Judith is the author of more than twenty full-length collections of poetry, most recently, Subterranean Address—New & Selected Poems. Oscar the Misanthropist won the Floating Bridge Press Chapbook Award in 2021.
"Taut and restrained, (Skillman’s) poems tell stories in vivid fragments."
-- from The Pedestal Magazine's review of The Truth about Our American Births, by Erica Gross
Available from McFarland’s imprint Exposit Books
When Home Is Not Safe
Even if you haven’t been hurt by domestic violence, someone you know has and wishes they could tell you about it. Perhaps you are a therapist, teacher, academic, or social worker who wants to help those who are suffering. Or maybe you are in an abusive relationship and need to know that you are not alone.
The poetry, memoirs, and creative nonfiction pieces collected here tell of real incidents of verbal, emotional, and physical abuse, as well as of those who left destructive and unsalvageable relationships. The beauty and truth of the language, as well as the honesty and courage on the page, set this anthology apart from self-help manuals and academic treatises on domestic violence. This collection offers a path forward to healing, health, and fulfillment, using the power of art to give voice where voice has been stifled, forgotten, overlooked, or denied.
Great review by Amanda Fields from Literary Mama.
Order from Amazon, Elliott Bay, or McFarland
Video Links
It was an honor to participate in Dr. Alan Blum’s Medical Rounds on June 6th at University of Alabama:
Interview with Sheila Bender
Jack Straw Alumni Reading April 2024
Fire on Her Tongue, Two Sylvia’s Press
Reading “A Short History of the Accident”
Reviews of Others
Sharon Hashimoto, Paul Lindholdt
On Writing About Trauma
An Interview with Judith Skillman
- by Janée Baugher
Online Pubs
Print Publications
Poems have appeared in Poetry & Medicine column of JAMA (click on poem title, not pdf link)
Have a manuscript?
Consultations for poetry manuscripts—full length or chapbook
Client Feedback: “Thank you so much! It is exactly what I needed and more than I could hope for. Your ordering, sections, and themes make so much sense to me, and I also feel like they change the manuscript to reflect more what I wanted to emphasize and come through for the reader. I got very excited reading through it!” — Marilyn Moody, Flat Land
