“Entering the fall of 2024, I was emotionally spent after a long summer engaging in an intense PTSD practice called Prolonged Exposure therapy. I had been living with a PTSD that
grew more invasive over the previous five years. Through therapy I learned that it stemmed from my experience being raped by a college friend. It became clear that the way forward was by spending time with this story. This meant creating space for my narrative through a bookmaking journey that became my senior thesis project, Past Presence.
Past Presence is a docupoetic collection that verges on confessional writing. Its poems and photography weave an intimate tapestry through loves past and present, tactile and spiritual. Lyric poetry follows four characters that represent the loves of my life: my mom who passed away when I was a child, my first love, my rapist, and my partner– now spouse. These characters in turn create a picture of my journey of the last five years. Through this artistic practice, the book became a document that illustrates how heartache transmutes into love, and how that love can live in a person.
The project’s included archival documents comprise therapy documents, a letter reflecting on my mom’s life, scans of the scrapbook my mom maintained throughout my childhood, as well as notes from my spouse. The therapy documents paint a picture of where I was five years ago, while the scans of the scrapbook and notes indicate the importance of my mom and spouse in current life.
The resulting project is an 8”x10”, 96 page, color photopoetry book. Past Presence’s 22 poems and accompanying photography sequence powerfully to feature motif and repetition that calls readers to challenge their self narratives. Its 96 pages create a space that conveys the length that was my five year journey grappling with PTSD through the continued bravery of loving through loss.” -Bea Morrow
8” x 10”
*Consignment item. Not eligible for 10% membership discount. All consignment purchases are final and non-refundable once shipped.
“Entering the fall of 2024, I was emotionally spent after a long summer engaging in an intense PTSD practice called Prolonged Exposure therapy. I had been living with a PTSD that
grew more invasive over the previous five years. Through therapy I learned that it stemmed from my experience being raped by a college friend. It became clear that the way forward was by spending time with this story. This meant creating space for my narrative through a bookmaking journey that became my senior thesis project, Past Presence.
Past Presence is a docupoetic collection that verges on confessional writing. Its poems and photography weave an intimate tapestry through loves past and present, tactile and spiritual. Lyric poetry follows four characters that represent the loves of my life: my mom who passed away when I was a child, my first love, my rapist, and my partner– now spouse. These characters in turn create a picture of my journey of the last five years. Through this artistic practice, the book became a document that illustrates how heartache transmutes into love, and how that love can live in a person.
The project’s included archival documents comprise therapy documents, a letter reflecting on my mom’s life, scans of the scrapbook my mom maintained throughout my childhood, as well as notes from my spouse. The therapy documents paint a picture of where I was five years ago, while the scans of the scrapbook and notes indicate the importance of my mom and spouse in current life.
The resulting project is an 8”x10”, 96 page, color photopoetry book. Past Presence’s 22 poems and accompanying photography sequence powerfully to feature motif and repetition that calls readers to challenge their self narratives. Its 96 pages create a space that conveys the length that was my five year journey grappling with PTSD through the continued bravery of loving through loss.” -Bea Morrow
8” x 10”
*Consignment item. Not eligible for 10% membership discount. All consignment purchases are final and non-refundable once shipped.
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