Picture four virtual showcases, 35 brave survivors of childhood sexual abuse reading to 200 people --- a wonderful gathering of supportive witnesses. That’s what occurred the last weekend of January 2021at our event: Survivors’ Voices: Works of Resilience Written and Read by Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse. Read more about it here.
I can tell you what it looked like before we went live. We had readers who kept forgetting to breathe; two so proud of themselves they could hardly stand it, and everyone in between who felt like they were having a magical, pinch-me moment. Many talked about this new and remarkable experience of doing something within a community of survivors. Before healing starts, we tend to exist in anonymity and isolation. So, to be standing – square to square on Zoom - with a whole group of survivor siblings from across North America taking turns being cheered and cheering was, for many, both scary and astounding.
This compilation of pieces of prose and poetry are representations of stark, bold courage. Layers of courage. Make no mistake, the cement wall existing between telling the truth about our harm and the rest of the world has done a sad job of keeping silencing in place - not to mention the threat of loss and betrayal that awaits anyone brazen enough to breach that wall.
It took courage to pick up every pen and start writing. It took courage to send that writing to a jury of survivors and one ally to be scrutinized and judged. It took courage to say, “Yes, I’ll read," once the acceptance came through. It took courage to go to a workshop – Coach Lucinda Kidder, Producing Artistic Director of Silverthorne Theater Company, challenge you even further for a performance. And still more courage to allow your face to be on camera, your voice amplified through a speaker, your heart laid out on display.
It’s quite remarkable when something is done, produced, and has multiple positive outcomes. This is so true for this project. There's the singular benefit of authors getting their work into the world. Then, there's the glorious benefit of survivors getting to meet, know, support, and be inspired by other survivors. That's the meat and potatoes of community building.
Another benefit, pure and simple, is education: Here's who we are, what we've experienced, and what we think and feel about it all. And in the doing, in the being here, is the proactive experience of healing some of the wounds. I believe with every fiber of my being that telling is healing.
Then there’s the benefit of healing for the audience. It's healing to witness healing in action. And last, but not least --- remember that cement wall I mentioned earlier? Well, all these voices and all this positive reception are like sledgehammers on that wall. I can almost see big chunks of it crumbling as they hit the ground. This is social change in action. The entire wall may not come down in my lifetime, but it's comin' down!
And the ripple effect started immediately after the Zoom readings. There were the many messages from the audience of gratitude and appreciation and also pieces of new writing they just had to create after seeing the showcase. Beautiful, heartfelt pieces. Yes, we've had an impact. At one rehearsal, a survivor reader, Jessica, said, "If what we do gets just one survivor to speak, it's all been worth it." That brought tears to my eyes. And, Jess, guess what? Your hope is being realized tenfold. We're riding a mighty wave of change and healing.
We’ve published a book that holds the readings, The Survivors’ Voices Anthology. Authors are arranged in the order of the showcases and each chapter opens with a collage created by our two brilliant tech moderators; Beth Seigling and Maggie Donovan. Each collage shows images reflective of the readings in that showcase. To get a copy of the Survivors’ Voices Anthology, for $10.00, click here.
For many of our readers, this was the first time they spoke in public as survivors. Stop reading and take notice of that; re-read that last sentence. How brave would you have to be to speak openly about something you’d been forced to hide for years, decades, a lifetime?
Here are both reader and audience responses to the event:
Reader: “Survivors’ Voices was powerful, amazing, and I can already feel how the experience is working its way into the fibers of my being and my healing.” - Anna Holtzman
Audience: “Readers, your openness and honesty were courageous, and organizers, this was an act of generosity and compassion to create a space for survivors. I hope you do this again; it is such a service to us all and goes a long way in breaking the silence and the stigma. Thank you, xo to all of you.”
Reader: “This was powerful from start to finish. It was alive with love and support. The survivor team was absolutely flawless and human and did a special job for this special event. Thank you so much for having me be part of this.”
Reader: “Thank you for the amazing inspiration and the example of how to make survivors seen and heard and above all, safe to do so.” - Carla Beautrice
Audience: “The entire program was wonderful. It was beautifully executed on the technical side. Each story was profound, powerful, truthful, and brutally honest. The authors spoke with authenticity and vulnerability. It was an occasion that I will remember for many, many years.” - Sue Farro
Reader: “What an incredible, powerful experience... beautiful sights and sounds of the heart. ‘You can do this’ whispered in my ear the whole time.”
Reader: "Thank you for allowing me to be part of this experience. It was meaningful, the people organizing this were amazing and so helpful, I really felt like it was so significant for me, I felt very touched by the other readers, I felt very connected, I am so happy I took the risk to respond to the request for people to participate. It was truly the best decision I could have made." - Karen J.
Audience: "I felt such a bonding with the speakers and the audience. The event was so powerful and healing -- truly transformational! Thank you." - Jerri Harrell
Reader: "You held the most sacred and loving space [for my showcase], such grace and clarity and LOVE!!!!!!!! I’m so grateful." - Rythea Lee
Reader: "I was thinking in the beginning that it was just my reading on the day of the event that would be the growth that came out of this -- oh I was so wrong about that! The growth, the aha's, and healing that have come from the whole process is blowing my mind! This feels like a chapter in my life where I move on!" Xx Jen Young
Audience: "Wow. I found my body shaking with the sheer power of you courageous readers using your voices to rise, like a phoenix from the ashes... It made me want to create or join communities speaking truth and using art to turn the dehumanizing actions we experienced into yet another part of our infinite humanity. Wow.THANK YOU!!!" ~Ana
Audience: "I was really blown away by this event... Incredibly powerful. Each reader made me feel so much love and admiration, and I related to so much. There is something incredibly magical about breaking silence, it changes EVERYTHING. And I mean for the world, not just the reader and the audience. We will all be changed from hearing these stories, and in the most beautiful and positive way. It always amazes me that hearing these painful truths is such a healing thing. Thank you, a million times, I am so grateful for this event. Next time I will invite everyone I can!" -Ocean Edgar
Audience: "I attended 3 showcases. The whole thing felt like an act of LOVE. What a great way to raise the volume of survivors' voices. It was powerful and affirming. As a survivor myself, I felt a sense of belonging and validation. It left me feeling a desire to keep the momentum going, to have more conversations, and speak more openly."
Audience: "Everyone’s story helped make me feel that I’m not alone."
Audience: "This was a profound, deeply moving and inspiring afternoon. Thank you to each reader, for your bravery, insights and honesty. I am honored to have been a witness - my heart is full." With love and respect, Janet Goldblatt Holmes
Audience. "I attended with my 13-year-old daughter who had been sexually abused early in her life. We just cried together and sometimes laughed and I felt my daughter release something. When it was over she said, "I don't feel so alone now".
Reader: “Not only was I moved by everyone’s story it was another step forward in my own journey”.
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