Shayla Dugan

Shayla Dugan is the author of Learning to Swim: A Novel and was recently featured in The New York Times (Style) in an article on empty nesting and midlife transition. A former social worker, her career focused primarily on hospice and the areas of grief and loss, where she came to understand and appreciate a wide range of personalities, family dynamics, and the importance of storytelling—and of finding humor in difficult situations.

She enjoys writing both fiction and nonfiction slice-of-life stories filled with humor and heart. An Arizona native, Shayla resides with her husband in their nearly empty nest. These days, she spends her time replacing the roles of her adult children with dogs and relishing visits with her young grandchildren, whom she lovingly refers to as “the hurricane.”