Thank you, this is so powerful. It makes me angry how your family skirted their responsibility to protect & nurture you. So happy you found redemption in writing, and now the drawings add another dimension that make this so sad and so beautiful at the same time. 💗
Thank you so much, Tracy. It means so much to me that you’ve been reading for a long time and you still think this is interesting. Because sometimes I worry that I say the same thing over and over again.
Are you kidding? I’ve been reading this blog since 2006, and I’m still here too! Just yesterday in the car I was randomly thinking about that story you wrote in the early days of the internet, with hypertext. I remember you wrote about wearing a Lord and Taylor skirt to college. I like this flip book. I actually really like how it recalls the themes in your other writings. It’s not repetitive. It seems to skip along the surface of your story, touching down at key points. The skirts are good.
Our outlook is colored by our lived experience. You have done amazing with what you lived through. Life is tough. You are a survivor. I think you are just the right amount of Bubba.
This is such a valuable resource—thank you for taking the time to write such a thorough and well-organized post. Your explanations are clear and concise, and the examples you’ve provided really help bring the information to life. I’ll definitely be coming back to this article whenever I need a refresher on the topic.
I can see why Nino felt so sad and couldn’t edit this. Sad. But lovely in the way that in honours how you’ve made it through, and the people who did step in to try protect you.
Such a powerful story Penelope. My first instinct was to say I didn’t realize you were such a strong artist (from those incredibly beautiful skirt illustrations), but of course, you’ve always been an artist in different ways with your writing and creativity. It makes sense this would translate to your illustration as well. This piece is moving.
Means so much coming from you, James, because you’re a visual artist. Sometimes I get nervous that I’m not a real artist and I spend a day making all the pictures too tiny for anyone to see. You give me confidence to stop obsessively resizing everything. Thank you.
I remember finding you through some yahoo article all those years ago. I want to say I was 19 or 20. So 2006 maybe? I think Six Sex Scenes was the first truly raw, honest thing I’d ever read up to that point, and I still think about it. How amazing it is to come across this little flip book decades later.
You describe that preteen guilty uncertainty so well here. That feeling of being watched or judged by suspicious adults, and never quite believing they want to protect, not punish you.
Neiman Marcus sales lady and the teacher at school who eventually reported your parents… I went through something similar, and at that stage of life I’d have been so sure that it was ME they’d haul away in handcuffs.
Thank you, this is so powerful. It makes me angry how your family skirted their responsibility to protect & nurture you. So happy you found redemption in writing, and now the drawings add another dimension that make this so sad and so beautiful at the same time. 💗
Thank you so much, Tracy. It means so much to me that you’ve been reading for a long time and you still think this is interesting. Because sometimes I worry that I say the same thing over and over again.
Are you kidding? I’ve been reading this blog since 2006, and I’m still here too! Just yesterday in the car I was randomly thinking about that story you wrote in the early days of the internet, with hypertext. I remember you wrote about wearing a Lord and Taylor skirt to college. I like this flip book. I actually really like how it recalls the themes in your other writings. It’s not repetitive. It seems to skip along the surface of your story, touching down at key points. The skirts are good.
OMG I can’t believe you remember the Lord & Taylor skirt. Thank you for seeing patterns and themes.
A mini memoir, beautiful on multiple levels. The artwork is amazing! Love the way it tells your story. And love that Nino cares!
❤️
I like your flipbook. I feel emotions about it, but I’m not sure which ones they are. I like the pictures of the skirts.
Thanks, Erika.
I think I’m not sure which emotions I feel either.
Our outlook is colored by our lived experience. You have done amazing with what you lived through. Life is tough. You are a survivor. I think you are just the right amount of Bubba.
This is such a valuable resource—thank you for taking the time to write such a thorough and well-organized post. Your explanations are clear and concise, and the examples you’ve provided really help bring the information to life. I’ll definitely be coming back to this article whenever I need a refresher on the topic.
I can see why Nino felt so sad and couldn’t edit this. Sad. But lovely in the way that in honours how you’ve made it through, and the people who did step in to try protect you.
This is a children’s book for grown ups. I can imagine your illustration style in actual children’s books. Have you ever thought of trying that?
💙
Such a powerful story Penelope. My first instinct was to say I didn’t realize you were such a strong artist (from those incredibly beautiful skirt illustrations), but of course, you’ve always been an artist in different ways with your writing and creativity. It makes sense this would translate to your illustration as well. This piece is moving.
Means so much coming from you, James, because you’re a visual artist. Sometimes I get nervous that I’m not a real artist and I spend a day making all the pictures too tiny for anyone to see. You give me confidence to stop obsessively resizing everything. Thank you.
I remember finding you through some yahoo article all those years ago. I want to say I was 19 or 20. So 2006 maybe? I think Six Sex Scenes was the first truly raw, honest thing I’d ever read up to that point, and I still think about it. How amazing it is to come across this little flip book decades later.
You describe that preteen guilty uncertainty so well here. That feeling of being watched or judged by suspicious adults, and never quite believing they want to protect, not punish you.
Neiman Marcus sales lady and the teacher at school who eventually reported your parents… I went through something similar, and at that stage of life I’d have been so sure that it was ME they’d haul away in handcuffs.
Thank you so much for this comment. I just love it. Thank you for understanding.
The illustrations are beautiful. I like to see the different ways you try to express yourself. There’s always a bit more revealed.
Were you sexually abused? I’m
Sorry to ask. I’m confused.🙃😞
That was unexpectedly gorgeous and inspiring. Thank you.
Thank you!