Upon Waking: 58 Voices Speaking Out from the Shadow of Abuse gives victims a place to share how the abuse felt, how abuse lingers, and what they have done to heal and move forward. These poems show that abusive experiences affect us all, and if we speak up, we can change our culture for the better.

We are at an important time in our social history where women are rising up and saying, "You did this to me 30 years ago but it was not right." Women who have spoken up about Hollywood producers, politicians, and others in places of power are finally being believed. This anthology is not the voice of the famous actresses, nor is it the voice of folks with a political ax to grind - these poets are regular people who are speaking up to let the world know that those others are not the only ones, they are just the tip of the iceberg.