Unabridged Ructions: Know My Name

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Know My NameKnow My Name by Chanel Miller
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I make it a point to always listen to memoirs. Hearing the words of the author, in their own voice, makes for a powerful read. This book is no exception, it is the standard. Chanel's voice is powerful, yet restrained. Her control here, when everything within the book is out of her control, is remarkable and really reminds you that this isn't just a story told, but an event lived through.

Chanel's story is not unique, but tragically common. I am not here to discuss the plague of sexual abuse in the world, but rather some personal reflections I had while listening. This memoir does not mince words about the participation of the public in the prosecution of victims. As a society, we have become rooted to the deep bottoms of the echo chambers of our social media feeds. We form strong, unexamined, often recycled opinions without considering the real, human, consequences of those opinions. Or whether we had the right to an opinion at all. We form judgments about things that were never ours to judge at all. We form an image of victims and perpetrators before facts or faces ever appear in focus under our microscopes.

There were many points in this book where I had to stop, go back, and listen to a paragraph again. To make sure I heard it. To make sure I digested the words. "It’s not okay, never okay...", "Is an apology valid without change?", "We saw everything we'd been taught to see." I wanted to be sure that I understood, that I was reflecting on my own biases.

The memoir closes with Chanel's Victim Impact Statement, and hearing her deliver it really drives the whole thing home. The moments she is strong, the moments her voice quivers, are equal parts devasting and healing. Just perfect.

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