This book is for any woman who has experienced domestic or sexual abuse, for the people that love them, and those who are still seeking a way to escape from an unhealthy relationship or abusive environment.
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
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.
