annethology
  • Home
    • About Annethology
    • About me >
      • A little more about me
    • About my books
    • Author talks
    • Contact me
    • Forthcoming events
    • World Mental Health Day
    • Privacy
    • Sign up for my newsletter
  • Sugar and Snails
    • Acknowledgements
    • Blog tour, Q&A's and feature articles >
      • Birthday blog tour
      • S&S on tour 2022
    • Early endorsements
    • Events >
      • Launch photos
      • Launch party videos
    • in pictures
    • Media
    • If you've read the book
    • Polari
    • Reading group questions
    • Reviews
    • In the media
  • Underneath
    • Endorsements and reviews
    • Launch party and events
    • Pictures
    • Questions for book groups
    • The stories underneath the novel
  • Matilda Windsor series
    • Matilda Windsor >
      • What readers say
      • For book groups
      • Interviews, articles and features
      • Matty on the move
      • Who were you in 1990?
      • Asylum lit
      • Matilda Windsor media
    • Stolen Summers >
      • Stolen Summers reviews
  • Short stories
    • Somebody’s Daughter
    • Becoming Someone (anthology) >
      • Becoming Someone (video readings)
      • Becoming Someone reviews
      • Becoming Someone online book chat
    • Print and downloads
    • Read it online
    • Quick reads
  • Free ebook
  • Annecdotal
    • Annecdotal blog
    • Annecdotal Press
    • Articles >
      • Print journalism
      • Where psychology meets fiction
    • Fictional therapists
    • Reading and reviews >
      • Reviews A to H
      • Reviews I to M
      • Reviews N to Z
      • Nonfiction
      • Themed quotes
      • Reading around the world
  • Shop
    • Inspired Quill (my publisher)
    • Bookshop.org (affiliate link)
    • Amazon UK
    • Amazon US
    • books2read

About the author and blogger ...

Anne Goodwin’s drive to understand what makes people tick led to a career in clinical psychology. That same curiosity now powers her fiction.
A prize-winning short-story writer, she has published three novels and a short story collection with small independent press, Inspired Quill. Her debut novel, Sugar and Snails, was shortlisted for the 2016 Polari First Book Prize.
Away from her desk, Anne guides book-loving walkers through the Derbyshire landscape that inspired Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre.
Subscribers to her newsletter can download a free e-book of award-winning short stories.

TELL ME MORE

6 positive social changes in my lifetime: trans visibility; deinstitutionalisation; reproductive rights and more

23/2/2023

10 Comments

 
January marked ten years since I started this blog and last October I published my 1000th post. Whether or not that’s a good thing, I’m minded to celebrate. How about a retrospective?
 
I achieved my dream of becoming a novelist almost 8 years ago, but I want this post to go beyond my bookshelves. Yet, when I look at the world outside, with the climate crisis and increasing inequalities, the view is bleak.
Picture
But in other areas – perhaps smaller areas – we’ve made huge advances in my lifetime; so I’ve decided to write about a few those that show up in my books.

Trans visibility

When I began writing my debut novel trans identities were something of a mystery to many of us. Nowadays, although there’s still fear and controversy in some quarters, in others – especially among the young – it’s almost mainstream. This has occurred in tandem with the normalisation of diverse sexualities, so that – at least in the West – people can be more open about who they are.  Sugar and Snails contrasts attitudes in the 1970s with the more progressive 2004, yet we’ve come a long way even since then. (But I’m not planning an update – people are telling their own stories now.)
Picture
Deinstitutionalisation 

Beyond my writing, my main contribution to social change was involvement in the running down, and eventual closure, of the long-stay psychiatric hospitals. While society hasn’t completely solved the problem of how we protect the mentally and emotionally vulnerable without restricting their freedoms, it was obvious asylum wasn’t the answer right from the start. I revisited this period of my life for my third novel, Matilda Windsor Is Coming Home, about a brother and sister separated for fifty years while, unknown to him, she has been languishing in a psychiatric hospital. You’ll find my reflections on fictionalising that period here:

Picture
Reproductive rights 

One of the saddest parts of my work in mental health was meeting elderly women who had been incarcerated for decades after having an ‘illegitimate’ child. I couldn’t be certain whether institutionalisation was the main cause of their disturbance, but it certainly deprived them of their maternal role and much else that many adults take for granted. I explored that injustice in my novella Stolen Summers, about a young woman admitted to a psychiatric hospital in 1939 and is still there twenty-five years later.
Picture
So obviously I think it’s wonderful that women who become pregnant outside a relationship nowadays can choose whether or not to have the child, and don’t have to give their baby up for adoption if they go through with the birth. I’m horrified, however, at the backlash that has occurred since I ‘gave’ one of my main characters an abortion in my second novel, Underneath, about a man who seeks to resolve a relationship crisis by keeping a woman captive in a cellar.

Fun running

Never having been good at sports, I’ve benefited from the running revolution, where you don’t have to be particularly talented to take part. It’s forty years since I ran my first half marathon and, although I no longer run (for the sake of my knees), I still have the T-shirt, although I must have thrown my medals away. Running (and walking) is great for releasing tension as Liesel finds in my second novel, Underneath.

Picture
Community choirs 

In a similar way to how running is no longer the province of specialists, I’m grateful for the existence of all-comers choirs. Communal singing, especially under the guidance of an inspiring conductor, is a boost for mental health. Although at the moment I’m restricted to making music online, I still enjoy taking part. But it was scary to join a choir initially, having been one of those who was discouraged from singing at school. I found my choral voice around the same time that I found my writing voice, which partly inspired my short story “The Invention of Harmony” in my identity- themed collection, Becoming Someone . Here I am reading the opening:

Virtual connections 

The virtual choir of which I’m a member has made some marvellous recordings, thanks to our excellent conductor and hard-working sound engineers. All due to the Internet, yet it’s not so long since computer meant a person entering data rather than the laptop on which I’m writing this post. Did any of us – apart from those who already identified as geeks – imagine the possibilities of home computers when we first encountered mainframes that needed specialised language, punch cards or floppy disks? Henry, Matilda’s brother in Matilda Windsor Is Coming Home, couldn’t and I had fun with his scenes set in the late 1980s when he resists the onslaught of computers at work.

These are just a few of the positive changes I’ve witnessed in my lifetime. Please add yours to the comments.

Picture
So now to my response to the February 20, 2023, prompt: In 99 words (no more, no less), write a story about what it means to be a literary artist. You can pull from your own experience, re-imagine the idea, or embody something else in a character. Be playful, go deep, and let your story flow. Go where the prompt leads!
Did you pack your bag yourself?

We all bring baggage on our journeys. Let’s examine yours.

Choose that channel and they’ll repack your things in neat compartments and throw away whatever they cannot name. If you’re hurting, they’ll prescribe a sedative. If you’re angry, they’ll offer you cake.

Choose this and we’ll treasure your soiled underwear, admire the garments life has pulled out of shape. We’ll make a mosaic from your broken bits, macramé from your tangled threads. We’ll wash the shame from your buried secrets, build fairy-tale castles from the dirt. You’ll leave with a suitcase of stories: to amuse; to surprise; to console.
Thanks for reading. I'd love to know what you think. If you've enjoyed this post, you might like to sign up via the sidebar for regular email updates and/or my quarterly Newsletter.
10 Comments
Colleen Chesebro link
23/2/2023 07:27:42 pm

The baggage we bring on our journeys... so true. All those experiences. This was truly poetic, Anne.

Reply
Anne Goodwin
24/2/2023 02:10:25 pm

Thanks, Colleen, that's high praise from poet yourself.

Reply
Norah Colvin
26/2/2023 10:11:23 am

Congratulations on your blogging milestones, Anne, but better still on your publication successes. You are definitely a literary artist, as your flash shows. I agree with Colleen abou the beginning. I think you answered the prompt well in just seven words. We all write the stories of our lives and unpack different parts of the baggage at different times.

Reply
Anne Goodwin
26/2/2023 03:42:40 pm

Thanks so much, Norah. I like your point about unpacking different bits at different times and it also strikes me that the same bits of clobber can look different different in different contexts. Thanks as ever for your support.

Reply
Norah Colvin
8/3/2023 09:23:39 am

That bit about the same bits of clobber in different contexts is very true too.

Anne Goodwin
8/3/2023 03:12:34 pm

:)

Charli Mills
27/2/2023 12:01:33 am

Anne, did writing these novels and characters give you a greater appreciation for he positive changes you've seen or did your appreciation for the changes compel you to write these particular stories? I feel as you do that both "sides" on the abortion issue are pro-life. Mathilda has certainly been a character who contains the injustice of forcing women into choices not their own.

As I reflect on what positive changes I have seen, it has to do with language, such as gaining language to discuss what gender identity or sexual orientation means. I didn't have that language as a teenager. I now know women who have entered second half of life to finally realize their true identities because they didn't have the language to express them. And kayaks. Where were kayaks when I was in my 20s, lol? Its such a journey and pausing to reflect creates the desire to continue.

Reply
Anne Goodwin
27/2/2023 06:55:14 am

Interesting question, Charli. I think it was different with each book. I wrote about deinstitutionalisation partly to counterbalance the predominantly negative narrative around closing the long-stay hospitals and abortion because I wanted to make amends for being indoctrinated into an anti-abortion stance in my teens. I was curious about trans issues and I guess I learnt about it in the process of writing as the world changed around me. The others were simply small aspects of my life getting thrown into the mix. But I don't actually set out to write about positive – or even negative – themes, they're simply the topics that interest me in some way.

I don't know anything about kayaks but I'm with you on language. If we can name things, even extremely painful things, we exercise an element of control. I'm still waiting for the vocabulary to about some things that affect me – that's why i write novels.

Reply
D. Slayton Avery link
6/3/2023 01:58:28 pm

Yep, you've got some poetic prose in that flash, maybe because the words ring true. They'll throw away whatever they can't name. The third paragraph is a roaring better choice!
I guess in my lifetime choice has been the positive, choices and opportunities for women. And that was always a given for me, and I have privileges I also have always taken for granted. It's a scary time now to see what I assumed as givens that would only be improved upon and extended being attacked and undermined.

Reply
Anne Goodwin
8/3/2023 03:14:31 pm

Thank you, my friend. Yes, it's scary to see those hard-won privileges being eroded as history repeats.

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Picture
    Free ebook: click the image to claim yours.
    Picture
    OUT NOW: The poignant prequel to Matilda Windsor Is Coming Home
    Picture
    Find a review
    Picture
    Fictional therapists
    Picture
    Picture
    About Anne Goodwin
    Picture
    My published books
    entertaining fiction about identity, mental health and social justice
    Picture
    My latest novel, published May 2021
    Picture
    My debut novel shortlisted for the 2016 Polari First Book Prize
    Picture
    Picture
    My second novel published May 2017.
    Picture
    Short stories on the theme of identity published 2018
    Anne Goodwin's books on Goodreads
    Sugar and Snails Sugar and Snails
    reviews: 32
    ratings: 52 (avg rating 4.21)

    Underneath Underneath
    reviews: 24
    ratings: 60 (avg rating 3.17)

    Becoming Someone Becoming Someone
    reviews: 8
    ratings: 9 (avg rating 4.56)

    GUD: Greatest Uncommon Denominator, Issue 4 GUD: Greatest Uncommon Denominator, Issue 4
    reviews: 4
    ratings: 9 (avg rating 4.44)

    The Best of Fiction on the Web The Best of Fiction on the Web
    reviews: 3
    ratings: 3 (avg rating 4.67)

    2022 Reading Challenge

    2022 Reading Challenge
    Anne has read 2 books toward their goal of 100 books.
    hide
    2 of 100 (2%)
    view books
    Picture
    Annecdotal is where real life brushes up against the fictional.  
    Picture
    Annecdotist is the blogging persona of Anne Goodwin: 
    reader, writer,

    slug-slayer, tramper of moors, 
    recovering psychologist, 
    struggling soprano, 
    author of three fiction books.

    LATEST POSTS HERE
    I don't post to a schedule, but average  around ten reviews a month (see here for an alphabetical list), 
    some linked to a weekly flash fiction, plus posts on my WIPs and published books.  

    Your comments are welcome any time any where.

    Get new posts direct to your inbox ...

    Enter your email address:

    or click here …

    RSS Feed


    Picture

    Tweets by @Annecdotist
    Picture
    New short story, “My Dirty Weekend”
    Picture
    Let’s keep in touch – subscribe to my newsletter
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture

    Popular posts

    • Compassion: something we all need
    • Do spoilers spoil?
    • How to create a convincing fictional therapist
    • Instructions for a novel
    • Looking at difference, embracing diversity
    • Never let me go: the dilemma of lending books
    • On loving, hating and writers’ block
      On Pop, Pirates and Plagiarism
    • READIN' for HER reviews
    • Relishing the cuts
    • The fast first draft
    • The tragedy of obedience
    • Writers and therapy: a love-hate relationship?

    Categories/Tags

    All
    Animals
    Annecdotist Hosts
    Annecdotist On Tour
    Articles
    Attachment Theory
    Author Interviews
    Becoming Someone
    Being A Writer
    Blogging
    Bodies
    Body
    Bookbirthday
    Books For Writers
    Bookshops
    CB Book Group
    Character
    Childhood
    Christmas
    Classics
    Climate Crisis
    Coming Of Age
    Counsellors Cafe
    Creative Writing Industry
    Creativity
    Cumbria
    Debut Novels
    Disability
    Editing
    Emotion
    Ethics
    Ethis
    Family
    Feedback And Critiques
    Fictional Psychologists & Therapists
    Food
    Friendship
    Futuristic
    Gender
    Genre
    Getting Published
    Giveaways
    Good Enough
    Grammar
    Gratitude
    Group/organisational Dynamics
    Hero’s Journey
    History
    Humour
    Identity
    Illness
    Independent Presses
    Institutions
    International Commemorative Day
    Jane Eyre
    Kidney Disease
    Language
    LGBTQ
    Libraries
    Live Events
    Lyrics For The Loved Ones
    Marketing
    Matilda Windsor
    Memoir
    Memory
    Mental Health
    Microfiction
    Motivation
    Music
    MW Prequel
    Names
    Narrative Voice
    Nature / Gardening
    Networking
    Newcastle
    Nonfiction
    Nottingham
    Novels
    Pandemic
    Peak District
    Perfect Match
    Poetry
    Point Of View
    Politics
    Politics Current Affairs
    Presentation
    Privacy
    Prizes
    Psychoanalytic Theory
    Psychology
    Psycholoists Write
    Psychotherapy
    Race
    Racism
    Rants
    Reading
    Real Vs Imaginary
    Religion
    Repetitive Strain Injury
    Research
    Reviewing
    Romance
    Satire
    Second Novels
    Settings
    Sex
    Shakespeare
    Short Stories General
    Short Stories My Published
    Short Stories Others'
    Siblings
    Snowflake
    Somebody's Daughter
    Stolen Summers
    Storytelling
    Structure
    Sugar And Snails
    Technology
    The
    The Guestlist
    Therapy
    TikTok
    TNTB
    Toiletday
    Tourism
    Toxic Positivity
    Transfiction
    Translation
    Trauma
    Unconscious
    Unconscious, The
    Underneath
    Voice Recognition Software
    War
    WaSBihC
    Weather
    Work
    Writing Process
    Writing Technique

    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013

    Picture
    BLOGGING COMMUNITIES
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
Photos used under Creative Commons from havens.michael34, romana klee, mrsdkrebs, Kyle Taylor, Dream It. Do It., adam & lucy, dluders, Joybot, Hammer51012, jorgempf, Sherif Salama, eyspahn, raniel diaz, E. E. Piphanies, scaredofbabies, Nomadic Lass, paulternate, Tony Fischer Photography, archer10 (Dennis), slightly everything, impbox, jonwick04, country_boy_shane, dok1, Out.of.Focus, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service - Midwest Region, Elvert Barnes, guillenperez, Richard Perry, jamesnaruke, Juan Carlos Arniz Sanz, El Tuerto, kona99, maveric2003, !anaughty!, Patrick Denker, David Davies, hamilcar_south, idleformat, Dave Goodman, Sharon Mollerus, photosteve101, La Citta Vita, A Girl With Tea, striatic, carlosfpardo, Damork, Elvert Barnes, UNE Photos, jurvetson, quinn.anya, BChristensen93, Joelk75, ashesmonroe, albertogp123, >littleyiye<, mudgalbharat, Swami Stream, Dicemanic, lovelihood, anyjazz65, Tjeerd, albastrica mititica, jimmiehomeschoolmom