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A Survivor's Education
Women, Violence, and the Stories We Don’t Tell
Description
An “impeccably researched book” (Michelle Bowdler) about intimate abuse, campus politics, and the narratives we choose to believe “gives a fresh perspective on what it means to be a survivor.” (Kirkus starred review)
In this poignant self-investigation, historian and journalist Joy Neumeyer explores how violence against women is portrayed, perceived, and adjudicated today. Interweaving the harrowing account of the abuse she experienced as a graduate student at Berkeley with those of others who faced violence on campus and beyond, Neumeyer offers a startling look at how the hotly-debated Title IX system has altered university politics and culture, and uncovers the willful misremembrance that enables misconduct on scales large and small.
Deeply researched, daringly inquisitive, and resonant for our times, A Survivor’s Education reveals the entanglement of storytelling, abuse, and power–and how we can balance narrative and evidence in our attempts to determine what “really” happened.
In this poignant self-investigation, historian and journalist Joy Neumeyer explores how violence against women is portrayed, perceived, and adjudicated today. Interweaving the harrowing account of the abuse she experienced as a graduate student at Berkeley with those of others who faced violence on campus and beyond, Neumeyer offers a startling look at how the hotly-debated Title IX system has altered university politics and culture, and uncovers the willful misremembrance that enables misconduct on scales large and small.
Deeply researched, daringly inquisitive, and resonant for our times, A Survivor’s Education reveals the entanglement of storytelling, abuse, and power–and how we can balance narrative and evidence in our attempts to determine what “really” happened.
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Praise
“Neumeyer is a lively, frank and passionate writer. By combining her very personal story with an analysis of misogyny in the wider culture, she has created a book full of invaluable information.”
—KQED (NPR San Francisco)
—KQED (NPR San Francisco)
"In this sharp debut memoir, the author expertly weaves together historical abuses of power on a global scale with carefully researched stories of interpersonal violence, allowing her to reflect deeply about—and beyond—her own experiences… Neumeyer’s compelling first book... gives a fresh perspective on what it means to be a survivor."
—Kirkus, *starred*
“Joy Neumeyer has created a work of alchemy. Part memoir about escaping an abusive relationship, part philosophy of history, and part an unflinching examination of academia’s Title IX system, A Survivor’s Education is timely, meditative, and compulsively readable.”
—Becky Cooper, author of We Keep the Dead Close
"Reading A Survivor’s Education is like diving into a vortex of collective female histories, fascinated and stunned as you fall, yet certain the author will land you squarely on your feet. Joy Neumeyer is a brilliant investigator and historian, exploring the roots of silence and sparing nobody, least of all herself. This is an important and compelling story, exquisitely told."
—Erika Krouse, author of Tell Me Everything: The Story of a Private Investigation
—Erika Krouse, author of Tell Me Everything: The Story of a Private Investigation
“Neumeyer uses her own experience and academic prowess to investigate the impact of intimate-partner violence and the external response when survivors seek justice. Her impeccably researched book walks the reader through the systemic flaws of the Title IX process on college campuses, the impact of institutional betrayal, and its aftermath. Dr. Neumeyer is also a scholar of Russian and European History and adds an additional layer into the narrative by weaving in stories of betrayal, trust, power, violence, and war, showing the connection between individual and universal experiences. This book is truly exceptional in every way.”
—Michelle Bowdler, author of Is Rape a Crime?
“Neumeyer brings sophistication and scholarship to a global concern that has been reduced, over and over again, to women’s individual choices or failures. It’s an undeniable account and a powerful gift to survivors.”
—Lacy Crawford, author of Notes on a Silencing
—Lacy Crawford, author of Notes on a Silencing