14 replies
  1. Tracy
    Tracy says:

    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. 💗

    Reply
    • Penelope
      Penelope says:

      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.

      Reply
      • Rachel Gray
        Rachel Gray says:

        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.

        Reply
  2. Brynn
    Brynn says:

    A mini memoir, beautiful on multiple levels. The artwork is amazing! Love the way it tells your story. And love that Nino cares!

    ❤️

    Reply
  3. Hank Sames
    Hank Sames says:

    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.

    Reply
  4. Quinn Daniels
    Quinn Daniels says:

    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.

    Reply
  5. Angie
    Angie says:

    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.

    Reply
  6. James Maher
    James Maher says:

    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.

    Reply
    • Penelope
      Penelope says:

      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.

      Reply

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