I wrote about my life of overcoming (and thriving!) and won a scholarship and am a Sophomore at 67! It took me 7 years to go from Freshman to Sophomore (social work).

I've written a poetry book, Sanctuary of the Soul (poems of anguish, healing, hope, comfort and celebration) and a few of my endorsements are: Elie Wiesel, Wayne Dyer, Nikki Giovanni, Drs Alice Miller, Larry Dossey .....so humbling.

I grew up in a 120-year old tenement house with cockroaches and rats, where snow came in through a crack in the wall, raised by a single mother, who was physically and verbally abusive; grew up without a father (met him when I was 33), molested and had my hand held over an open fire...Poverty: No phone, car, refrigerator, tub or shower. I joined the army right out of high school (Women's Army Corps) from a little town in Maine to San Francisco at the height of the Vietnam war....major culture shock.

Unfortunately, I married someone like my mother and tried to fix the past....for 31 years, followed by a divorce and then my church voted me out of membership, with my name up on a big screen, followed by the words, "Conduct Unbecoming a Child of God." Long story. As usual in my life, I made something positive come from the "ashes"....www.churchabusepoetrytherapy.com with over 22,000 hits so far.

I have made it my life's work to bring about awareness of verbal abuse,, because it is rampant in society, and my goal is National Television. I have been in newspapers and 3 times on the radio (the most recent: www.1430kykn.com on April 19th).

I was invited to speak at the Michigan Counseling Association, and present my paper, Society's Hidden Pandemic, Verbal Abuse, Precursor to Physical Violence and a Form of Biochemical Assault

The brain can physically change with verbal abuse (alone) .

I am a dancer, singer, author, poetess, moderator of an bused survivors' group, Veteran and Sophomore at 67! I welcome anyone to e-mail me: carleton@oakland.edu

Perhaps someone might be the catalyst to allow me to use my experience, research and voice to make a difference in the lives of those abused.

Thanks, Sunny Skyz!!

Kindest Regards, Alice