Assault On The Body

Lambda Literary Award Finalist - LGBTQ Anthology Written by and for trans and non-binary survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault, Written on the Body offers support, guidance and hope for those who struggle to find safety at home, in the body, and other unwelcoming places. This collection of letters written to body parts weaves together narratives of gender, identity, and abuse. It is the coming together of those who have been fragmented and often met with disbelief. The book holds the concerns and truths that many trans people share while offering space for dialogue and reclamation. Written with intelligence and intimacy, this book is for those who have found power in re-shaping their bodies, families, and lives.

Assault on the Body presents a Christ-centred response to sexual violence, through testimonies by sexual assault survivors and articles by theologians, pastors, academics, social workers, counsellors, lawyers and advocates. Taken together, these chapters reveal God’s heart for victims of sexual violence, demonstrate how to be a supportive church community, explain how to avoid common mistakes when responding to and journeying with victims, and propose how to safeguard our churches responsibly. Whether you are a pastor managing a sexual assault case, a lay person who wants to equip your church community to be a safe space, or someone journeying with a victim of sexual violence, this book is for you.

"This book reveals the human and social costs of sexual assault prosecution when courts rely on forensic science and medico-legal technologies that reproduce rape myths, inequality, and racial injustice under the guise of scientific authority"--

Helps adult victims of sexual assault move from brokenness to healing. This book outlines a theology or redemption and includes an application of how the disgrace of the cross can lead victims toward grace.

Personal stories of surviving after the trauma of sexual assault. In the era of #MeToo, we’ve become better at talking about sexual assault. But sexual assault isn’t limited to a single, terrible moment of violence: it stays with survivors, following them wherever they go. Through the voices of twelve diverse writers, Whatever Gets You Through offers a powerful look at the narrative of sexual assault not covered by the headlines—the weeks, months, and years of survival and adaptation that people live through in its aftermath. With a foreword by Jessica Valenti, an extensive introduction by editors Stacey May Fowles and Jen Sookfong Lee, and contributions from acclaimed literary voices such as Alicia Elliott, Elisabeth de Mariaffi, Heather O’Neill, and Juliane Okot Bitek, the collection explores some of the many different forms that survival can take. From ice hockey to kink, boxing to tapestry-making, these striking personal essays address experiences as varied as the writers who have lived them. With candor and insight, each writer shares their own unique account of enduring: the everyday emotional pain and trauma, but also the incredible resilience and strength that can emerge in the aftermath of sexual assault. Contributors: Gwen Benaway Juliane Okot Bitek Elly Danica Amber Dawn Alicia Elliott Karyn Freedman Heather O’Neill Elisabeth de Mariaffi Lauren McKeon Soraya Palmer Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha Kai Cheng Thom

The intimate memoir of a woman's traumatic past catching up with her, an honest, from-the-gut account of one woman's journey to regain her power and confidence--a journey that continues to this day.

Originally published by Viking Penguin, 2014.