Bio, 2009: Beverly Voss
Randomish History: 1964-2014
Educ: BA in English, Principia College, Elsah, Ill. MSW in Social Work, UT-Austin. Gajillions of post-grad psychotherapy workshops on PTSD, sexual abuse & recovery, couples counseling, depression, EMDR, etc. Certified InterPlay* teacher.
*InterPlay: a form-based set of practices which allow people to play with improvisational movement, song & storytelling in a safe, non-critical community. It’s an amazing way for people who think they are not creative to be expressive.
I am pretty passionate about the deep need for everyone to have outlets for creative expression. I think we’ve handed too much of it over to “professionals” and “experts” and become a spectator society. Don’t get me started. ….
Work: Illinois: Taught H.S. English several years. Austin: Journalist for Dept. of Human Services. Social worker—Social Services, Child Protective Services-5 yrs. Marywood Adoption Agency-2 yrs. Child & Family Services therapist-5 yrs. Psychotherapist in private practice-30 yrs.
Retired: 1 year!!!!!!!!!
Personal: Had very dark year after college graduation. Depressed, black hole, great yuckiness, despair, horrible. But emerged feeling much changed about self and world; set out on an on-going quest to see who I might be if I didn’t try to be what I thought I was supposed to be. A common enough journey. I was eventually able to break out of the constraints and damaging teachings of my nutty childhood religion (Christian Science). Don’t get me started….
Iris Dement has a song called “I Think I’ll Just Let the Mystery Be.” That pretty much sums up my spiritual/religious stance at present.
I was married to Pat Nester for 18 yrs. He & I were delivered by the same doctor in Stillwater and lived a block from one another. His family moved to Ponca City where he was on the wrestling team. I may have seen him. Then he moved to Houston and & we finally met in Illinois during college. We have one son, Max—an artist (see his website at Ink City Graphics). I’ve been happily single since 1986. Pat & I are very good friends, for which I’m grateful.
Since 2006, I’ve been in a wonderful relationship with Brady Coleman, former activist lawyer; presently, actor (see “Bernie” et al) and musician (The Melancholy Ramblers). I play 2nd tambourine in the band. We have joint custody of cool-dog Sally—a tree-climbing squirrel chaser and Hank, a mighty Chihuahua. Or so he thinks.
I love to write, do mosaics, maskmaking and other arts. My poetry has been published in several books and I intend to get some chap books pulled together this year. (Inspiration: Greg Keeler)
Loves: Dancing, reading, writing poems, dancing, gardening, making mosaic creations, painting, dancing, swimming, walking, raising the dogs, InterPlay*, and what else….dancing, I guess. Oh, and reading the funny papers every day. And doing the crossword puzzle. On real paper
Vanity: At the 45th reunion, I overheard someone say, “Is that Beverly Voss? Didn’t she used to have red hair?” Well! I decided then and there to correct the situation and now maybe that person will recognize me.
Stuff I Do: I’m a groupie. My book club is starting its 40th year! After attending a “Women & the Law” seminar** back in 1973, a group of us English majors where talking about the fact that in four years of college, we’d read only one or two women writers! Were there more? Could we find enough to read one a month? And here we are, 40 years later…still finding great writers of the female variety.
**Those were the good old days when I could not get a credit card without my husband’s signature even though he was in law school and I the primary bread winner! And other indignities….don’t get me started…..
Other groups…Spirit group (relating to psychotherapy and spiritual issues), poetry group,
dream group and a weekly creative movement group in which we use InterPlay forms to explore personal issues. It has created a deeply supportive as well as highly entertaining group to be a part of.
Miscellaneous: I’ve travelled some in France, Switzerland, England, Scotland & Wales. Brady & I just returned from astoundingly beautiful New Zealand—& look forward to more travel.
Since retiring, I’ve turned my in-home therapy office into a bed & breakfast through the organization airbnb—I’m meeting lovely people from all over the world as they come through Austin and stay a day or more. Never thought I’d be an innkeeper but it’s a great and fairly easy way to add a bit of needed income. (Check out the listing!)
Like many of you, I just turned 68--!!!! And like most of you, I’ve experienced a good deal of loss. As I read your autobiographies, I’m struck by how much each of you has been through and weathered.
I’ve researched, presented workshops on & am fascinated with the subject of resilience—few of us just “bounce back” from tragedy or loss. It takes a good amount of time and help from all kinds of sources to heal. If anyone cares to write me about what’s been especially helpful to you in hard times, I’d love to hear. Or we can just talk in June.
When we’re not dancing…..Beverly
Brady, Sally, Bev (Sally i |
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©2009 Stillwater High School Class of 1964