The Paper Shepherd

Olivia Landis was born to a devoutly Catholic family in New York. Her relatives spoke openly about the fact her father considered becoming a priest until he met and fell in love with her mother. Instead earning a living as a scientist, her father encouraged her early to embrace a scientifically informed view of religion while her mother espoused one steeped in mystery and superstition. Olivia's greatest challenge of faith occurred in high school when she was cast in an original one act play written by a well meaning youth ministry director at her church. Faced with the prospect of going to hell for the sins of others on stage, she wrestled with her first bout of major depression, accidentally discovering she could temporarily alleviate her symptoms through fasting and ketosis. Recurrent bouts of depression lead her to repeated fasts, compulsive exercise, music, and religious rituals. She eventually sought long term remission through psychiatry and has dedicated her professional career to helping others break the cycle of recurrent depression. Olivia has also worked as a chemist, a neuroscience research assistant, and an intramural basketball referee. She currently lives with her husband and two children in southern Virginia. She is still an enthusiastic amateur musician and athlete.