Gina Barton
USA TODAY
Sitting at her computer in Chicago, Mary Simmerling was supposed to be writing her Ph.D. dissertation. Instead, poetry poured out, verse after verse about the night she was raped − and trying to navigate the world in its aftermath.
Simmerling shared her first poem, “What I was wearing,” with a friend, who distributed it at conference for advocates working to end sexual violence. The poem inspired two women in attendance to create an art installation. The project, which has been presented at thousands of colleges, rape crisis centers and military bases on six continents, pairs the words of survivors with outfits that represent what they were wearing when they were assaulted.
Photos from the Art installation “What were you wearing?” available in the article.