Survivor Stories Series: 'What I Was Wearing' — The Poem That Started a Global Movement and Gave Mary Simmerling Her Voice Back

This month on Voice Lessons, I’m doing a special series of weekly episodes to share the voices of survivors of sexual trauma. 

To kick off this series, I’m thrilled to introduce everyone to Mary Simmerling, a poet and philosopher who focuses on social justice and healing. Mary is the founder of 'Write Where We Belong' and 'Write Where We Belong Press,' an independent Canadian publishing house. 

In this episode, we discuss her impactful poetic work, 'What I Was Wearing.' When this poem was first published, it inspired global art installations aimed at challenging the victim-blaming myths encountered as a result of sexual assault and domestic violence. Mary shares how writing helped her reclaim her voice after experiencing sexual assault at a young age, and how the Amherst Writers and Artists (AWA) method gave her a safe space to share her story without being silenced. 

We also get into the impact of the writing workshops Mary conducts for survivors of trauma. These workshops, based on the AWA methodology, provide a safe and supportive environment for participants and offer a judgment-free community to share their stories. Mary emphasizes the importance of having a supportive community for healing from trauma. These workshops have also sparked a series of anthologies showcasing the writing of these community members.

Please join me in welcoming Mary to the Voice Lessons community — I hope her story is an inspiring testament to the power of writing in healing and for reclaiming your voice after you’ve been silenced.

Key Topics:

• What AWA is and their philosophies around writing
• How Mary lost her voice through sexual assault and the victim blaming that followed
• The poetry collection that helped her to reclaim her voice
• ‘What I Was Wearing’ — the poem that started a global movement
• How Mary’s poem became a way for survivors to find their voices again
• Starting the Write Where We Belong workshops to help survivors heal through writing
• The anthology series that was born out of the workshops, and how to submit your story 
• What Mary learned about trauma healing through running the workshops
• The biggest barriers to creative expression for those who have experienced trauma
• The importance of community for healing and finding your voice
• Creativity thrives when we share it with others

Connect with Mary online:

Website: https://www.writewherewebelong.ca/

Instagram: @marysimmerling 

Survivors’ Voices Writing Workshops: https://amherstwriters.org/2025/01/29/survivors-voices-writing-workshops/#!event/2025/4/28/power-of-story-survivors-v

Find more from Jill:

Email: jill@thewritersrefuge.com

Website: https://www.thewritersrefuge.com/

Writing Coaching Programs: https://www.thewritersrefuge.com/coaching

Sign up for my free 3x weekly writing session: write to jill@thewritersrefuge.com for ZOOM info

Special thanks to LVDY for allowing us to use their song, Saltwater, in the intro and outro of the podcast!