The people behind the book
Seven years, a research team, and a wide circle of contributors. Maybe Life Hurts was shaped by people who believed these questions deserved an honest, beautiful home.
Carol Bruess, Ph.D.
Carol is a relationship researcher, professor emerita, author and speaker whose work explores the power of conversation in everyday life. She leads the workshops built around the book’s six questions.
CO-EDITOR · AUTHOR & RESEARCHER
Kurt Voss
Kurt is Cassandra’s father. His first written letter to her since the accident appears in the book. Together, he and Carol shaped the collection and its structure.
CO-EDITOR · CASSANDRA’S FATHER
“We didn’t set out to explain grief, loss, pain. We set out to be in dialogue with what’s possible thanks to living into and through it. In our own lives, and in years of listening to others, we kept meeting the same handful of questions—each without an answer, but each a question we can learn to love and live into.
This book is our attempt to explore and hold urgent questions honestly — as Cassandra did — and to trust the reader will bring the rest. Our hope is that this volume opens dialogue in yourself and, of course, with others.”
— CAROL & KURT
The Research Team
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Taylor Collard
A 2024 St. Norbert College graduate in psychology who joined the Maybe Life Hurts research team in 2021. Drawn to Cassie’s spirit and resilience, Taylor connected deeply with many of the book’s themes and even shared part of her own story in an SNCtalk. She hopes to become a child life specialist, supporting children and families through medical treatment.
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Corrinne Justice
A storyteller, educator, and connector, she has built her work around asking difficult questions and using stories to illuminate social issues. After studying and teaching in Ghana and later teaching seventh-grade English, she moved into full-time writing and podcasting. Today, her work centers on Milwaukee education and creating space for people to tell their own stories, in their own words.
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Devon Linssen
A 2023 St. Norbert College graduate, he joined the project as a researcher and writer after being inspired by Cassandra’s story. With a sharp eye for detail, he is especially skilled at finding patterns, tracing root causes, and turning complex ideas into clear, meaningful narratives. Off the page, he is unapologetically Wisconsin: Lake Michigan summers, craft beer, cheese curds, and an ever-expanding music library.
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Caralynn Orbell
A 2022 St. Norbert College graduate, she brought to the project a deep interest in asking questions, creating connection, and making space for meaningful conversation. Cassandra’s story has continued to shape how she approaches her own life, encouraging her toward greater courage and authenticity. She now works in strategic events and partnerships and teaches yoga in Salt Lake City, where she spends as much time as possible exploring the West with her dog, Muskie.
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Annika Osell
Introduced to Cassandra’s life and legacy while serving two AmeriCorps terms with the Cassandra Voss Center, she was drawn to Cassandra’s deeply relational way of moving through the world. She contributed to the book as both a researcher and writer and now works in the nonprofit sector, focusing on community engagement. Outside of work, she volunteers, participates in local arts and music programs, and spends time with family.
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Alma Jean Spitz
A 2021 St. Norbert College graduate, she came to the project through her interests in psychology, creative writing, and other people’s stories. At the Cassandra Voss Center, she connected deeply with Cassie’s story and with the complicated, loving father-daughter dynamic between Cassie and Kurt, which echoed aspects of her own experiences with family and grief. She now works as a case manager in a community mental health program in Milwaukee and recharges with hiking, thrifting, and time with her cat, Petunia.
BOOK DESIGNER
Ali Brueggemann
Ali designed the book’s art-led interior and cover — the color fields, the marker titles and the hand-painted motifs that give Maybe Life Hurts its voice.
ALI BRUEGGEMANN is a creative director based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and the founder of Storied Creative. With over 20 years of experience, she brings a thoughtful, design-driven approach to storytelling, shaping how ideas are felt, understood, and shared. Her work on this book reflects a deep belief in the power of connection and the role design plays in bringing people closer to the stories that matter. She is currently a fellow at the Finnovation Institute, where she is developing a social-impact business aimed at challenging systemic gender bias in healthcare. She lives in Minnesota with her husband, and son, and is fueled by coffee, daydreams, and sunshine.
Want to go deeper?
Carol Bruess, a relationship social scientist and the book’s lead editor, offers dynamic, interactive workshops and talks built around the book’s six questions: a deep dive into the power of human connection.