Cheryl Strayed: Do One, Small, Good Thing

By John Sepulvado (OPB)
Dec. 12, 2015 4:44 p.m.
00:00
 / 
THANKS TO OUR SPONSOR:
Cheryl Strayed, author of the #1 New York Times bestseller, "Wild."

Cheryl Strayed, author of the #1 New York Times bestseller, "Wild."

Alan Sylvestre / OPB

Portland writer Cheryl Strayed has a new book: Brave Enough is a collection of the writer's quotes on love, forgiveness and sorrow.

While small in size, Brave Enough carries a gravity usually found in heavier tomes, and is presented like a spell book for the loved and the wounded.

“Sometimes, you have to be brave enough to break your own heart,” Strayed says about the title of the book, pointing to her life where she left her first husband despite loving him deeply.

“I can look back at my life and see that was the right decision.”

Speaking with OPB’s John Sepulvado, Strayed explains why she released the book.

The writer also talked about feeling powerless in the face of grim news.

“The thing that I can contribute to the world,” Strayed says, “is to do one good thing…to do one small, good thing, that becomes a story that I can tell about what I did to help this enormously sad and overwhelming situation.”

THANKS TO OUR SPONSOR:
THANKS TO OUR SPONSOR:

Become a Sustainer now at opb.org and help ensure OPB’s fact-based reporting, in-depth news and engaging programs thrive in 2025 and beyond.
We’ve gone to incredible places together this year. Support OPB’s essential coverage and exploration in 2025 and beyond. Join as a monthly Sustainer or with a special year-end contribution. 
THANKS TO OUR SPONSOR: