That’s The Secret: It All Hurts
Major
English – Writing
Submission Type
Oral Presentation
Area of Study or Work
English-Writing
Faculty Advisor
Michael Theune
Location
CNS E103
Start Date
4-12-2025 8:30 AM
End Date
4-12-2025 9:30 AM
Abstract
“That’s The Secret: It All Hurts” is a chapbook of disability poetry based on the daily experiences of the poet, who lives with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia, Complex-PTSD, and Type II Bipolar Disorder. It covers the lived experiences, including symptoms, triggers, and grief, utilizing a variety of poetic forms. Some of these include a “disjointed pantoum,” acrostic, free verse, and blackout poems using state disability application forms and legislation from the Americans with Disabilities Act. The material thus far is deeply emotional, showcasing the rawness that is part and parcel to the American Disabled experience. But it also aims to communicate that experience powerfully to audiences unfamiliar with such experience.
That’s The Secret: It All Hurts
CNS E103
“That’s The Secret: It All Hurts” is a chapbook of disability poetry based on the daily experiences of the poet, who lives with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia, Complex-PTSD, and Type II Bipolar Disorder. It covers the lived experiences, including symptoms, triggers, and grief, utilizing a variety of poetic forms. Some of these include a “disjointed pantoum,” acrostic, free verse, and blackout poems using state disability application forms and legislation from the Americans with Disabilities Act. The material thus far is deeply emotional, showcasing the rawness that is part and parcel to the American Disabled experience. But it also aims to communicate that experience powerfully to audiences unfamiliar with such experience.