Join us as we celebrate the tenth anniversary edition of Little Star with editor Lauren Catlett. This in-person event will be cosponsored by Hospice of the Piedmont and will be free and open to the public. We recommend arriving early for the best seating.
About the Book: Telling a story of suffering, searching, and hope, Little Star shows how one transgender woman with terminal cancer transformed the adversity she faced into wisdom, love, forgiveness, and a sense of identity. From her hospice bed, author Carmelita Estrellita worked with friend, artist, and editor Lauren Catlett to compose a selection of stories and insights from her life into a book to inspire and enlighten. This book was Estrellita’s parting gift to a world that, in spite of the hardships it brought her, she came to understand, to forgive, and to love.
A decade after the first edition of Little Star was published, Estrellita’s story has touched the lives of many people in healthcare, in academia, and in the community. This edition of the book reintroduces Estrellita’s story and traces the enduring impact it has had in the ten years since her passing.
About the Editor: Dr. Lauren Catlett (they/them) is a nurse and artist exploring the ground where care and creativity meet. They earned a bachelor’s degree in studio art and a doctorate in nursing from the University of Virginia. As a researcher at the UVA School of Nursing, they study aging and end-of-life care with a focus on the care of older adults from historically marginalized communities. As an artist, Catlett practices life drawing, illustration, graphic design, and bookmaking. They have authored or edited many creative and scientific publications, including two collections of stories and artwork by older adults with serious illness called Shared Doings and Sayings and Little Star.
