Uprooting: Leaving the Cycle of Abuse

Jade Rosina McCutcheon & Kristin Thomas

Uprooting: Leaving the Abuse Cycle is a full-color anthology of poems, visual art, and stories from survivors of domestic and sexual abuse. The book is framed around Portia Nelson’s famous poem “Autobiography in Five Chapters” (from the memoir There’s a Hole in My Sidewalk) and offers helpful information and resources for women looking to leave and recover from a cycle of abuse.

Jade Rosina McCutcheon and Kristin Thomas are the curating editors of Uprooting: Leaving the Abuse Cycle. They are passionate about volunteering their time to help women escape dangerous environments and get the help needed to recover from the trauma of abuse. As writers and artists themselves, they know how the act of creation and sharing can be a powerful force for healing, and therefore reached out to their communities to invite poets, writers, and artists to share their work as it relates to this important topic.

McCutcheon and Thomas have also done extensive research to include helpful information for leaving the cycle of abuse including how to build healthier relationships, recognize the dynamics of power & control and gaslighting, the effects of trauma on the brain and behavior, healthy exercises for healing, navigating the legal system, uplifting encouragement, and a vast list of resources for finding additional support.

Contributing Artists, Poets & Writers:

Diana Blackstone-Helt, Candice Campo, Dale Champlin, K. Commander, Frances Greenwood, Summer Harlan, Jarmac, Jayme Sue, Marilyn Johnston, Sherri Levine, Ann L. Lovejoy, RMae, L. Medsker, Kelley Morehouse, Susan Woods Morse, Shannon Rose Riley, Shawn Aveningo Sanders, Rebecca Smith, Cassandra Sumner, and many other brave women who shared their stories but choose to remain anonymous

Early Praise for Uprooting:

The anthology, Uprooting, contains the record of over 21 women who bear witness to the wretched destruction caused by emotional and physical abuse. But—most significantly—the collection also offers proven ways to escape and transcend such devastation. Daughter, mother, wife, these writers and visual artists—many published for the first time—reach out to other women, providing a tested path toward an abuse-free life. This sisterhood extends a lifeline to other sisters.

—Paulann Petersen, Oregon Poet Laureate Emerita

About the Editors:

Jade Rosina McCutcheon holds a Doctor of Creative Arts and a PhD in feminist film studies. She is a recipient of the Kay Snow Award and received honorary mentions from Kay Snow and the National Federation of Poetry Societies. Jade works with Sable House part time as an advocate and support facilitator. Publications include books, Awakening the Performing Body, Embodied Consciousness Performance Technologies, Narrative in Performance, and chapters in edited, peer reviewed journals and books. Small Feather was published in 2020 and the tossing dream comes out in May 2023, both with by Finishing Line Press. Her poetry has appeared in /pãn| dé| mïk/ 2020: An Anthology of Pandemic Poems, Beyond Words, and in The Silent World in her Vase. She is a member of the Mid Valley Poetry Society, The Salem Poetry Project, Artists in Action and the Oregon Poetry Association. Website: jaderosinamccutcheon.com

Kristin Thomas is a native Oregonian whose biggest accomplishment and source of pride is her children and grandchildren. This is her first-time writing poetry, and she finds the lines often write themselves during her early morning meditation and prayer. She is a survivor of childhood abuse, domestic violence, and sexual violence. Beyond writing, she enjoys being in the forest, near any body of water and laughing.

BISAC Categories:
SEL001000 – Self-Help / Abuse
BIO026000 – Personal Memoir
POE024000 – Poetry / Women Authors

Sample Pages:

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Celebrating International Women’s Day, 2015

Edited by Ellen Goldberg

A small group of feminist poets, ranging in age from 15-73, explore what it means to be a woman in the 21st century. Paying homage to the women who paved the path toward freedom and equality, the poets in this collection share their voices as mothers, daughters, survivors, fighters, workers and leaders. These poems come from sometimes hidden, innate human truths. Each poem provides a means to which women can express their rage, frustration and grief, all the while finding the humor, joy and celebration in what unites us all.

“What would happen if one woman told the truth about her life?
The world would split open.”  ~ Muriel Rukeyser

Contributing Poets:

Fran Payne Adler • Judith Arcana • Shawn Aveningo • Gail Barker • Judith Barrington • Brittney Corrigan • Pam Crow • Linda Ferguson • Ila Suzanne Gray • Andrea Hollander • Tricia Knoll • Elise Kuechle • Carter McKenzie • Penelope Scambly Schott • Marilyn Stablein • Carlyn Syvanen • Sharon Wood Wortman

The post Of Course, I’m a Feminist appeared first on The Poetry Box.

Poems & Stories of Portland, Oregon

Featuring poems and stories by Matt Amott, Michael Berton, Elijah Cordero, Simon del Valle, Tricia Knoll, M, Carolyn Martin, Shawn Aveningo, Jenean McBrearty, Saron Lask Munson, Denise C. Buschmann, Ci’Monique Green, DE Navarro, Justin W. Price, Ann Privateer, Michael Shay, Brenda Taulbee, Nathan Tompkins, Susan Vespoli, Luke Warm Water, Steve Williams, and John & Mary Massimilla.

We invite you to peruse these pages of poetry and short stories, and discover the unique, quirky, sometimes bizarre and oftentimes wet tales of this town known as Portland, Oregon. Pop open a bottle of micro-brew, join a band, start a compost meet-up group and fall in love with Portland. We sure did!

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