(US)
“The silence within ourselves can be as profound as the sea. I swim back to and within myself to escape the chaos. This is how I reset and recharge. The safest place is inside my own skin. There, I find refuge from the chaos. () My silence is not only life-saving but sacred.” Christine Stoddard (1988) is a writer and artist creating books, collages, films, paintings, and more. She founded Quail Bell Press & Productions, including Quail Bell Magazine. She directed the feature film Sirena’s Gallery and authored the books Heaven is a Photograph, Naomi & The Reckoning, and Water for the Cactus Woman, among others. Her work has appeared in The Brooklyn Rail, Ms. Magazine, The Huffington Post, The Portland Review, The Feminist Wire, and beyond.