Indelible in the Hippocampus: Writings from the Me Too Movement

Editor Shelly Oria discusses the new collection Indelible in the Hippocampus: Writings from the Me Too Movement  with Rita Bullwinkel, Thea Matthews and Yalitza Ferreras.

Praise for Indelible in the Hippocampus

“This book is a proper danger to patriarchal silencing.” —Ashley Judd 

“This anthology does so much to humanize, again, the stories that have emerged from the #MeToo Movement, already much dismissed and pushed off to the margins. And while that would be enough, it is more than that. There are many beloved writers here, in discussions of the movements that led to this moment, the ways in which too many of us have struggled alone with what happened to us, the legacy of the culture that created these assaults, and inspiration for taking action on restorative justice. This is a book for those losing heart, those already fighting, and those just finding their voice. Which means give it to everyone.” — Alexander Chee 

“Indelible in the Hippocampus is a vital act of witnessing, a fortification for the body and the sprit, a reckoning with violences that belong to both the present and the past. ‘Speaking lights a candle in a room inside us,” Gabrielle Bellot writes. This is a book that is going to light so many candles, in so many rooms.” — Laura van den Berg 

About Indelible in the Hippocampus

“Indelible in the hippocampus is the laughter,” said Dr. Christine Blasey-Ford when she testified to congress in September 2018 about the men who victimized her. A year earlier, in October 2017, the hashtag #MeToo shone a light on the internalized, normalized sexual harassment and abuse that’d been ubiquitous for women for generations.

Among the first books to emerge from the #MeToo movement, Indelible in the Hippocampus is a truly intersectional collection of essays, fiction, and poetry. These original texts sound the voices of black, Latinx, Asian, queer, and trans writers, to name but a few, and says “me too” 22 times. Whether reflecting on their teenage selves or their modern-day workplaces, each contributor approaches the subject with unforgettable authenticity and strength.

Together these pieces create a portrait of cultural sea-change, offering the reader a deeper understanding of this complex, galvanizing pivot in contemporary consciousness.

Featuring Kaitlyn Greenidge, Melissa Febos, Syreeta McFadden, Rebecca Schiff, Diana Spechler, Hossannah Asuncion, Nelly Reifler, Courtney Zoffness, Quito Ziegler, Mecca Jamilah Sullivan, Jolie Holland, Lynn Melnick, Caitlin Delohery, Caitlin Donohue, Gabrielle Bellot, Karissa Chen, Elissa Schappell, Samantha Hunt, Honor Moore, Donika Kelly, Paisley Rekdal, and Hafizah Geter.