Writing Trauma: A Panel Discussion Conceptualized by Roxane Gay

In this panel discussion, Dr. Roxane Gay, Dr. Tressie McMillan Cottom, Terese Mailhot, Aubrey Hirsch, and Saeed Jones, all writers who explore trauma in their work, discuss the complexities of writing trauma, how to write trauma ethically, how to write trauma without cannibalizing one's experiences, how to balance the craft of writing with the craft of writing trauma, and ultimately, what it means to write trauma. Melanie Boyd, Director of the Office of Gender and Campus Culture, moderated the discussion that occurred on March 5th, 2019 at Yale University. Co-sponsored by the Yale Women Faculty Forum; Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies; the English Department; the Native American Cultural Center; and the Afro-American Cultural Center.