Collective poetry book Kansas Speaks Out provides opportunity for survivors and advocates to spark community conversations

Dennis Etzel Jr. and Jericho Hockett present Kansas Speaks Out // courtesy Dennis Etzel Jr.

Washburn University faculty Dennis Etzel Jr. and Jericho Hockett will present the collective poetry novel Kansas Speaks Out on September 16 at the Kansas Book Festival at the Washburn University campus.

The award-winning 2023 Kansas Notable Book of sexual assault survivors and survivor advocate poetry contains voices from all over Kansas and the KC area, inviting survivors to share their experiences and process the aftermath.

Connecting with The Writers Place in Kansas City, Lawrence Literai, Kansas Poets Laureate, and the current Missouri Poet Laureate, Etzel attempts to include everyone in the survivor poetry book. Born in the 70s, Etzel recalls when speaking about sexual assault was a taboo topic. As our culture removes these stigmas, he hopes the book can further the movement’s momentum. 

“Statistically, everyone knows someone who’s a survivor. If they aren’t survivors themselves, they know someone who is,” says Etzel. “In this book, we are very thankful to hear about someone sharing their experience and they have our support. We also want to acknowledge that there are still people who are in such situations or who aren’t able to speak yet.”

Etzel and Hockett hardly make any alterations to the poems in the book. Other than deciding a layout and specific order, they leave the poems untouched by their original author. To reach a broad audience, the editors price the book at a small $3.94 on Amazon. Etzel and Hockett want to make sure everyone has an opportunity to read the important stories of more than 25 poets. 

“When we put that call out and a variety of people responded, it was really telling to the desire of Kansas poets to speak out against sexual violence together,” says Hockett. “We were definitely not looking to edit for any kind of content, and we were aiming to be as inclusive as possible.”

Despite the popular notion that sexual assault doesn’t define someone, Hockett believes her experience is integrated into her identity. While working through her emotions, she reads survivor poetry and advocates of survivors’ poetry to work through her own individual process. Though not everyone may want an survivor identity attached, every poet has an opportunity to share how they face their trauma. With many different experiences across writers, she hopes at least one voice can bring the reader peace. 

“My experience is unique to me, and I can’t speak for every other survivor,” says Hockett. “This book can provide so much information, so many different perspectives of how survivors have that experience, process trauma, integrate it into their identities, and ultimately are able to be empowered to speak out against sexual violence in a really meaningful way.”

For those who have the book on display, Etzel says the novel acts as a perfect conversation starter. Whether sitting on the coffee table at home, on the shelf at the state library, or at a building, its presence in different spaces inspires others to give voice to the topic. It also educates and provides resources for those seeking help. Though the topic is heavy, the novel’s existence hopes to reduce the fear of speaking out. 

“The book can function in all these different ways. And that’s what I love about it,” says Etzel.

Etzel and Hockett look forward to collective poetry’s effect on encouraging our community to stand up and listen to survivors. To read Kansas Speaks Out, attend the Kansas Book Festival at 9 a.m. for a free copy or order online.