Writing to Heal: An Approach to Love, Pain, and Voice

Writing to Heal: An Approach to Love, Pain, and Voice employs feminist disability studies to create an embodied piece of criticism about my experience as a woman with Crohn's Disease. I begin by discussing disability studies scholarship before turning to a series of four personal narratives, each using a different form and perspective. In "Relationships," I use a flowing first-person reflective perspective to tell the story of how illness touched those I love in direct and indirect ways. "Body" is composed of a series of nonlinear personal anecdotes that recount my condition's physical impact on me, each introduced by an epigraph. In "Silencing," I discuss how others' responses to my chronic illness have rendered me voiceless. Finally, "Reflections" explores the shifts in my own perception of my illness across time. This speaks to how the research and writing process for this project has helped me to find my own identity and voice, and has facilitated my healing journey. Although I approached this project with reservations about sharing such private matters, doing so has allowed me to reflect and grow. In this thesis, I experiment with narrative form, situate my own experiences within the larger conversation surrounding disability studies, and, ultimately, begin healing.