Bear Biographies-A Library of Lived Experiences: 2020 Catalog

 

Abuse: It isn't only physical

Available for Check-out: 12:00-2:00pm

Domestic abuse comes in many forms, physical is the common, but can also be:emotional, psychological, and sexual. All forms can be damaging to an individual.

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Beyond Binary

Available for Check-out: 12:00-4:00pm

Chat with me about what it is like to not experience gender, with basic information offered on what gender is, as well as what it is like to have a limited sexual attraction, as well as basic information on different types of attraction.

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Catalog of Sexual Assualt

Available for Check-out: 12:00-2:00pm

I've survived sexual assault in various public, private, and social spaces somewhere between ten and twenty times, including on three different university campuses. While each incident seemingly happened in isolation, cataloging these experiences exposes patterns of violence that saturate and threaten the lives of women and femmes. Readers can select to "read" about one of ten experiences in detail by selecting its card from the catalog, or ask me more general questions on the theme of sexual violence. Ask me about how these experiences have impacted my life, why I'm not afraid to speak openly about them now, and why I most often opted against police involvement. Hear some of my ideas about preventative action and restorative justice, which have been shaped by my embodied experiences of gender-based violence and aggression, as well as my navigation of institutional structures of power and accountability that enable and reproduce these kinds of violence.

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Everything I Need to Know, I Learned in Prison

Available for Check-out: 12:00-4:00pm

A "Through the Looking Glass" adventure into the world of maximum security prison.

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The Hidden Side of Abuse

Available for Check-out: 12:00-2:00pm

this book is about the experience of a male that was involved in a abusive relationship, his journey to recovery, and the pressure society places on men to keep their emotional well-being under wraps.

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How I Beat the Odds

Available for Check-out: 12:00-4:00pm

Chat with me about what it is like to not experience gender, with basic information offered on what gender is, as well as what it is like to have a limited sexual attraction, as well as basic information on different types of attraction.

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In the Presence of a King

Available for Check-out: 12:00-2:00pm

Highlights of being present at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s final speech

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Passing for Straight: Bisexuals in Opposite Gender Relationships

Available for Check-out: 12:00-4:00pm

As a bisexual woman married to a man, I pass for straight. No one gives me sideways glances or scoffs when I am with my significant other in public. Yet I am very much a part of the LGBTQIA+ community, even if I pass for straight.

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PTSD and Me

Available for Check-out: 2:00-4:00pm

I've known about PTSD for a long time. I'd heard many in the military suffer from it. I've never been to war, I've never served in the military. I was a model student, captain of the varsity soccer team, and first in my family to attend college.  Imagine my surprise when I was diagnosed.

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A Stranger in a Strange Land: Being a Jewish Arkansan

Available for Check-out: 2:00-4:00 pm

Judaism is a 4,000 year old religion, and spirituality of the Jewish People.  What is Judaism?  What does it mean to be Jewish in a state that is predominantly Christian?  Ask questions and discover exciting answers to these questions from someone who is Jewish and a native Arkansan.

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Two Exits: Growing up in Northern Ireland during the Troubles

Available for Check-out: 2:00-4:00 pm

Why do I still look for two exits when I'm in a new place or with a large group of unfamiliar people?  This book will describe the time and effort it has taken to understand the lasting effects of growing up in an environment marked by hate and the constant threat of violence during the Troubles in Northern Ireland.

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Understanding ADHD

Available for Check-out: 12:00-4:00 pm

ADHD is a mental anomaly that many have, but very few understand. This book takes a look at basic symptoms and experiences that people with ADHD have. It also looks at how neurotypical people can better understand and help those with ADHD. 

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The Vegan Diet: Fact vs. Fiction

Available for Check-out: 12:00-2:00 pm

Opening up about the challenges and benefits of partaking in the vegan diet, this book introduces the lifestyle of a vegan and answers questions about what it is, how you can become involved, and what resources are available. 

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Working Married Black Mother of 4

Available for Check-out: 12:00-4:00 pm

I am an open Book,  I love having real conversations, explaining and understanding the differences of all people, and being proud of even the faults in my life.  I am the oldest of 8, raised by a single mother who wasn't the best role model.  I grew up fast, never really had much of a childhood, I did everything I could for my siblings. I worked every summer from age 14 and helped to provide for them and resented my mother in the process.  Being the mother of 3 daughters now myself, I had to figure out how to be a mother as I didn't have much guidance other than knowing what NOT to do.  I lost a daughter 7 years ago, and found strength in My Husband &  my other 3 girls God blessed me with. 

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