Introducing My Memoir
The Home I Know: A Liberation Story
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Dear friends,
Thank you for being part of my journey through my writing. I am thrilled to announce that my memoir, The Home I know: A Liberation Story, has found its home right here on Substack. I’ve renamed this space, From a Strong Place, and redesigned it to house my full writing portfolio alongside the book.
Starting Monday, I will publish one chapter of the manuscript every week through mid-July. The memoir is organized into five parts. At the conclusion of each, I’ll be hosting a virtual book club to discuss the story with you. You can register for our book club meetings below.
This project has been years in the making, and so many of you have played such an intimate role in its creation. I am deeply grateful for your support.
Synopsis
Annie’s childhood by the sea seemed to be an imaginative dream—until she moved away from home at eighteen and her body began to tell a very different story. What followed was a lifelong reclamation of history, identity, and name. Now writing as Josephine A. Lauren (she/they), the author offers a powerful, forty-year retrospective on their journey from a traumatic past to a liberated future. This raw and resilient story uncovers the complex reality of safety and sexuality in society, and especially at home.
Schedule
January 19: Table of Contents, Support Resources, & Bibliography
PART I
January 26: Acknowledgements, Epilogue, & Chapter 1
February 2: Chapter 2
February 9: Chapter 3
February 16: Chapter 4
February 23: Chapter 5
February 27: Virtual Book Club - 7PM ET
PART II
March 2: Chapter 6
March 9: Chapter 7
March 16: Chapter 8
March 23: Chapter 9
March 30: Chapter 10
April 3: Virtual Book Club - 7PM ET
PART III
April 6: Chapter 11
April 13: Chapter 12
April 20: Chapter 13
April 27: Chapter 14
May 4: Chapter 15
May 8: Virtual Book Club - 7PM ET
PART IV
May 11: Chapter 16
May 18: Chapter 17
May 25: Chapter 18
June 1: Chapter 19
June 8: Chapter 20
June 12: Virtual Book Club - 7PM ET
PART V
June 15: Chapter 21
June 22: Chapter 22
June 29: Chapter 23
July 6: Chapter 24 & Prologue
July 10: Virtual Book Club - 7PM ET
I really look forward to sharing my life’s creative work thus far with you all! Please, feel free to share this post with others who may be interested in reading the book. It will remain free and accessible to anyone with internet access. Thank you.
Very intriguing!
What a powerful and courageous undertaking. The decision to serialize your memoir here on Substack—with its accompanying bibliography, table of contents, and structured book club discussions—transforms this from a solitary act of writing into a communal experience of witness and dialogue. I'm particularly moved by your inclusion of a bibliography on January 19th. In memoir, bibliographies are rare but profoundly important: they signal that personal narrative exists within broader contexts of research, community knowledge, and collective struggle. By documenting your sources, you're honoring the shoulders you stand on while creating a resource for others navigating similar terrain. The forty-year retrospective framing is also significant—it suggests that liberation isn't a destination but an ongoing practice of reclamation. Thank you for trusting this community with your story and for structuring the reading experience in a way that invites sustained engagement rather than consumption. Looking forward to reading alongside you.