First published 2019
Laurie Halse Anderson opens her life in verse, twenty years after publishing her novel Speak. She transforms personal experiences into free verse poetry that confronts sexual assault and cultural silence. Anderson weaves together reflections and calls to action with stories from her own life that she has never shared in writing before. Her rage at society's failures drives these poems forward. She addresses survivors directly, celebrating those who found courage to speak through #metoo and #timesup movements. Anderson denounces systems that protect perpetrators while silencing victims. Her voice cuts through cultural denial with clarity and force. The memoir serves as both personal reckoning and public rallying cry. Anderson writes for every person who has carried trauma in silence, whether they speak aloud, online, or only to themselves. She demands accountability from institutions and individuals alike. The poetry burns with both vulnerability and strength, offering solidarity to survivors while challenging readers to confront uncomfortable truths about power and silence.
Genres: feminism, autobiography, contemporary, poetry, biography-memoir, activism
Vibes: emotional-atmospheric, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: personal-reckoning, public-rallying-cry
304 pages · Hardcover · Viking Books
Content warnings: abuse, sexual-assault