Beverly Donofrio
Long Island, NY US
"Life is difficult. Bad happens. What are you going to do? You just have to make the best of everything. Trust that the universe is leading you along. It's all a process."
Career Roadmap
Beverly's work combines: Education, Writing, and Communicating / Sharing Stories
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Here's the path I took:
High School
Bachelor's Degree
English Language and Literature, General
Wesleyan University
Graduate Degree
Creative Writing
Columbia University in the City of New York
Life & Career Milestones
My path in life has been direct
1.
Grew up working class; started ditching high school, got pregnant before she graduated.
2.
Enrolled in community college and struggled: didn't have a car, couldn't mind babysitters.
3.
Got an "F" on her English thesis; later became her autobiography, Riding in Cars with Boys.
4.
Was offered film rights for her book, held out on huge amounts of money until she found a deal that kept her involved.
5.
"Just say "yes": never wanted to write for magazines but found some amazing opportunities, loved it.
6.
Found financial success, critical acclaim, but still struggled with depression.
7.
Moved into a monastery for four years to "heal" after experiencing a major trauma.
8.
Says even the worst experiences in her life worked out in the end, led her to the person and writer she is today.
Defining Moments
Experiences and challenges that shaped me
I was raped in my house in Mexico in my own bed. It was horrible. It was like a dark night of the soul.
I've always struggled with depression, so it revisited. It revisited really until I got God, to tell you the truth, and that was when I was 40. I was in therapy constantly.
I was on welfare, I was a single mother, I didn't have a car, I couldn't get a job without a car, there was no daycare. It was a real scary trap.