An Evening with Kate Bowler - Loss, Survivorship, and Reflexive Narrative

Everyone experiences loss in life. We have become survivors of loss in various life circumstances, including illness, war, discrimination, displacement, aging, and environmental disaster. How does one negotiate loss? What does survivorship truly mean? What challenges arise as we navigate a new life after loss? What dialogues should we have when ongoing experiences of grief continue to complicate our sense of self, our relationships with others, and our reckoning with life in the past, present, and future?

To explore these profound questions, the University of Utah is honored to welcome Dr. Kate Bowler, a professor of Religious History at Duke University. Dr. Bowler is a nationally recognized podcaster and bestselling author of No Cure for Being Human: Other Truths I Need to Hear and Everything Happens for a Reason: And Other Lies I’ve Loved. Drawing on her own journey as a cancer survivor, Dr. Bowler challenges the conventional narratives of survivorship often promoted by the self-help industry, prosperity gospel, and positivity culture. She invites us to engage in honest, reflective, and meaningful conversations about grief, survivorship, and caregiving.

Host or Publisher University of Utah