Area Author to Present End-of-Life Memoir at Pasadena Library

Bill Cushing spent the last hours of his wife Ana’s life watching her breathe. He counted each breath as cancer took her. That experience became the title and emotional center of “Counting Down the Breaths,” a memoir the Glendale author will present at Pasadena’s Lamanda Park Branch library on Saturday, February 21, at 3:00 p.m.

The book chronicles Cushing’s relationship with Ana, her battle with cancer, and his years as her caregiver. Cushing, who retired in 2020 after teaching English for 23 years at East Los Angeles and Mt. San Antonio colleges, describes the memoir as both a tribute to his late wife and a guide for others navigating terminal illness.

“The title came from the fact that I did, in reality, spend her last few hours of life counting down her breathing as she passed away,” Cushing said in a 2019 interview. “Its purpose is both to honor our relationship and to allow those who find themselves as caretakers to understand what their lives may become once cancer or any other serious medical condition enters.”

The memoir began as Cushing’s creative thesis for his MFA at Goddard College in Vermont. He spent years refining the manuscript before its publication in October 2025.

Cushing came to writing later in life. He served in the Navy as an electrician, then worked on oil tankers and commercial ships before returning to college at 37. At the University of Central Florida, classmates called him the “blue collar” poet. He was named one of the Top Ten Poets of Los Angeles in 2017.

Allen R. Kates, a trauma and PTSD expert who wrote the book’s foreword, called the memoir “a must-read” for those facing similar journeys, according to press materials provided by the author.

“Counting Down the Breaths is about loss, but more about the power of enduring love,” Kates wrote. “If you are going through a similar journey where the outcome is uncertain, or too certain, his book will help you get through the hard times.”

Cushing has published multiple books, including poetry collections “A Former Life” and “Music Speaks,” the short story collection “The Commies Come to Waterton,” and nonfiction works including “Time Well Spent” and “Heroic Brothers of the Civil War.” He continues to teach part-time and facilitates a writing workshop for 9 Bridges Writers Community.

Author Bill Cushing will present and sign copies of his memoir “Counting Down the Breaths” on Saturday, February 21 at 3:00 p.m. at the Lamanda Park Branch of the Pasadena Public Library, 140 South Altadena Drive. Admission is free. Copies of the book will be available for purchase. Parking is available at the library. For more information, call (626) 744-7266 or visit cityofpasadena.net/library.