I want to make a piece about trauma & memory. One of the things to come out of Dr. Christine Blasey Ford's day of questioning was the observation that she didn't remember the date, or the address of the house. Dr. Ford is in the unusual position of being an expert in the area of her own trauma, but some people cannot seem to understand these gaps in her memory of such an important event, & seem to believe that the fragmented nature of trauma memory negates the event itself.
I want to collect memories - memories of trauma - in the hope that the truth will sing from the collective gaps. Trauma has been a matter of individual shame & erasure - our brains have strategies of hiding, disassociating, & normalising traumatic events, & society reiterates this process of denial. This often leaves survivors locked into a relationship of doubt in their own memories. After all, if no one else sees it, & I cannot account for every single detail, did it really even happen? Whatever undermines our relationship to our self, undermines our relationship to the world. I can't yet know the exact shape this piece will take, but I'd like to humbly invite participants to talk about their memory of assault or trauma - the things you remember & the things you don't remember are equally important. The recorder app can be used from your phone, or from your computer if it has a microphone, which will need to be on. Please say if you would like me to digitally distort your voice, or if you would prefer to have your words read out by a performer, so there is no trace of you in the final piece. All recordings file anonymously, unless you leave your name or information on the file. If you would like to participate, but don't want to leave a voice message, feel free to send me an email to [email protected], and your testimony will be included. I used the picture of Senator Flake cornered in the elevator, because I think this will be the defining moment of this chapter. One woman stands up in that glare & tells her truth - & the next thing you know, stories are pouring out of us, pinning senators in elevators, demanding recognition & action. All these stories have been churned up, & I am determined to give them a place to be heard. |
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