She and Justin had met walking from Mexico to Canada when she was thru-hiking the Pacific Crest Trail, using the 2,650-mile journey to help her reclaim her body and spirit after being raped* freshman year of college**.

Aspen’s first memoir Girl in the Woods is the story of that experience and her recovery which she wrote to heal and help spread awareness of the prevalence of campus assault. Her new memoir Your Blue is Not My Blue-A Missing Person Memoir is the story of how in searching for her husband she discovered a deeper purpose.

In this episode, Aspen shares what she’s learned about happiness, the role creativity and writing have played in recognizing her place in the world, and how she’s moved from a feeling of powerlessness to strength.  

*Rape is the only violent felony that is almost never prosecuted. Only 3% of rape cases end in conviction

**Between one in four and one in five female students will be raped during their undergraduate educations.

Aspen Matis is the author of Your Blue Is Not My Blue: A Missing Person Memoir (Little A, June 2020). Called “fearless…A beautifully written story of inspiration, courage, and ultimate transformation” by Booklist, the book was a #1 Amazon bestseller in memoirs. Author Deepak Chopra said the memoir “will open the door to empathy, compassion, and healing.” Novelist Aimee Bender called Your Blue Is Not My Blue “gorgeous…a gripping read that wrestles honestly and sensitively with the ways we connect and the ways we miss one another.”

Matis’s short-form writing has been published in The New York Times, The Atlantic, Tin House, Psychology Today, Salon, and Marie Claire. Her first book, the critically acclaimed memoir Girl in the Woods, was published by HarperCollins in 2015. Called “a powerful read” by O, The Oprah Magazine, the book made The Guardian’s annual top 50 list. The New York Times named Matis “a hero.” To learn more, visit www.aspen-matis.com.