Rec Room Series

wednesday, september 1, 2010
black rock bar
3614 n. damen
chicago, il
8:00 pm


Writing Movement Desensitization and Reproduction
curated by Luis Humberto Valadez


This month at the Reconstruction Room we draw a parallel between the process of writing through traumatic history/herstory and the form of psychotherapy know as Eye Movement Desensitization and Reproduction (EMDR). According to the theory posed by Francine Shapiro Ph.D, when a traumatic or distressing experience occurs it may overwhelm usual ways of coping and the memory of the event is inadequately processed. This memory is stored in an isolated memory network that, when accessed, may cause the individual to experience once more aspects of the original (traumatic) event. Many of us have seen our writing as a method of grounding ourselves firmly enough that we may gaze upon the treachery of past traumas with insight and, daresay, some form of resolution; of equal import, we find ourselves scrutinizing these events without the severe reaction(s) that proliferate without the foundation the practice of our discipline provides. In much the same way EMDR forges associations between our distressing memories and semantic memory indices thought to be independent of context and personal relevance, the writers featured this evening forge an association between history/herstory, ink and page, writer/reader and reader/listener that, beyond resolution, also promotes, at the very least, a modicum of detachment from these traumas.

Readers/performers include David Trinidad, LeAnne Ray, Adrienne Dodt, Miki Howald, Erin Hellweg, Jamie Kazay, Jason McDaniel, Erin Teegarden, and Allison Gruber.