A book of questions, not answers.
A collection of essays, poetry, letters, reflections and visual art about the questions that accompany us through every season of life — grief and love, faith and doubt, identity and belonging, and the ongoing work of becoming.
An artful companion for the unfinished work of being human.
Inspired by the life and legacy of Cassandra Voss, this collection invites readers into honest conversation about what it means to remain fully human in a complicated world. Guided by a series of timeless questions, these pages encourage us not to seek certainty too quickly, but to live more fully into the questions themselves.
What if some questions are not meant to be solved, but lived?
The six sections of Maybe Life Hurts
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Who Are We Meant to Become?
On identity, and the selves we grow into.
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Will You Go With Me?
On companionship through the hardest passages.
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Will the Sorrow Ever Cease?
On mourning, and what endures after loss.
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Where Do You Go When You Die?
On faith, doubt, & mystery.
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Maybe It's Complicated, By Design?
On contradiction, and holding two things at once.
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What If It All Works Out?
On repair, and hope as a discipline.
AN ARTISTIC KEEPSAKECrafted to be kept
The book itself is a work of art — containing Cassandra’s paintings and handwriting reproduced in full color, with art-led section openers, hand-lettered pull quotes, and spaciously designed for you to make your own notes.
THE STORY BEHIND MAYBE LIFE HURTSA father and daughter who refused to stop talking
Cassandra Voss was a feminist. Her father, Kurt, is a conservative. They challenged each other, stayed curious about each other, and stayed in relationship across real difference — not by agreeing, but by refusing to stop the conversation.
A Chorus of Voices
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Chancey Anderson Tauer
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![Joy Baker, contributor to Maybe Life Hurts]()
Joy Baker
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![Lori Baudino, contributor to Maybe Life Hurts]()
Lori Baudino, Psy.D.
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![Christina Boyd-Smith, Ph.D., contributor to Maybe Life Hurts]()
Christina Boyd-Smith, Ph.D.
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William Brendel, Ed.D.
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![Suzan Brinker, Ph.D., contributor to Maybe Life Hurts]()
Suzan Brinker, Ph.D.
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![Maria Burnham, contributor to Maybe Life Hurts]()
Maria Burnham
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![Canaan Cooper, contributor to Maybe Life Hurts]()
Canaan Cooper
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![Karlyn Crowley, contributor to Maybe Life Hurts]()
Karlyn Crowley, Ph.D.
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![Kim Dicso, contributor to Maybe Life Hurts]()
Kim Dicso
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![William J. Doherty, Ph.D., contributor to Maybe Life Hurts]()
William J. Doherty, Ph.D.
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![Katie Dohan, contributor to Maybe Life Hurts]()
Katie Dohman
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![David Eddie, Ph.D., ABPP, contributor to Maybe Life Hurts]()
David Eddie, Ph.D., ABPP
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![Heather Faase, contributor to Maybe Life Hurts]()
Heather Faase
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![S. Julianne Gilbert, contributor to Maybe Life Hurts]()
S. Julianne Gilbert
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![Chris Gonzalez, contributor to Maybe Life Hurts]()
Chris Gonzalez, Ph.D.
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![Melissa Gorzelanczyk, contributor to Maybe Life Hurts]()
Melissa Gorzelanczyk
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![Alex Gruber, contributor to Maybe Life Hurts]()
Alex Gruber
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![Laurie Healy, contributor to Maybe Life Hurts]()
Laurie Healy
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![Leah Hoffman, contributor to Maybe Life Hurts]()
Leah Hoffman
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![bell hooks, contributor to Maybe Life Hurts]()
bell hooks
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![Lily Janousek, contributor to Maybe Life Hurts]()
Lily Janousek
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![Betsy Johnson, contributor to Maybe Life Hurts]()
Betsy Johnson
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![Anna Kudak, Ph.D., contributor to Maybe Life Hurts]()
Anna Kudak, Ph.D.
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![R. Alice Lavendel, contributor to Maybe Life Hurts]()
R. Alice Lavendel
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![Devon Linssen, researcher & contributor to Maybe Life Hurts]()
Devon Linssen
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![Ronald Manning, contributor to Maybe Life Hurts]()
Ronald Manning, M.D.
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![Moya McGinn Mathews, contributor to Maybe Life Hurts]()
Moya McGinn Mathews
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![Mary McGreevy, contributor to Maybe Life Hurts]()
Mary McGreevy
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![Seamus (James) Neilson, contributor to Maybe Life Hurts]()
Seamus (James) Neilson
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![Gregor Nelson, Ed.D., contributor to Maybe Life Hurts]()
Gregor Nelson, Ed.D.
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![Annika Osell, contributor to Maybe Life Hurts]()
Annika Osell
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![Alma Jean Spitz, researcher & contributor to Maybe Life Hurts]()
Alma Jean Spitz
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![Joan Steffend, contributor to Maybe Life Hurts]()
Joan Steffend
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![Jesie Steffes, contributor to Maybe Life Hurts]()
Jesie Steffes
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![Deanna A. Thompson, Ph.D., contributor to Maybe Life Hurts]()
Deanna A. Thompson, Ph.D.
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![Elaine Tosetti, contributor to Maybe Life Hurts]()
Elaine Tosetti
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![Ava Van Straten, contributor to Maybe Life Hurts]()
Ava Van Straten
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![Paul J. Wadell, contributor to Maybe Life Hurts]()
Paul J. Wadell, Ph.D.
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![Valeria Watkins, Ph.D., contributor to Maybe Life Hurts]()
Valeria Watkins, Ph.D.
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![Patty Wetterling, contributor to Maybe Life Hurts]()
Patty Wetterling
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![Jane Whitlock, contributor to Maybe Life Hurts]()
Jane Whitlock
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![Cathy Wurzer, contributor to Maybe Life Hurts book]()
Cathy Wurzer
“Maybe Life Hurts is a beautiful reminder of the healing power of curiosity, honest dialogue, and love. So much of my sister bell hooks’ life and work asked us to consider what becomes possible when we meet one another with courage, openness, and love.
Maybe Life Hurts carries that invitation forward, asking us to be curious about our own stories while making room for the experiences and perspectives of others. I believe bell would have welcomed a book like this and I was honored to have contributed to its creation.”
— VALERIA WATKINS, PhD
Contribute to the dialogue across differences
Every copy comes with a piece of stationery and one instruction: Send the letter you’ve been postponing. The apology. The admiration. The reconnection. Or just—I’m glad you’re in my life.
