You will have to share your life story,

Over and over during the intake process,

And each staff member will say, “I’m sorry that happened to you.”

While turning a page on their clipboard.

Excerpt from Fieldguide For the Mental Hospital

Rite

“Rite of passage” . A ceremony, passage, or ritual which occurs when an individual leaves one group to enter another. It requires great endurance and character. A way of marking transitions in the important stages of life. A test of what you’re made of. A coming of age.

I didn’t realize I was writing a book.

In psych wards, I scribbled poems across the back of medical paperwork. Wild-eyed portraits drawn in crayon or pencil. I held no interest in my life or future. I made things because they begged to be made. And because leaning into dissociation through the back and forth of my hand on paper offered brief moments of comfort;

Since 2014, I’ve created hundreds of poems and drawings. A vital practice during a period of harrowing experiences: sexual assault, medical malpractice, psych wards, unemployment, and grief but also resourcefulness, compassion, resilience, forgiveness, and courage. Lion’s Rite is an abridged collection of that work. It was not written with the intention of being shared which means the vulnerability expressed is often visceral. It portrays isolating experiences in a way that with people connect with.

One of the greatest sources of healing was courageous folks who shared their stories. I felt freed through their courage. My goal with this manuscript is to pass that experience on- embolden others to be seen, to know they are not alone, and to value their voice.