We love Kelly Corrigan, and the PBS Newshour just figured out why.

Corrigan is a 1989 alumna whose three memoirs (Lift, The Middle Place, and Glitter and Glue) have landed her on the New York Times best-sellers list and turned her life into a source of inspiration to many families. What makes her work so special is the care with which she reveals the human condition through family relationships.

Her wit and her warmth are abundant in even the shortest of conversations. (Side note: if you watch the video below, you'd agree with us that there's no doubt that any party with Corrigan as a guest is bound to be a real ripsnorter!)

In the PBS video, Corrigan speaks about the power of words and how her father’s cancer and her own breast cancer inspired her to write feverishly to put into words the true meaning of family. She told the PBS Newshour she spent the “panic energy” she had on writing.

If you want to hear more from Corrigan, you can listen in on the conversations she’s having with artists and other creative thinkers on her podcast, Exactly.

You can also read more about Corrigan’s work at kellycorrigan.com.