December 28, 2005  
       Southwest Edition
      Burbank, Bridgeview
       
         Ray Hanania
         Print Edition
            Column

Peace Grad Survives, Keeps Dancing

Susan Brauer, an alumna of Queen of Peace High School, 7659 S. Linder Ave., Burbank, visited the school recently to talk to students and to discuss her book, Just Keep Dancing.

Brauer met students in Peace’s creative writing class to talk about the autobiography she self-published.

The following class period, she joined fellow alumna to speak to students in physics classes about the benefits of pursuing a career in engineering. Brauer has achieved success as an electrical engineer and section manager with Motorola, as a first-time author and as creator of the publishing company Dreamers Tapestry.

Just Keep Dancing is an account of Brauer’s relationship with an abusive alcoholic she married two weeks after her high school graduation. It tells of the reasons she stayed with him, the struggles she faced and the story of her survival and the survival of her six sons.

“I didn’t want to write a how-to book,” Brauer says. “I wanted to open a space in women’s hearts and brains where I could slip my messages in and change their lives in a positive way.” She adds that she removed very little of the story in editing, noting, “Anything I removed would be less than honest to you, the reader.”

Brauer notes that throughout grade school and high school she never wrote for fun and never took a class in writing beyond the required English courses. She always had a talent for math and science, she notes, which ultimately led her to earn both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Electrical Engineering from the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Despite her love of reading, Brauer comments that she never considered using that love to become a writer. “I could write a technical thesis that was 125 pages long,” she laughs, “but I never thought I could write about my life.”

It was while she was reading a book on writing by her favorite author, Stephen King, that Brauer became inspired to start the work involved in becoming a published author.

“To follow your dreams, do something that brings you closer to it everyday,” she advised the students. “Imagine what it would be like when you’re there. Research. Talk to people. Believe it will happen because you can dream it.”

Brauer began the pursuit of her dream by recording herself speaking aloud in the car on her way to work, and would type out her words when she got home. “Writing a book is like weaving a tapestry,” Brauer told the writing class. “You put the ideas and concepts together and slowly you see all of the pieces come together.”

She joined women’s groups and networked with other authors, but still had doubts about her talent. “I had to redefine myself and my concept of who I was when I was writing. You need to believe that you’re not kidding yourself, that what you’re doing will mean something.” 

Six years after she made the decision to become a writer, Brauer completed her autobiography and had 3,000 copies printed.

“Everyone has dreams they think they can’t fulfill. Mine were singing and writing. Now, I feel like I woke up one morning and suddenly I can sing. Everyday is like Christmas. Did it take me six years? Yes. But does that matter? No, because the book is 100 percent mine,” said Brauer.