'Pack Light' Examines Justice, Virginity and the Sexual Abuse No One Talks About
Tiffany Rose Smith's self-published debut book shines a light on sexual abuse and constructs a soft place for survivors to land.
This article references sexual assault and child abuse. Please take care and be mindful while reading. If you or someone you know has experienced any form of sexual abuse, contact the National Sexual Abuse Hotline at 1-800-656-4673.
I met Tiffany Rose Smith almost a decade ago when our mutual friend, Joel Leon, introduced us over email.
“Hey Tiff, meet Ashley. I think you two will vibe,” was the overall tone of his message. From that gracious first e-hello, a friendship took root in the way friendships tend to these days: a follow, a like, a DM, and some texts. Our version of going all the way was a four-hour Zoom call from our respective homes—she in Austin, Texas, and I in Brooklyn, New York.
Tiffany is a writer, and creative consultant, as well as a wife and mother of two boys. Like many Black women, she draws inspiration from Maya Angelou and Alice Walker, and truth-telling sits at the center of her creativity. So when Tiffany decided to write about what she calls “the terrible awful,” she knew the process would be metamorphic.
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