In Conversation with University of Pittsburgh Chancellor Emeritus Mark Nordenberg

Behind God’s Back: Finding Hope in Hardship is an unforgettable story of suffering and redemption, dramatizing the author’s experiences of poverty, food insecurity, abuse, addiction, recovery, and, eventually, community service. Miller explores childhood and early adult hardships endured growing up in public housing in Pittsburgh’s Arlington Heights and shares her move to sober living and transformational leadership, founding a recovery center that prioritizes trauma-informed care and women’s health. Miller’s poignant, award-winning memoir, with its cast of wise and “imperfect” mentors, shows us how we all can participate in the creation of a more humane society, embark on a deep healing process, and embrace leadership roles in our families, our communities, and our society.

A Pittsburgh native, Terry Miller is director emerita of the University of Pittsburgh Institute of Politics. She is an award-winning author, consultant, and advocate working to address social, economic, and racial inequality issues. She is the 2021 winner of the Established Individual Artist Award for Nonfiction from the Delaware Division of the Arts, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts.