Crossing the Void: My Aphasic Journey : Learning English the Second Time Around

"Crossing the Void: My Aphasic Journey" is a 2013 blue ribbon winner, having been awarded first place category winner of the Chanticleer Book Reviews Journey Awards for Narrative Non-fiction Enlightenment. Carol Schultz suffered an aphasic stroke that left her completely without words. She could not speak, read nor write, and understood spoken words with great difficulty. Crossing the Void is the story of her courageous journey back. With the language part of her brain permanently damaged, in a different approach to re-learning speech, Schultz taught herself to visualize words to prompt her speech. Her book describes the painstaking process that led her from wordlessness to book author. In a masterfully crafted narrative, the author brings the reader into her aphasic mind enabling them to better understand what it is like to be aphasic. She provides fascinating insight into the workings of a damaged brain driven to regain normalcy, as well as a frank appraisal of the resources available to help aphasic stroke victims. Hers is the inspiring story of a woman determined to overcome a major disability and, now, to help others do so as well. Crossing the Void is a compelling read for everyone, but it especially begs to be read by every professional and lay person working with aphasia and language learning disorders. Crossing the Void tells of every stage of the author's aphasia; the onset of her stroke, her medical and speech therapy experience, the social and psychological aspects of being aphasic, and the strategies she developed to be able to speak, read and write again. The book includes brain language diagrams, a glossary, and appendices. The appendices include insights for advocates, work sheet aids, and a contact list of stroke and aphasia services. The author's website, www.CrossingTheVoid.com, lists related topics.

Carol Schultz was raised in Boy Scout Camp Bradford (of Indiana University’s Bradford Woods), near Martinsville, Indiana with her two sisters. She graduated from Indiana University, Bloomington with a BS in Recreation and Outdoor Education. She held various positions in youth camps and the Minnesota Outward Bound School. She has been an outdoor education teacher, a taxidermist’s helper, a district executive with the Girl Scouts of America, a cross-country ski and canoe instructor and a merchant. She and her husband, with their two sons, operated their family owned specialty sporting goods store, Base Camp, in Bellingham, Washington for 31 years until their retirement. The author enjoys hiking, cross country skiing and canoeing. Her hobbies include reading, photography, and working with wood. Among her volunteer activities, she works with another aphasic victim and helps at Ski for Light (sfl.org).