Paul Wayne Pennington
Author Interview - Paul Wayne Pennington
Author of Gut Punch: A Caregiver's Life After Normal
Gut Punch is a raw, unfiltered memoir about what happens when the crisis ends - but the caregiver breaks. After a Gut Punch is delivered through a diagnosis, a caregiver quietly assumes a role, becoming a sentry. Vigilant. Composed. Unemotional. Determined to carry a loved one through. But once treatments stop and remission arrives, many caregivers break. Endurance, it turns out, has a shelf life. Caregivers tend to quietly collapse, crushed by suppressed fear and emotional isolation.
Told with brutal honesty and quiet grace, Gut Punch exposes the unseen toll of caregiving and the silence that too often surrounds it. The book is a powerful exploration of strength mistaken for wellness, resilience tangled with denial, and the long road back to wholeness.
"A powerful recollection of a caregiver's experiences that balances advice with reflection." Kirkus Reviews
"In sharing his darkest moments and deepest fears, he has given voice to what so many of us feel but cannot say."
Chris Petersen, Head Coach, Univ of Washington / Boise State and Fox Sports Studio Analyst
Author Interview - Paul Wayne Pennington
Author I draw inspiration from:
Malcom Gladwell (Outliers)
Author Interview - Paul Wayne Pennington | Author I Draw Inspiration From
Favorite place to read a book:
Outside, Truly anywhere outside.
Book character I’d like to be stuck in an elevator with:
He may not be a book "character", but he has been written about frequently over the years, and quoted often. He has also been an accomplished author, in addition to his work as a teacher and coach. In fact, one of his quotes received a front row seat within my soon-to-be released book. "Things turn out best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out." Coach John Wooden. My childhood hero, I have long admired his simple approach and the consistency of his leadership. Would love to have an elevator chat with this quiet man. I feel like those few minutes would remain embedded inside for a lifetime.
Author Interview - Paul Wayne Pennington | Book Character I’d Like to be Stuck in an Elevator With
The moment I knew I wanted to become an author:
After moving every three years, requiring new cities, new schools, and new friends, I developed into a pleaser. It was the easiest way, in my opinion, to quickly achieve acceptance. Part of this meant I was keeping everyone entertained in class. Because of that, I was never a student our teachers imagined would become a future academic. When our senior english class was asked to write a term paper, the topic caught my interest and, for the first time in high school, I went to work. Leaned in. Rolled up the sleeves. My reward? I was called into the principal's office and accused of cheating. The vice principal could not imagine that I was capable of this work. The english teacher was sitting with us, intently listening to the back and forth, before eventually asking everyone to leave the room. Except me. She quickly calmed me down, handed me a paper and pen, and asked me to write how this ordeal made me feel. When I was done, she became my biggest fan, helping me to apply to college, becoming the person I turned to constantly for letters of recommendation. While I did not write my first book until I was 58, it became a lifelong goal from the moment I left that principal's office.
Hardback, paperback, ebook or audiobook:
Do not dislike any of these, as long as the words are being absorbed. But call me old school. I still like turning pages.
The last book I read:
I am currently teaching a 3rd year law school course. My mantra for the course? We go rogue. Off script. One of the books I asked the students to read was by Ryan Holiday. Ego is the Enemy. Love the approach Ryan takes in this book.
Author Interview - Paul Wayne Pennington | The Last Book I Read
Pen & paper or computer:
I didn't start out with the notion that I was writing a book. This journey began as a daily journal (pen and paper), where I was doing hard work, unpacking many deeply stored memories and emotions suppressed while being a caregiver for my wife of 35 years. Loved the pen and paper approach for writing down thoughts, emotions and memories. Once the journal was full, the process moved to a laptop and that is where the idea for a book came to be. But that journal, completely full with my awful handwriting, still sits on my nightstand. And a fresh new one sits alongside it, waiting to help explore what comes next.
Book character I think I’d be best friends with:
Don Quixote, the Man of La Mancha. He reminds me that conviction sometimes looks like madness to the crowd. I'm drawn to people who chase what they believe in, even when the wind pushes back. Quixote seems confident in taking a non-conforming view. Opinions be damned. His ability to show true, authentic vulnerability is legendary.
Author Interview - Paul Wayne Pennington | Book Character I’d be Best Friends With
If I weren’t an author, I’d be a:
I have been a litigation attorney, an entrepreneur, a real estate developer, and a community leader. But teaching aspiring young minds and future lawyers, who are currently looking at life with blazing, wide eyes, has been a breath of fresh air. Giving them advice, real-life experience, and a fresh perspective has been an absolute treat. Just hope they are loving it as much as I am.
Favorite decade in fashion history:
80's. I continue to be stuck in that decade. Like feet in cement. Love the fashion. Love the music. Love the hair styles. As awful as it can look at times, I am all about the 80's.
Place I’d most like to travel:
I have been blessed to have spent a lifetime traveling. Throughout North America, China, and Europe mainly. While any destination is fantastic provided family is included on the itinerary, my heart remains in Spain. Madrid and Barcelona are my two favorite cities in which to get lost and have an experience.
My signature drink:
A Macallan scotch with a sunset always hangs a star on a day.
Favorite artist:
A letter and a number. U2. Seeing them live at the Sphere was one memorable experience.
Number one on my bucket list:
My favorite title is Papou - grandfather - honoring my family's Greek tradition.
With my third daughter about to be married, my oldest having blessed us with three grandchildren, and my middle daughter expecting, true joy now looks like little feet on the dock each summer. Watching them experience the same lake life we loved while raising their parents feels like time folding in on itself.
My fourth child is a son. Not yet married, but I look forward to the day he has a son of his own - carrying on tradition, passing down lessons, offering advice that may, at times, fall quietly on deaf ears.
So the top of the bucket list, for me, is easy. Countless grandkids running down the dock, laughing and smiling, demanding Papou take them for a boat ride around the lake.
Anything else you'd like to add:
Life has a way of rearranging your priorities. Shifting your normal. When it does, you quickly realize that success isn't measured in accomplishments - it's measured in who you show up for.
Find more from the author:
linkedin.com/in/paulwaynepennington (most active account)
About Paul Wayne Pennington:
Paul Wayne Pennington
Paul Wayne Pennington is the author of Gut Punch, a memoir chronicling the emotional collapse and steadfast resilience of a caregiver during his loved one's battle with aggressive cancer. A law school graduate and entrepreneur, Paul has worked alongside private equity, and held leadership roles with the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Idaho and the Gonzaga University Law School Foundation. He currently serves as an adjunct professor at the University of Idaho College of Law. Paul and Wendi split their time between Scottsdale and McCall, Idaho, where they enjoy their four children and three grandchildren.
