Pittsburgh Live/Ability: Conversations in Poetry and Prose

2. On Trigger Warnings

In this collection, trigger warnings will be provided for two pieces: “Learning to Dream Again: Anne Alter’s Life with Schizo-phrenia” and "A Swirling, Lingering Storm: Corporal Kevin Craig Nixon." Trigger warnings help readers prepare for potentially distressing content, providing an opportunity to pause and emotionally protect themselves so they can engage safely with a piece. As you begin to explore these candid, authentic, and vulnerable narratives, it’s important that you acknowledge what your brain and body need so you can comfortably and safely access these stories. As you read Pittsburgh Live/Ability: Encounters in Poetry and Prose, we urge you to do so safely. Below is a list of resources that can provide support if you experience any distress or discomfort. It’s important to be aware of these resources as well as share them with others so we are all equipped and empowered with information that helps all of us stay safe.  Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255)  Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 988 (as of July 16, 2022) For TTY Users use your preferred relay service or dial 711 then 1-800-273-8255. Allegheny County Peer Support Warmline Service: 1-866-661-WARM (9276) Peer specialists are trained to actively listen to their peers, empathize with their concerns, and empower individuals to choose their path to wellness and recovery. PAAR (Pittsburgh Action Against Rape): 1-866-363-7273 Access text/chat via: paar.net. RAINN (Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network): 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) Access TTY: 1-800-799-4TTY (4889) Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) National Helpline: 1-800-662-HELP (4357) National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) TTY: 1-800-787-3224 Live chat: thehotline.org National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) HelpLine: 1-800-950-NAMI (6264) Web chat: www.nami.org/help Resources for veterans NVF Lifeline for Vets: 1-888-777-4443 Stop Soldier Suicide: 844-317-1136 Veterans Crisis Line: (TTY)711+1-800-273-8255 #1; or text 838255.

17. Bios

Participant biographies

16. Afterword

Afterword by Sheila Black

15. Freaky Fire Guy

Freaky Fire Guy: A Collaboration by Mark Steidl and Rick St. John

14. A Swirling, Lingering Storm: Corporal Kevin Craig Nixon

A Swirling, Lingering Storm: Corporal Kevin Craig Nixon by Emilio Rodriguez TRIGGER WARNING The honest and raw conversations between veterans Kevin Nixon and Emilio R. Rodriguez explore the devastating consequences of the stigma that many service members experience when they reach out for help. In these exchanges and poems, both Kevin and Emilio use their lived experiences to share with us the barriers to treatment that are erected and enforced by society’s stigmatizing beliefs surrounding the emotional toll of combat and, ultimately, how lack of support can be fatal. Through their discussion of stigma, PTSD, combat violence, isolation, and suicide, Kevin and Emilio urge us to become allies in the fight to acknowledge the very real struggles of service members. Their stories are also a rallying cry for veterans and allies alike to demand comprehensive and accessible lifesaving therapeutic resources. Kevin and Emilio’s stories voice the pain of loneliness, despair, and trauma, but the echoes of their words send a message of hope. You can listen to the list of resources in the second track of this audiobook titled "On Trigger Warnings", or read them below. It’s important to be aware of these resources as well as share them with others so we are all equipped and empowered with information that helps all of us stay safe. Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255) Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 988 (as of July 16, 2022) For TTY Users use your preferred relay service or dial 711 then 1-800-273-8255. Allegheny County Peer Support Warmline Service: 1-866-661-WARM (9276) Peer specialists are trained to actively listen to their peers, empathize with their concerns, and empower individuals to choose their path to wellness and recovery. PAAR (Pittsburgh Action Against Rape): 1-866-363-7273 Access text/chat via: paar.net. RAINN (Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network): 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) Access TTY: 1-800-799-4TTY (4889) Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) National Helpline: 1-800-662-HELP (4357) National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) TTY: 1-800-787-3224 Live chat: thehotline.org National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) HelpLine: 1-800-950-NAMI (6264) Web chat: www.nami.org/help Resources for veterans NVF Lifeline for Vets: 1-888-777-4443 Stop Soldier Suicide: 844-317-1136 Veterans Crisis Line: (TTY)711+1-800-273-8255 #1; or text 838255.