While teaching English to communist party officials in post-war Laos, Kathryn Kefauver Goldberg reflects on silence and the legacy of trauma.
trauma
Posted inEditor's Pick
The Heart-Work: Writing About Trauma as a Subversive Act
An essay by memoirist Melissa Febos in which she responds to her Sarah Lawrence students’ fears around writing about their traumas, and concerns about being accused of “navel gazing.” She rejects the notion that there are already too many stories about trauma and personal experiences out there–along with other notions about memoir as narcissistic, arguments […]
Posted inNonfiction, Quotes
This Is Rape
T Kira Madden tells the story of her rape, confusion, and redemption to show us what rape culture really looks like in this country.
Posted inNonfiction, Quotes
The Science of Suppressing Traumatic Memories
I had come to his house, in this sunny spot between Ben Gurion Airport and the Mediterranean coast, for an unlikely reason: not long ago, after decades of unwavering silence, Sigmund Schiller spoke about his Holocaust experience. “People talk about ‘Sophie’s Choice’ as if it were a rare event,” he said. “It wasn’t. Everybody had […]
Posted inUncategorized
Scientists are trying to uncover why some people are better able to recover from trauma than others: After Ebaugh crawled up the rocky riverbank, a truck driver picked her up, took her to a nearby convenience store and bought her a cup of hot tea. Police, when they arrived, were sympathetic and patient. The doctor […]