Exploring personal trauma through poetry with Anders Villani

In this episode we will have some discussion about childhood sexual abuse and trauma. So, please do keep this in mind and take care of yourselves when deciding to listen to this content.   

Anders Villani is a Melbourne-based poet, writer, teacher and PhD candidate in Creative Writing. Anders is also a survivor of childhood sexual abuse and lives with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). 

 His new collection of poetry is called Totality. In Anders own words, this collection is a creative inquiry into the childhood sexual abuse he experienced and its ramifications for his adult life.

For his PhD research, Anders is exploring how poetry represents personal trauma – in particular the tension that exists for artists between the ‘tellable’ and ‘untellable’ aspects of traumatic experience.

When were talking on email prior to this interview, Anders wrote  that a quote from Judith Herman’s book Trauma and Recovery was at the heart of his PhD research, which is focused on how poetry represents trauma. 

This quote is: 'the conflict between the will to deny horrible events and the will to proclaim them aloud is the central dialectic of personal trauma.' 

Anders discusses this in this episode as well as how poetry is a survival tool, how he discovered he had PTSD and what that has meant for him and the meaning of his new poetry collection.

Anders’ poetry collection TOTALITY  is published by RECENT WORK PRESS - and you can find out more about Anders at his website andersvillani.com

If you have been affected by anything discussed in this episode please contact:

• Lifeline on 13 11 14
• 13 YARN on 13 92 76 (24/7 crisis support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people)
• Blue Knot on 1300 657 380
• Bravehearts on 1800 272 831

Hosted by Karenza Louis-Smith, CEO ermha365. Produced and co-hosted by Emily

ermha365 provides mental health and disability support for people in Victoria and the Northern Territory. Find out more about our services at our website.

Helplines (Australia):
Lifeline 13 11 14
QLIFE 1800 184 527
13 YARN 13 92 76
Suicide Callback Service 1300 659 467

ermha365 acknowledges that our work in the community takes place on the Traditional Lands of many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and therefore respectfully recognise their Elders, past and present, and the ongoing Custodianship of the Land and Water by all Members of these Communities.

We recognise people with lived experience who contribute to GET REAL podcast, and those who love, support and care for them. We recognise their strength, courage and unique perspective as a vital contribution so that we can learn, grow and achieve better outcomes together.

Chapters

• 12:09 Anders on his new poetry collection TOTALITY
• 15:19 Anders read one of his poems
• 29:47 Anders talks about what's been helpful for him for living with PTSD
• 32:58 Anders on self-care and how his understanding of it has evolved