Author, Speaker and Founder of Carolyn Glasoe Bailey Foundation
Episode #136
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Jon Stewart's testimony before Congress reminded America - in scathing terms - of their responsibility to 9/11 first responders, but the effects of that day spread to nearby residents as well. Carolyn Glasoe Bailey owned an art gallery in lower Manhattan, and years later in Los Angeles, she was diagnosed with brain cancer. Her doctors told her it was most likely due to her proximity to Ground Zero. When Jon Stewart took to CSPAN, it moved Lila Glasoe Francese, her sister, to finally release the book she wrote about Caroline's journey.
When Carolyn is diagnosed with glioblastoma brain cancer, Lila is unaware of the complexity of the diagnosis and unprepared for the devastating path to come. When she was told she had cancer, Carolyn opted into treatment, even knowing it might change her personality.
At that time, Lila went to search for a book to help her understand what her sister was going through and what her family should expect. She couldn’t find anything to support her. So she wrote the book she needed at the time to support others in their own journey.
The Situation takes readers on an emotional and intense journey that explores the lifelong bond between siblings and the aching loss of a deep relationship. Like When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi and Being Mortal by Atul Gawande, it deals intimately with the choices terminal patients face, and the effect of those choices on those who love them.
In this episode, Valeria Teles interviews Lila Glasoe Francese.
Lila was born in Minneapolis in the 1970s and was the first Glasoe sister to leave the Midwest. She enrolled in SMU’s Meadow’s School of the Arts in 1990, where she was offered a full scholarship in their Bachelor of Fine Arts Program.
She graduated in 1994 and moved to Los Angeles, CA. In LA, Lila sold a screenplay (Peg & Shirl), provided character voices for animated television shows (the most notable Family Guy), renovated real estate, and ran the personal lives of producers, studio heads, and CEOs.
Lila is the recipient of a McKnight Fellowship, the Wellesley Book Award (given to young women of leadership), and is also a graduate of Breck School. She appeared professionally in regional theatre in both Minneapolis and Los Angeles. Lila has been a long supporter of the arts, beginning her fine art collection in 1995 with the help of her sister Carolyn Glasoe.
After the death of her sister Carolyn, Lila helped found, alongside her brother in law Christopher Bailey, The Carolyn Glasoe Bailey Foundation. This non-profit art charity continues to keep Carolyn’s artistic enthusiasm, fierce generosity, and innovative spirit alive throughout the fine art world.
Her book, The Situation, was released on May 5, 2020 in honor of her sister Carolyn and National Brain Cancer Awareness Month.
