Contacting Nancy
Thank you for your interest in my book,
After Silence: Rape and My Journey Back.
When my publishers and I finally settled on
a subtitle for this book--only days before printing was to begin--we faced
a dilemma that reflected our society's problem with rape. Our dilemma went
something like this: If
we don't put the word "rape" in the subtitle, readers won't know
what the book is about. But if we do put the word "rape" in the
subtitle, people may hesitate to buy the book. Rape is complicated.
But I believe no human experience is beyond the redemptive power of language.
Rape, like the experience of combat, can be the subject of a literary work.
I wrote this book knowing that I was asking my readers to witness a horrifying
experience. I tried to cherish my readers and always remember the gift they
were giving to me and to other victims by reading one woman's story.
Rape is a crime that affects us all. Like ripples radiating from a stone
thrown into a pond, rape moves outward from the victim to his or her family,
friends, co-workers and ultimately society itself. I hope this book will
help other victims realize that they are not alone. I hope it will help
survivors' loved ones understand the nature and complexity of rape's devastation
and the heroic struggle survivors face in its aftermath. Finally, I hope
my book can expand the possibility for other survivors to speak, if they
so choose, in an environment of informed tolerance and, ultimately, of acceptance.
Thank you for writing. While I am not able to personally answer every letter,
I look forward to hearing from you.
nancy@aftersilence-bynvraine.net
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After Silence by Nancy Venable Raine, © Copyright 1999, site last updated: April 23, 2000 |
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