About Sally

Since retiring in 2019 from a long career as a choral conductor, Sally Husch Dean has devoted herself to writing. She finds that the poetry of song and the rhythm of writing unite the two worlds, making the transition smooth.

Dean led college choruses, church choirs, and is the founding artistic director, emeritus of The San Diego North Coast Singers Youth Chorus, a thriving performing arts organization.

She is currently working on her forthcoming memoir, Why Is Home So Long Ago?, which details the search for a life path beyond the chaos and anxiety of childhood, living with and loving a brilliant but bipolar mother.

Sally studies memoir with renowned author and writing coach, Judy Reeves. Her personal essay, “Two Moms,” is featured in the anthology Children of Bipolar Parents, published in 2022. Her personal essay, “Baring Witness,” received an Honorable Mention in the 10th Annual Memoir Showcase hosted by the San Diego Memoir Writers Association. In August 2025, she was recognized as a Spotlight Winner at DimeStories San Diego.

Sally resides in Leucadia, California, with her husband, Bill, and their puppy, Belle.

Publications

Her essay, “Two Moms,” is included in this anthology:

Children of Bipolar Parents, bears witness to the suffering and triumphs of people with bipolar disorder and those who love them.   

Available on Amazon Children of Bipolar Parents