“I have come to believe over and over again that what is most important to me must be spoken, made verbal and shared, even at the risk of having it bruised or misunderstood.”

–Audre Lorde

Dear Goshen College,

Hello! We are the women of Goshen Monologues. We are making peace through stories.

We represent over a dozen academic disciplines. We are athletes, performers, writers and scientists. We live locally. We are international. We come from different regions, languages, families and cultures. We are different shapes and ages. None of us are the same, but for now we share the same home.

In May, we began this project in hopes of telling a story – your story; our story. For two months, we have collected and cataloged the stories of Goshen College women – students, faculty and staff. We will continue to collect stories until December 13.

These stories will be printed and performed in April.

They may be amusing, moving, painful, encouraging, embarrassing, or sad. They may address body image, belonging, joy, peer pressure, development, gender, a discovery, confusion, sexual assault or rape, the feeling of newness, sexual orientation, relationships, etc.

This project exists because womanhood is complex – and so are community standards and relations. The writing, collecting, performing and sharing of these stories is our response to the breadth of experiences that Goshen College women carry. It is our hope that the process creates space for heightened awareness, support and empowerment of both women and their communities.

This project exists because gender equality is not a reality; because Goshen College is diverse and multicultural, multilingual, multifaceted; because some things are difficult to talk about (and so they must be talked about); because we can encourage the advance of women on our campus and everywhere; because together we empower our own narratives and a collective one.

This project is for you. It is only complete if you contribute.

Please, send us your stories.

We want to illuminate and celebrate everything you have seen and heard and felt and kept to yourself. These stories have always bound us together – it’s about time we tell them. These stories belong to you, the women of Goshen College. They reflect specific issues, questions, anxieties and perspectives of the whole GC community. They are relevant. They are pertinent.

So write a story! Ask a question. Make a statement. Write a letter or a poem.

We can’t wait to hear from you.

Sincerely,

-The Women of Goshen Monologues

www.goshenmonologues.com

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How To Submit To Goshen Monologues

1. Campus Mail

Write or type a story and mail it to Box 462.

2. Online

Visit www.goshenmonologues.com/how-to-submit and submit your story in the available text box.

3. Hotline

Call 1 (574) 742 – 2415 and let it go to voicemail.

Tell your story in a message.

All submissions are safe and 100% anonymous.

PLEASE NOTE, by submitting your work, you grant us permission to edit, if necessary, for length, anonymity and clarity, as well as to reproduce it in print and/or theatrical format. Please indicate if you do not wish for your story to be printed or performed.

If you’d like to get involved or learn more about the project, please email goshenmonologues@gmail.com.

Feel free to visit and like our Facebook page for updates and prompts as well.