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You Are All a Part of Me
This collection of essays is about people. My people. In the midst of a pandemic, I am even more aware of the importance of my people—and time. There are friends I consider family who live in Europe and I have no idea when I will be allowed to see them again. There is family in the south and I long for their company. There is a biological relation who I will never see again. There are mentors who literally changed my life and students whose impact never left. There are New Yorkers and Floridians, and there is immeasurable loss.
What you get to take with you when you leave this earth is the what you did, how you lived, who you loved, who loved you. All the people that made you—for better or worse—who you are. People matter. To me. People matter. And the finite time you have with your people, and the finite time they have with you.
What you get to take with you when you leave this earth is the what you did, how you lived, who you loved, who loved you. All the people that made you—for better or worse—who you are. People matter. To me. People matter. And the finite time you have with your people, and the finite time they have with you.
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Published February 9, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
March 13, 2024
Lisa del Rossi shares in ‘You are All a Part of Me’ “Writing is not my career. Writing is my vocation.” I was drawn to the dedication to writing and how Lisa embraces the human condition.
This book of varied essays, instructive and cathartic for the author and the reader is transformative. The 32 essays vary in length from 3 pages to less than a dozen. Each provides rich detail of a life well lived. There is no sanitized veneer. There is no guile. Lisa shares her journey with depth and resilience that has her rise up each day. The pages are full of reasons for laughter, sorrow and abiding with what ‘is’.
Family life is portrayed as a disjointed and mysterious place. Her memories long past and relatively current present people with bruises, beauty and flaws. A bridge from family to her journey as writer and teacher is a gifted teacher that changed the course of Lisa’s life. That teacher is described with such care that I feel that I can sneak into that relationship; the reader being a welcomed voyeur into a special, silent refuge.
Lisa is a New Yorker who extended her reach to London, England and many points beyond. Her writing comes from an inner place that is well travelled but never world weary. There is a sparkling jewel of revelation on every page. The gem is a turn of phrase or torrent of declaration that is epic and many times kin to vulnerability.
This work was a joy to read. I leave one last Easter egg. Lisa describes a sunset as follows. “A few nights later, while on the beach at sunset, that otherworldly green color appears in a burst. It makes me gasp and so I stay on the beach, savoring the pleasure of the scarlet streaked sky in all of its vast gloriousness…”
This book of varied essays, instructive and cathartic for the author and the reader is transformative. The 32 essays vary in length from 3 pages to less than a dozen. Each provides rich detail of a life well lived. There is no sanitized veneer. There is no guile. Lisa shares her journey with depth and resilience that has her rise up each day. The pages are full of reasons for laughter, sorrow and abiding with what ‘is’.
Family life is portrayed as a disjointed and mysterious place. Her memories long past and relatively current present people with bruises, beauty and flaws. A bridge from family to her journey as writer and teacher is a gifted teacher that changed the course of Lisa’s life. That teacher is described with such care that I feel that I can sneak into that relationship; the reader being a welcomed voyeur into a special, silent refuge.
Lisa is a New Yorker who extended her reach to London, England and many points beyond. Her writing comes from an inner place that is well travelled but never world weary. There is a sparkling jewel of revelation on every page. The gem is a turn of phrase or torrent of declaration that is epic and many times kin to vulnerability.
This work was a joy to read. I leave one last Easter egg. Lisa describes a sunset as follows. “A few nights later, while on the beach at sunset, that otherworldly green color appears in a burst. It makes me gasp and so I stay on the beach, savoring the pleasure of the scarlet streaked sky in all of its vast gloriousness…”
February 6, 2022
A fantastic book of essays by Lisa del Rosso! The author reveals aspects of her life in such vivid detail it was hard to put the book down. She digs into complex relationships and encounters as she takes the reader to New England, London, NYC, Florida and Italy in her powerful stories. Her style, determination, vulnerability and strength all come across as she shares keen observations and unexpected discoveries about life and people. I plan to read it again!
November 11, 2021
You Are All Part of Me is a brave memoir by Lisa del Rosso. Lisa doesn’t shy away from writing about the difficult and the touching parts of her life. She is unafraid to examine the events and the people who have shaped who she is today. This memoir is very much worth reading as Lisa’s stories are thoughtful, touching, hilarious and heartbreaking.
November 13, 2021
a beautiful reflection on the impact that everyone we encounter, whether fleetingly or life-long, can have on our lives. not only will you fall in love with lisa’s people, but you’ll fall even more in love with your own
March 21, 2022
Enjoyed reading!
I was one of Lisa Del Rosso's students in 2012-13. Her class and guidance were the main reasons I did not drop out of college that year. It was such a joy to revisit her work (which I had only read bits and pieces of at the time). There are some standouts for me: Phil and Claire, Indelible, Livin' Large at The Times Square, In the Real World.
P.S. I texted so many friends the line "If my father ever made one single person happy, I don't know about it." as a followup to our constant refrain: "Dads are canceled!"
I was one of Lisa Del Rosso's students in 2012-13. Her class and guidance were the main reasons I did not drop out of college that year. It was such a joy to revisit her work (which I had only read bits and pieces of at the time). There are some standouts for me: Phil and Claire, Indelible, Livin' Large at The Times Square, In the Real World.
P.S. I texted so many friends the line "If my father ever made one single person happy, I don't know about it." as a followup to our constant refrain: "Dads are canceled!"
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews