Full Disclosure: This blog was started by one person. That’s me, Eric. I’m a 62 year old cis white hetero male survivor of childhood sexual abuse. I came out as a survivor pretty late in life but my childhood experiences informed many aspects of my personality. After a very long healing journey, I have finally reached the point in my life where I feel fully recovered. I’m happy. And I can’t even believe I just said that. I hope it doesn’t scare you away.
I write poetry and other things, I take photographs, and I create art. I appreciate all kinds of art, poetry, music, creative expression, and especially writing. I am also a seeker. I am constantly looking for new ways to educate and inform myself. I am a voracious reader and researcher and always on the prowl. And I blog.
The name of this blog comes from an Andrew Vachss novel. Vachss was a lawyer, a writer, and a fierce advocate for children. I started reading his Burke series long before I could admit to myself that I was a “child of the secret.” Reading has always been one of my safe places and the characters in this series became a family to me. I believe these books acted as a stealth therapy for me, laying a foundation of identity that eventually allowed me to admit who I am. What was done to me. That I didn’t deserve it. And, more important, that there was a way back to the child I abandoned so long ago. To myself.
The impetus for the blog was the simple idea that I wanted to share with the world how important and valuable these books were for me. Without explicitly understanding why, they made feel like I wasn’t alone. I initially was going to recommend mysteries like the Burke series, the Lydia Lone series by Barry Ensler, and others that centered survivors as protagonists and heroes. But then I stumbled on In Cabin Six : An Anthology of Poetry by Male Survivors of Sexual Abuse, and I realized I should list more than mysteries. And then, why stop at books? So here we are.
I am not alone. It’s me getting this off the ground, but there are a few other men who have expressed a desire for support or participation. We’re also starting a Discord community. Info about that will be forthcoming.
So, welcome. I hope you’ll come back and see how things develop. I hope many of you will engage with us in the comments (coming soon), and give us your suggestions through our submission form. Or just say hi on the contact form.