CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS
Share Your Rant or Story of Abuse or Exploitation
What have YOU kept silent about?
 

Hello Friends, Fans and Colleagues,

I hope this finds you healthy and staying safe.  Perhaps this call for submissions will give you something to distract you.  It might even be an act of self-healing. 

I'm gathering research for a publication about how we are conditioned to normalize abuse and exploitation - at home and in families, by the Church, government, employers, academia, and in cultural biases, etc.  I'm including all manner of abuse and exploitation perpetrated in institutions or social constructs where we are beaten down and told to accept it, it's normal, or it's just the way it is.  It can be anything from domestic violence to employers forcing workers to perform unlawful acts or work in unsafe conditions.  It can be unacknowledged or ignored discoveries in Academia.   Racism, sexism, homophobia.  Election fraud, gerrymandering or profiteering.  Cities turning off poor people's utilities in a pandemic.  Failures of elected officials, violating the public trust or criminal neglect.  Pedophilia in the Church or abuse of nuns. 

There is no shortage of abuse and exploitation all over.  Only we hardly see it anymore.  We've become numb.  We're in denial.  Or we wear blinders.  We sign NDAs.  What is it we keep quiet about - for whatever reason? 

What have YOU kept quiet about?

Here's where you can be involved if you feel inspired or need to vent. 

Send me a very short write-up of your personal experience or knowledge of abuse or exploitation.  If I choose your write-up it will be in the book, anonymously. 

SUBMISSION GUIDELNES:

Account must be concise, accurate and true -- see example below

No more than 500 words  

Send it to me at sekhmet108@yahoo.com    

SUBJECT LINE:  Abuse Submission

No attachments or websites to cull from - don't send them! 

Deadline:  May 10th - Mother's Day

Provide your email address and phone number.

Don't name any specific names or corporations. 

If you're citing a public official by name, there needs to be a citation to substantiate the act. 

Here's an example:

I worked for a company in Tulsa for two decades, with never a write-up or reprimand.  Suddenly the climate changed.  I was expected to break the law and work in unsafe working conditions without complaint.  My former employer would never put these directions in writing.  I was afraid if the company were caught in the act, my employer would deny his orders and leave me hanging out to dry.  I was 50 years old when this happened.  Where was I going to go and get hired at my current rate of pay and benefits?  I felt I had to suck it up.  I worked in fear everyday.- Sarah, Tulsa

After curating three anthologies (like herding cats) if these instructions are not followed your submission won't be considered.  Please understand I'm setting these boundaries for my own sanity.

If you have any questions, please let me know.  Apologizing in advance if you get this more than once because your email address is on more than one of my lists. 

Blessings and thanks,

Karen Tate
sekhmet108@yahoo.com