blogs as sites of healing
I'm taking a course in Theory of Writing and Healing this semester. One of the things we've looked at this semester is the role of community in facilitating healing. I would like to focus my first paper on blogs as sites of writing, healing, and community. In order to do this, I (obviously) need to reference some specific blogs and their pertinent posts.
Blogs, by virtue of their nature, are public documents. However, the personal nature of the posts I want to look at in this project make me feel like I'm headed into human-subjects territory, even though it's not strictly considered as such. I don't want bloggers who have written about traumatic personal events to feel invaded by a study about such personal posts. I'm not sure how I myself would feel about such a thing if the subject were my writing. I might be offended by the notion that my pain was a subject for study. Or I might be thrilled that my posts could facilitate a better understanding of the healing process brought about by the act of writing in a public environment.
There are a couple of bloggers on my blogroll who have written extensively about personal traumatic events. I've thought about contacting them and asking them if they would mind being subjects for my paper, but I'm hesitant to do so. Therefore, I've decided to ask for volunteers in this manner. If you have written multiple blog posts about a personal traumatic event and would not mind them being included in my paper, please drop me a line in my comments or via email. I am particularly interested in the ways that bloggers have written about serious illness and the deaths of family members, but writing about other instances of trauma is also welcome. The deadline for me to find suitable texts for study is March 6, one week from today.
Comments
I feel a little "Oooh, Mista Kotta" here, but obviously, you are welcome to anything on my blog, although it's prob all so disorganized and badly put, that it wouldn't be worthwhile.
Posted by: Chel | February 28, 2004 9:39 PM
I'm not sure you were reading my blog, but I did write before and after I had major throat surgery for cancer.
I guess if I was willing to write about it, then it's open to the world.
Posted by: loren | February 28, 2004 10:26 PM
I don't know if any of my stuff will help your paper, but use what you can. I'd like to see the paper when you're done!
Posted by: shelley | February 29, 2004 8:44 PM
PTWS - post traumatic writing syndrome. I've even got a special category for it. Feel free to rummage if the burbling fits the bill.
What about Theory of Snapping and Healing?
Posted by: qB | March 1, 2004 2:44 PM
Anything on CavLec you're thrice-welcome to.
Posted by: Dorothea Salo | March 3, 2004 8:01 AM
You're welcome to mine, lady, as long as I get to see the final product. ;)
Posted by: Lauren | March 3, 2004 10:11 AM
I've written about my abusive father and my mother's subsequent decision to leave him on my blog. If you're interested, drop me a line and I'll get you direct links to specific posts.
Posted by: Cinnamon | March 4, 2004 4:16 PM
I tend to write more about the real traumatic stuff on my friends-only livejournal, but there might be material you can use on my blog.
Posted by: drublood | March 4, 2004 4:39 PM
are you interested in divorce?
i'd be happy to email you my entries (as they're friends-locked on livejournal) or list you as a friend so you can see them (and obviously point you to them) but you'd have to have a livejournal account for that.
i found your post through trish wilson's blog, btw.
email me to let me know...
Posted by: emilie | March 4, 2004 4:42 PM
I was writing a lot about surviving domestic violence, and then my ex found my blog and threatened a lawsuit for slander, because even though I never used his name or my full name, he was more concerned about his reputation than with taking responsibility for his actions. If you'd like, I can email you what I had posted, and have subsequently deleted.
Posted by: kerri | March 4, 2004 5:16 PM
I'll say this - I had my blog used against me in a custody suit, and as far as I can tell, I am one of only two bloggers who have been through that. The blog has since been erased, but I have all the old posts, if you're interested. I have also written pretty extensively on rape, my own and that of others.
I figured, since I offered, I should get more specific on what I have.
Posted by: Lauren | March 5, 2004 8:29 AM