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the scorched earth

  • the scorched earth collection of poems and
  • the scorched earth: spoken audio disc companion
  • Expanded, Second Edition by Dora E. McQuaid

the scorched earth is Dora E. McQuaid’s ground-breaking collection of poems about her journey from victimization to survivorship, through healing from a history of both sexual and domestic violence into empowerment and international advocacy as an award-winning poet, activist, speaker and teacher.

The audio disc companion, the scorched earth: spoken is a studio recording of Dora performing all 35
poems included in the 2015 hard-cover Expanded, Second Edition of this collection.

Dora is pleased to offer this 2015 Expanded, Second Edition, which includes:

  • Foreword by Eve Ensler, award-winning author of The Vagina Monologues,
  • the scorched earth: spoken audio companion of Dora performing all 35 poems in the book,
  • 7 new poems since the 1999 publication of the original version of this collection,
  • An in-depth, comprehensive Discussion and Study Guide designed for use in a variety of settings
    to explore the issues of Domestic and Sexual Violence, as well as Healing and Empowerment,
  • An Extensive Listing of International Resources for Survivors of Domestic and Sexual Violence.
the scorched earth spoken by Dora E. McQuaid

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ADVANCE PRAISE FOR THE SECOND, EXPANDED EDITION:

“Startling and visionary…”

— Eve Ensler, from the Foreword she wrote for the scorched earth. Eve Ensler is the author of The Vagina Monologues and In the Body of the World, Founder of the international V-DAY Foundation and One Billion Rising.

“the scorched earth is a fierce, brilliant, naked book forged out of great suffering but everywhere flashing with rugged hope.”

— Andrew Harvey, author of The Hope: A Guide to Sacred Activism

“For the fifteen years that I have known Dora, she has been a heroic, inspiring survivor of violence whose work embodies the spirit of empowerment and social change. the scorched earth is beautiful…McQuaid brings you into her world and then takes you to a higher place. These are stories about finding freedom and celebrating life.”

— Susan Kelly-Dreiss, Co-Founder and first Director of The Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence (PCADV), the first statewide coalition in the United States.

“Dora E. McQuaid’s powerful voice, resonant with integrity and wisdom, speaks for so many. The poems in the scorched earth will carry you through brutality and betrayal to honesty and compassion. Pick up this book right now. Read it and give it to someone you love. As Dora E. McQuaid says, “This is how we save each other.”

— Mary Johnson, author of the memoir, An Unquenchable Thirst, and Board Member and Director of Creative Retreats for A Room Of Her Own Foundation (AROHO)

“Tracing one woman’s pilgrimage from violence to grace – and victimhood to visionary power – Dora E. McQuaid’s superb collection earns her a place alongside Muriel Rukeyser, Katha Pollitt, and Susan Howe in the chorus of world-class poets. It reminded me of Rukeyser’s famous question: “What would happen if one woman told the truth about her life? The world would split open.” McQuaid has done this, beautifully.”

Mark Matousek, Author of Sex Death Enlightenment and When You’re Falling, Dive: Lessons in the Art of Living


Poems from this collection have been used in outreach and rehabilitation programs for survivors and perpetrators of violence, law enforcement training and college and university courses. Dora self-published this book in 1999 and released the compact disc companion in 2002 at the request of the Cofounder and then-Director of the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Susan Kelly-Dreiss, for use in training programs she was facilitating across the state of Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape managed distribution of both the book and compact disc companion from 2004 to 2012 through their online catalogue.

The 2015 Expanded, Second Edition of the scorched earth is now shipping.

Both the Electronic Version of the book and the Audio Download of the audio disc companion will be available in October 2021.

As always, thank you for your support.
ALL PEACE TO YOU.  DORA

 

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