In the Back of the Book: Writing Hard Stories. Celebrated Memoirists Who Shaped Art from Trauma
- canelaflames
- Oct 12
- 3 min read
I’m starting a series called: In the Back of the Book.
When I was younger, my teachers and peers used to tell me the answers were in the back of the book. I took that to mean, the more you read, the more knowledge you gain. They, however, actually meant the answers to our math homework were literally in the back. Metaphorically, though, this saying encompasses the entirety of the global library. The answers you seek are in the back of the book. Just crack it open, and start reading.
Reading More Than One at a Time
Fun fact: I’m one of those people who can read more than one book at a time. I don't know how I manage it, but I find it boring to only read one a la vez. There are so many books out there with tons of information—why settle for one when you can read more at once?
Today, I finished chapter 2 of Writing Hard Stories: Celebrated Memoirists Who Shaped Art from Trauma. This chapter focused on Sue William Silverman. Check out my summary and personal thoughts below.
Shaping Art from Trauma
I was drawn to this book because trauma played a paramount role in shaping the woman I am today. This book is helping me at this phase of my life, as I’m finally in a place to process my trauma.
On page 28, Silverman is quoted saying, "Even though your background isn't mine and mine isn't yours, there's so much common ground from those universal emotions and feelings - alienation, loss, grief" (page 29). Even though I didn't care for my time in the institution, this quote shakes me to my core now more than ever. I’m shaken because, as I
listened to people's stories, I felt like the Grinch (preferably the Jim Carrey's version, but we can roll with the cartoon) when his heart grew just a bit in size.
There were so many quotes that spoke to my spirit. I wrote over thirty complaints in two days. I was exhausted; I was... well, exhausted. But I remember thinking, "This is how Black men and women get lost in a system like this—because you all don't do right by them." It was a basic request to have a treatment plan. If my husband and I were paying to be there, why wouldn't the healthcare providers organize and share my treatment plan with me?
Silverman notes that "Writing is a way to organize your life and give it a structure, so that you can really see what it was that happened." Although I feared for my life and didn't sleep, I wrote to organize my thoughts.
The Fear of Influence and Criticism
In reading about Sue Silverman, she addressed a concern that I’ve had and continue to grapple with as a writer. She shares on page 24 that she didn't want anyone else to influence what she had to say. In her case, she says it would be nice for her sister to be okay with the books she writes. In my case, I wish everyone could be okay with the creative non-fiction essays and poems that I write.
I understand that sharing opens me up to criticism. Alternatively, though, there are more people out there who may have had a similar experience. The people who had similar experiences are more important to me than those individuals whose principal desire is to criticize.
The Motivation to Seguir Adelante
Melanie Brooks ends the chapter (on page 29) with a simple question: "Is there anything else you would like me to know that I haven't thought to ask?" Similar to Brooks, I would have assumed Silverman would mention what she was working on—a latest poem, novel, or non-fiction piece.
Both Brooks and I were surprised by the motivating words that followed: "I want you to know that you can do it. You can." In reading these words, I felt that Silverman was speaking directly to me. In the back of this chapter, I found the motivation I needed to seguir adelante.
And, I will.
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