Identity Theft: Rediscovering Ourselves After Stroke

Previously a tenured professor at Stanford University, Debra Meyerson studied, wrote, lectured, and taught about diversity, gender, identity, and organizational change. In September 2010, Debra’s life and career were derailed by a severe stroke that initially left her paralyzed on the right side and completely mute. Years of intensive therapy and a relentless work ethic enabled Debra to regain her independence, but she still lives with physical limitations and speech challenges. Debra wrote Identity Theft to help other survivors and those closest to them navigate the emotional journey that she found very difficult—and rewarding. Debra lives with her husband in Menlo Park, California, and has three grown children.

Steve Zuckerman is Debra’s husband and life partner since 1988, and her carepartner since her stroke in 2010. He had a successful first career as a business leader and then, in 2006, launched West Coast operations for Self-Help, a nationally recognized nonprofit financial and policy institution with a mission to create and protect ownership and economic opportunity for underserved communities. After co-founding Self-Help Federal Credit Union in 2008 and serving as president for twelve years, he stepped out of his leadership role (still working there part-time) to launch and build Stroke Onward, with Debra, to support stroke survivors and their families and catalyze change in the stroke system of care. Their 4,500-mile bike ride called Stroke Across America in 2022 helped raise awareness for Stroke Onward and stroke survivorship care.

Dubbed "The Adele of Audiobooks" by The New Yorker, Julia Whelan is an author, screenwriter, lifelong actor, and acclaimed audiobook narrator of over 700 titles. In the last year alone, she won the Audie for Best Fiction Narrator, received a lifetime achievement award from the Society of Voice Arts and Sciences, captured both the winner and runner-up slots in the inaugural audiobook category of the Goodreads Choice Awards, and was awarded a Gracie from the Alliance of Women in Media Foundation. Her performance of her own debut novel, the international bestseller My Oxford Year (coming soon to Netflix), garnered a SOVAS award. Her 2022 novel, Thank You For Listening, was a Best-of-the-Year pick at Amazon, Audible, and NPR. She is the founder of Audiobrary, a new audio publishing company and app that seeks to change how creatives are compensated in the audiobook industry, and her latest books – the Audie nominated romance Casanova LLC and the annotated Victorian poetry anthology The Poetry Of My Oxford Year – debuted exclusively on Audiobrary. She is also a Grammy nominated audiobook director, a former writing tutor, a half-decent amateur baker, and a certified tea sommelier. audiobrary.com