Maia Mayor, an established member of Get Lit, a non-profit created to increase literacy and promote the power of spoken word poetry, is a fantastic writer, performer, teacher and poet. One of her most prolific and moving works is her spoken word poem “Perfect”, which is performed as a rant by an authority figure, most […]
Abuse and harm are not unique to a particular society or culture---it is witnessed in many areas around the globe. The Youtube channel, “ito can’t sleep,” posted a stop-motion animation which deals with themes of child abuse, sexual abuse, and self-harm, in the titled video “|||||||||||.” In this short video, we see a young girl […]
According to national surveys conducted in 2017 and 2020 by Kevin B. Smith, Professor of political science at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, 40% of U.S. adults cited politics as a major stressor, with 1 in 20 reporting suicidal thoughts linked to recent political events. “If a new vaping product or soft drink hits the market […]
Image from Rape of Prosepina The Rape of Proserpina, crafted by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, an Italian artist in the early 1600s, tells the tale of the abduction of a young girl named Proserpina. In Roman mythology, the story begins with the god Pluto, ruler of the underworld, consumed by a burning desire for a companion. […]
The Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) features poems in its subway cars for an initiative decorating people’s commutes with pieces of poetry, “Poems in Passage.” A year ago, the poem “Footnotes For The Toronto Sky” by Pujita Verma started to make an appearance. This deeply sensory poem illustrates an experience of holding onto a profound connection […]
Aftersun is a 2022 film directed by Charlotte Wells. Starring Paul Mescal and Frankie Corio, the film has been praised for its realistic, heartbreaking portrayal of depression. The film follows Sophie (Corio), an 11-year-old girl who goes on vacation to Turkey with her father, Calum (Mescal), on the eve of his 31st birthday. As Calum […]
At times, we might doubt our worthiness of love, which can cause us to withdraw from those who genuinely care. The song “Angels Like You” by Miley Cyrus is a powerful song fueled by the frustration of being trapped within competing truths of self-destruction and desire for affection. The song, released in 2021, was part […]
In Woman in the Lap of Death (1920/1921), Käthe Kollwitz gives form to a truth many trauma survivors know too well: when life shatters, even the comfort of surrender can feel like a temptation. In this haunting lithograph, a weary woman collapses into the lap of a skeletal figure, death itself, not in terror, but […]
https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/xrt4nb4s4x6hup3i/Suliana_Podcast_1_8zen4.mp3 In this episode of the Trauma and Mental Health podcast series, we are joined by contributing writer Suliana Beraki and Dr. Kenneth Widanaralalage, a lecturer in forensic psychology at King’s College London. Dr. Widanaralalage discusses his article, “I Didn't Feel Like a Victim,” providing valuable insights into the challenges faced by individuals who have […]
“Ginny and Georgia” is a popular movie series on Netflix that explores the complexities of mother-daughter relationships and intergenerational trauma, while also shedding light on different issues surrounding self-harm, childhood trauma, and mental health struggles. Ginny, the daughter of Georgia, usually expresses her struggles through beautifully written poems. One of her most popular poems is […]