Beyond The Evidence Room

I’m extremely honored that Shondaland (??!!) has published my essay on how domestic violence survivors can turn photographs into power.  The stories of the women who our police reports call “Victim 1”, are more than headlines.  Their stories of triumph and insight, courage and survival, deserve to be heard.  And believed. Trigger Warning: Discussion of domestic…

My Son and Steubenville

Update: I am sharing this post again, three years later, in honor of the brave young woman who shared her Victim Impact Statement with the world after she was raped by Brock Turner.  Three years later, and if you change the town of “Steubenville” to “Stanford”, the issues remain the same.  Of course they do.…

Isn’t She?

“Caroline laughs and it’s raining all day and she loves to be one of the girls. She lives in the place in the side of our lives where nothing is ever put straight” I’ve always loved the color pink.  Shades of youth and femininity, bleeding together with splashes of rage and desire.  Pretty.  Although I’ve…

Domestic Violence Is Sexy

Chris Brown and Rihanna are singing about how they want to fuck each other, and everyone is talking about it. She’s either a marketing genius who knows just what the media wants, the editorials say, or she’s a lost little superstar who doesn’t realize the impact that her choices are having on impressionable teenage girls everywhere. It…

Love Is Not Abuse: The Morning After

Today is the 7th Annual “It’s Time To Talk” Day, and I am joining the voices at BlogHer and Love Is Not Abuse to talk about domestic violence.   Her name was Yvonne.  She came into my office on a warm July afternoon, her arms wrapped around a raven-haired two-year old boy named Andre.  He…