Member-only story
Walk Away
My memoir of surviving teenage intimate partner violence is serialized here on Medium beginning February 1, 2021.
The events begin in the 1970’s, when officials often dismissed violence against intimate partners as a “private matter.” Attitudes have changed over the years, but not as much as they need to change.
New chapters of Walk Away appeared each Saturday:
The idea for serializing the story comes from my interest in the many 19th century novels that were first published as serials. Authors and magazines released long stories bit by bit, enticing readers to stay tuned. Often, each piece of the story ended on a cliffhanger, which left readers and listeners eager for the next installment. Perhaps the most famous serial author is Charles Dickens, who somehow kept up with a grueling production schedule to produce classic novels like The Tale of Two Cities — and without the convenience of digital tools.
Are today’s readers too accustomed to immediate reading gratification to be interested in works in a serial format? Or are our attention spans and free time limited in a way that makes the serial format convenient and manageable for us? I’d appreciate your thoughts.
To get involved in anti-violence work, a good place to start is the National Center on Domestic Violence, Trauma & Mental Health, which keeps a list of anti-violence organizations.
