Madisen Smith asked Lisa Genova:

I am currently in graduate school working towards a Master's in the field of psychology, and Love Anthony touched me so much as someone who is always trying to advocate for anyone on the autism spectrum. I was just wondering how you decided to transition from being a neuroscientist to an author? I would think you are always going to identify as both, but I am just curious as to how you decided to make that jump?

Lisa Genova Thank you for all that you do to advocate for people with autism. I had no ambition or plan to be a writer. When my grandmother had Alzheimer's, I was desperate to better understand this disease. I read scientific research papers, medical texts, and self-help books like The 36 Hour Day. All were helpful for understanding the disease and learning how to be a better caregiver, but I still had little understanding of HER. What did it feel like to be her? I had sympathy but not empathy. I remember thinking--Fiction is a place where we can explore empathy, where we have the chance to walk in someone else's shoes. So that was the seed for STILL ALICE. But I still wasn't a writer! The decision to make that jump came several years later on the heels of a heartbreaking divorce and in honest answer to this question: "If I could do anything I wanted, and I didn't have to care what anyone thought of me, what would I do?" My answer: Write the novel.

I describe the jump and journey in more detail in this 13 minute talk:

https://www.theatlantic.com/health/ar...

Good luck with you studies!

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