Grandma Joy and Me, Brad Ryan's Transformative Journey of Healing!

Join veterinarian, wildlife conservationist, and writer to learn more about his heartrending and transformative seven-year journey with his grandmother, Joy Ryan, to visit every US National Park in his extraordinary book, . Brad will be in conversation with writer, poet, and naturalist .

The event is free. One can also pre-purchase Grandma Joy and Me while registering, as well as at the event. Grandma Joy will be soigning books with Brad after the program!

Bexley Public Library is Gramercy’s Community Partner and venue host for this program.

Raised in Appalachia, Grandma Joy lived a life shaped by constraints and hardships, while Brad grappled with the weight of family rifts and unresolved pain. Together, they embarked on a quest not only to witness the majesty of America’s wild landscapes but also to heal generations of struggles and misunderstandings. Over seven years, they sought to visit all sixty-three US National Parks. From the towering peaks of Denali to the otherworldly beauty of the Everglades, each park became a classroom, teaching them profound lessons about nature, resilience, and each other.

Grandma Joy and Me follows a seven-year adventure of intergenerational healing, wherein a grandmother and grandson find themselves released from the injustices—real and imagined—that had long held them hostage. An emotionally charged exploration of love, forgiveness, and resilience, this unique bond between a young man and his ninety-year-old grandmother—the oldest person to visit every US National Park—is more than just any travel tale; it is a testament to what makes us deeply human.

Brad Ryan is a veterinarian, wildlife conservationist, social media influencer, mental health advocate, and writer from southeastern Ohio. He earned his BA from Miami University, an MSc in mammalian biology from the University of Pretoria, and both a DVM and MPH from The Ohio State University, specializing in wildlife medicine and veterinary public health.

Jarod K. Anderson is a writer and poet from Ohio. He has published three books of nature poetry as well as the memoir Something in the Woods Loves You, about his lifelong struggle with depression and the healing power of the natural world. His contemporary fantasy novel Strange Animals was called "a wholly captivating tale of magic and nature" by Publishers Weekly. Jarod's work has been featured in diverse places such as Asimov's, The Sun Magazine, Literary Hub, musical adaptations performed at Carnegie Hall, and even on Patagonia brand clothing. He has been a featured guest, workshop teacher, and speaker for organizations including Georgetown University's Earth Commons program and The Henry David Thoreau Foundation. He lives with his wife and son in a little white house tucked between a park and a cemetery.

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