Friday Dec 06, 2024
Rust and Alchemy
A memoir from the frontline with Coralee Boileau, a Canadian author, seasoned nurse, and mental health advocate. Her dynamic 25-year career has allowed her to be amidst the most intimate moments in strangers' lives through her experiences in pediatric intensive care, labor and delivery, long-term care, and now full circle as a palliative care nurse. She aspires to further her education and expertise by becoming a death doula. You can find her books, Falling from Grace, and If We Were Having Coffee: Heart Songs of An Introverted Artist (Coralee Boileau) on Amazon and follow her writing thoughts and journey on Instagram @coraleewritesss.
Coralee Boileau and Lynn Thompson met in a serendipitous way in October 2024 at a weekend event in Toronto. Afterwards, Coralee sent her epic book, Rust and Alchemy, A memoir from the frontline (under the name D.C. Boileau) to Lynn for review before their conversation. For this hour, they meet on Zoom to talk about the book and Coralee's experiences so far.
Associated episode: Art of Departure Ten with Coralee and two other nurses in a group discussion.
Thanks to Black Fedora with Sneaky Jazz for the music weaving through the talk. Thanks for listening. And enjoying photos of things mentioned in the conversation.
12 hours ago
1 Star – “A Masterclass in Delusion” If you’re looking for a self-congratulatory trainwreck dressed up as compassion, Rust and Alchemy delivers. Coralee Boileau, who now self-identifies as a “mental health advocate” and “palliative nurse,” conveniently skips over the messy reality of her past — like being quietly removed or pushed out of multiple hospital roles under clouds of conflict. At Maple Lodge, insiders say her performance was so disastrous, she was asked to leave the project entirely. She paints herself as this stoic healer, but let’s talk receipts: allegations of substance use at underground parties, a trail of failed relationships — including cheating on her spouse with women while preaching vulnerability — and a long pattern of quitting just before being fired. This isn’t a memoir from the frontline — it’s a carefully curated filter of someone desperate to control their own narrative. The podcast episode? Even worse. A cringe-fest of vague spiritual platitudes and emotional bypassing. One minute she’s quoting Rumi, the next she’s humble-bragging about being a “death doula in training” while completely glossing over how her inability to commit or lead damaged entire teams. This book isn’t brave. It’s branding. And it reeks of performance. Skip it.
6 months ago
Wow what a great podcast… loved everything about it the questions that were asked the string emotional answers and the way it was presented ! Hope you get so much exposure for your talents !