and their families. This Q&A is part of our special issue "Celebrating Autism Awareness & Acceptance." Amy discusses the ins and outs of dating and navigating relationships for women on the autism spectrum.
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Photo Courtesy: Barbara Sommer Feigin
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Barbara Sommer Feigin is the author of My American Dream: A Journey from Fascism to Freedom, a memoir of resilience, grit and grace that starts with the discovery of her father's journal which describes the terrifying details of her family's escape from Nazi Germany. She becomes a trailblazing executive, and during her illustrious 30-year career at Grey Advertising (now Grey Global Group), she solidified her reputation as a visionary thinker. In all her years as a senior advertising executive and a corporate director, she was more often than not the only woman in the room. In 2017, Feigin was named one of the century’s Legendary Pioneers by Grey.
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Photo Courtesy: Zimmer Brothers Jewelers
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Jocelyn Zimmer is the first female president of Zimmer Brothers Jewelers, a fifth-generation family jeweler entrusted by the Hudson Valley and beyond for 130 years. Jocelyn joined the family business in 2001 and since has become deeply involved in the Hudson Valley community through her involvement with the Dutchess County Regional Chamber of Commerce, the Arlington Business Improvement District, and other nonprofit organizations. As a registered jeweler with the American Gem Society and continuing her education through the Gemological Institute of America, she brings over 20 years of experience in the fine jewelry trade to her new role.
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