Joan Carol Lieberman
Joan Carol Lieberman is the author of a new two-part autobiography, Optimal Distance: A Divided Life, which she created from diary entries written since she was 5. Her mother developed paranoid schizophrenia shortly after Joan's birth and, from then until her death, her mind was under the control of invisible demons. Joan has had a fascinating life, making her home in many places - from Berkley to Africa. She has been awarded several fellowships, was a finalist for the Katherine Bakeless Literary Prize for Nonfiction and a scholar at the Bread Loaf Writers' Conference.