We Will Not Be Silenced: The Lived Experience of Sexual Harassment and Sexual Assault Told Powerfully Through Poetry, Prose, Essay, and Art By Christine E. Ray
When I began reading We Will Not Be Silenced, I was shocked at what waited for me. It wasn’t just the staggering statistics from the Forward. It wasn’t just the vivid, albeit brief, moments of just a few things a survivor may have experienced. It was the onslaught of my own history coming back up my throat like bile. While this anthology needs to be read with great care – especially for those that have experienced some kind of abuse or assault in their lives, as it will no doubt be triggering – it is definitely something everyone should be aware of. These things are real. They happen at a staggering rate every day. And the more awareness we can spread about it, maybe – just maybe – we will be able to save someone from enduring some of, or escaping from, their own.
To be honest, as a contributor, I'm not sure what else to say other than the fact that I feel this is important for everyone to become more aware of these issues running rampant across the world. This is definitely a cause I believe in, because, as a victim myself, I want to help as many people as I can to avoid or end their own torment.
428 Powerful pieces from survivors' hearts straight to the pages. This is a must have in every library, women's centers and beyond. Real stories of truth that cannot be ignored. 428 ‘We Will Not be Silenced’ is a call to arms; it is muffled voices upon strangled voices ripping the gags off to scream their stories and speak truth to power. ‘We Will Not be Silenced’ is rage and heartbreak, it is the soul-crushing pain of the worst kind of human violation being laid bare for all to see, and it is laid bare with an unflinching power that demands you to keep reading. These stories are poignant and disturbing, and they are filled with everything this world needs to read right now.
‘While We Will Not Be Silenced’ is not an easy read, but it is an important one, and while the subject matter is sensitive and the words unforgiving, these stories and essays, the poetry and the prose, the art captured within, have done a service to every survivor of sexual abuse and harassment by taking back their power and reliving their horrors without the shame that most survivors feel.
These writers and poets, the artists and voices who were brave enough to submit their work to this anthology have not only taken their power back, but they have gifted it to every victim, to every survivor, to every single person who has either shouted, “Me Too” from the rooftops, or whispered it under their breath.
‘We Will Not Be Silenced’ is a beautiful collection of devastating pieces, it is a siren call to survivors everywhere, and a book that should be showcased in every school, stocked on the shelves of every hospital, and sitting on the counters in every police station in the world. ‘We Will Not Be Silenced’ should simply be available to everyone and anyone who has ever been violated, and to everyone and anyone who would be brave enough to speak out and speak up in an era when victims still aren’t being heard.
Bravo to the fearless writers, poets, artists, and survivors who shared their story in order to change the world. We hear you, and I know you hear us too.
428 This is such an important collection, and though it's categorized as a book for women on Amazon, just about every idea in here is applicable to anyone who's ever experienced sexual assault on any level. It's a beautiful collection filled with all sorts of writers and pain and power. If you haven't already, do grab this book for a round of feelings. 428 This is the most heartbreaking book I have ever come to read. It is the harsh reality that plays behind the curtains of many 'homes', and is a true horror to carry for way too many people in this world. This book hits hard and will forever leave a mark upon the soul. 428
We Will Not Be Silenced is a collection of poetry, prose, essays and art which shares the lived experience of sexual harassment and sexual assault. It has been pieced together and pioneered by four incredible, courageous women who, in telling their truth, have a raised a chorus of ninety-one other writers and artists. Austin, Daquin, Finch and Ray have undoubtedly created more than a piece of art. They have blown wind into the sails of change and made a stand which has already altered the lives of many.
We Will Not be Silenced, as the title suggests, paves the way for silence to be shattered. Shame and stigma in society has taught a lesson of ‘stay quiet because no one will believe you’, for too long. The stories in this collection, although difficult to read at times, teach new lessons. Lessons about hope. Lessons about how you are not alone. Lessons about letting your shame fly away in the breeze even if you can still taste blood in your mouth. Lessons about the strength you can find in your scars. Lessons about women and men; about how this can happen to anyone; about how this is not your fault, never was and never will be.
As a piece of art raised from an eclectic collective, the work ebbs and flows with the gentle power of the current down stream; each piece moving the reader in familiar and unfamiliar ways. The editing is thoughtful and allows every writer space to breathe as an individual and yet remain part of the whole; the heart and soul of We Will Not Be Silenced. In fact, I would love to share my favourite pieces but I would end up quoting the whole book.
With Austin, Daquin, Finch and Ray at the helm, We Will Not Be Silenced is truly something special; a landmark demonstrating how far we have come and how far we are yet to go, with loud, unbroken voices. 428 Dennis Cardiff
5.0 out of 5 stars
This is a MUST read.
December 5, 2018
Format: Paperback
I humbly thank the writers of this book for allowing me a glimpse into the horrendous terror that you have kept silent about until now. I saw you as Victim, then Survivor then Warrior of a growing #MeToo army. Your words and your truths will free others from the shackles of past events beyond their control. Victory is ahead. #MeToo. 428 I am biased because as one of the four editors for this incredible project, I recognize its value in ways beyond the obvious. However, this review serves for all the brave and courageous authors who contributed their truth and their work to make this anthology what we dreamed it could be. If you are a survivor, if you work with survivors, if you are moved by the #metoo movement or if you are just a compassionate human being who loves poetry, then chances are you will find a lot within these pages. It has been an incredible journey working with these women and men from all around the world, on putting together our responses and feelings about today's climate of sexual harassment and sexual assault. Whilst you may consider this a bleak and depressing subject and it is true, all of us wish it were not a subject needing highlighting, the reality is anything but melancholy. I find everyone who has worked on this and proof read it, is uplifted by the courage, compassion, determination and strength of these survivors and their voices. Together we are stronger. This publication is a must for anyone who seeks the truth and owns their own voice. We will not be silenced is a beautiful and moving piece of art - made up of a myriad of voices and experiences. Ultimately those survivors overcome their pain by transforming it into art. 428 We Will Not Be Silenced is a groundbreaking, ambitious project that calls us all to action. The contributors to this anthology have bravely poured out their hearts in hopes of making connections with other survivors, and with the determination to make a positive change. These pages breathe with hope, a fierce devotion to life, and the courage to say, We deserve to be heard. We deserve respect. We are human beings, and our sexual assault does not have to define us. 428 We Will not be silenced is a living testament of how the collective voices of survivors can be turned into the roaring declaration of strength, determination, and courage. It is a powerful exposition of how the courage of the survivors can be a shining beacon for those whose voices have gone unheard. There is a lot going between the pages as the survivors have poured their heart out. It indeed is triggering and has to read with utmost care. An anthology which is not only a piece of art but a stark reflection of today’s so-called educated society where women, men, and kids are being harassed and assaulted on a daily basis. It is an excellent attempt by the editors and the courageous contributors of this anthology to spread the power of healing through words of art, poetry, and prose. It's a must-read for the survivors of the sexual abuse but also by any compassionate human being. 428
We Will Not Be Silenced: The Lived Experience of Sexual Harassment and Sexual Assault Told Powerfully Through Poetry, Prose, Essay, and Art is the brainchild of Kindra M. Austin, Candice Louisa Daquin, Rachel Finch, and Christine E. Ray. The four indie writers and survivors felt compelled to organize a response after wide-spread, highly publicized cases of rape, sexual harassment, and misconduct. They chose to advocate, educate, and resist through art. The editors opened submissions for just two weeks to women and men around the world. The response from writers and artists was overwhelming: the final anthology includes 166 pieces of writing and art from 95 contributors around the globe.
From Nicole Lyons (Blossom and Bone): 'We Will Not Be Silenced' is a beautiful collection of devastating pieces, it is a siren call to survivors everywhere, and a book that should be showcased in every school, stocked on the shelves of every hospital, and sitting on the counters in every police station in the world. 'We Will Not Be Silenced' should simply be available to everyone and anyone who has ever been violated, and to everyone and anyone who would be brave enough to speak out and speak up in an era when victims still aren't being heard. We Will Not Be Silenced: The Lived Experience of Sexual Harassment and Sexual Assault Told Powerfully Through Poetry, Prose, Essay, and Art