Elizabeth Mehren, author of I Lived to Tell the World, in conversation with Dr. Monica Onyango [03/20/24]

Porter Square Books is delighted to welcome journalist Elizabeth Mehren for the launch of her book I Lived to Tell the World! This event will take place on Wednesday, March 20 at 7pm at Porter Square Books (25 White St. Cambridge, MA 02140).

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As Americans increasingly question how each of us fits into our nation's cultural tapestry, I Lived to Tell the World presents thirteen inspiring profiles of refugees who have settled in Oregon. They come from Rwanda, Myanmar, Bosnia, Syria, and more-different stories, different conflicts, but similar paths through loss and violence to a new, not always easy, life in the United States. The in-depth profiles are drawn from hours of interviews and oral histories; journalist Elizabeth Mehren worked collaboratively with the survivors to honor the complexity of their experiences and to ensure that the stories are told with, and not just about, them. Mehren also weaves in historical, cultural, and political context alongside these personal stories of resilience.

In the face of global cruelty and hatred, the courage and fortitude of these individuals illuminate the darkness. Their stories inspire readers to reflect on their own experiences and to view newcomers to America with renewed respect. As more states adopt Holocaust and genocide education curricula and as issues around refugees, immigration, and racial justice gain attention, I Lived to Tell the World highlights the purposeful lives led by these Oregonians despite their painful pasts. Their experiences not only humanize the atrocities often seen in headlines, but also convey a universal message of hope.

After completing her graduate degree in journalism at UC-Berkeley, Elizabeth Mehren worked as a reporter for several newspapers in California, including the San Francisco Chronicle. From the Chronicle she moved to The Washington Post during the whirlwind days of Watergate. A call from an editor at the Los Angele Times sent her home to California—but not for long. Soon she was back in the nation’s capital, working as a reporter in her newspaper’s prestigious Washington bureau. Later she joined national staff of The Times, working first as a reporter in New York and subsequently serving as the paper’s New England bureau chief. She has covered many presidential elections, including frigid primaries in New Hampshire and Iowa, and was part of her paper’s reporting team that won a Pulitzer Prize following the Rodney King riots in Los Angeles. She left The Times to accept a faculty position in the College of Communication at Boston University, where she won teaching awards and served on university-wide committees. As a co-founder of BU’s Global Health Storytelling program, she helped bring a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to the university. Mehren is the author of four previous books. She has written for numerous national magazines and has appeared on national and regional television and radio programs. In 2023, Mehren delivered a Ted-X Berkeley talk at her alma mater. She resides in Portland, Oregon, with her husband, the journalist Fox Butterfield, and a loquacious Labrador retriever.

Dr. Onyango has over 25 years experience in health care delivery and management. At the Department of International Health she teaches courses in managing disasters and complex humanitarian emergencies, sexual and reproductive health in disaster settings. Her experience includes Kenya Ministry of Health for ten years as a nursing officer in management positions at two hospitals and as a lecturer at the Nairobi’s Medical Training College, School of Nursing. Monica is also a registered nurse by Massachusetts Board of Nursing. From 1992 to 1998, Dr. Onyango worked as a health team leader with international non-governmental organizations in relief and development in South Sudan, Angola and a refugee camp in Kenya. In South Sudan and Angola, she facilitated the design and implementation of community based health services where there had been no services for several years. At Kakuma refugee camp in North Western Kenya, she helped design the maternal and child health programs for over 20,000 refugees. Dr, Onyango has also participated in providing training for South Sudanese health workers on emergency obstetrics and neonatal care. In 2011, she co-founded the global nursing caucus (GNC) at BUSPH with a mission to advance the role of nursing in global health practice, education and policy through advocacy, collaboration, engagement and research. Her current research interests focus on reproductive health, maternal and child health, HIV/AIDS, health care among populations affected by disasters and the role of nurses and midwives in improving health status of populations globally. She holds a PhD in Nursing from Boston College, a Master of Science (nursing) degree from Boston College, a Master in Public Health degree from Boston University School of Public Health, Diploma in Advanced Nursing from Nairobi University, Diploma in general nursing and midwifery from Kenya Medical Training College, Nairobi.

Elizabeth Mehren, author of I Lived to Tell the World, in conversation with Dr. Monica Onyango

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