Featuring The Coroner’s Lie by Mickey Murphy
We are shaped by where we begin, changed by what we survive, and defined by what we choose to say, so in our final month on the theme of Beginnings, Renewal, and Voice, we explore voice.
One way to talk about voice is the noun that embodies the uniqueness that comes out as an author practices writing, a painter practices painting, a musician practices making music, etc. Another way to talk about voice is the verb form, voicing our truths, which is primarily what I’d like to explore this month.
We are the masters of our voices—we can choose to release those truths into the world or keep them to ourselves. Some might say that we should always voice our truths, no matter what, but are there times when it’s best for our survival or well-being to not voice our truth? How do we decide when the time has come for that truth to come out? And how do we use our voice to put that truth into the world? If we decide to keep that truth to ourselves, does that constitute a lie?
This wrestling with the timing and form of releasing truth is at the heart of The Coroner’s Lie by Mickey Murphy. As a child, Mickey was presented with a truth about her mother’s death that confused her, made her doubt her own experience, and placed a shadow over the rest of her life. It was with her alone for thirty years until she gained the confidence, maturity, and means to share this truth with those closest to her, and eventually, the world.
Thankfully, Mickey’s personal story is one almost nobody has had to face, but we can apply the essence of it to our own lives. Each of us has had some sort of truth inside us, and as Mickey did, we have to live with these truths regardless of whether we voice them or not, grappling with how they define us. We have to decide whether or not to voice those truths, and if we decide to voice them, we have to figure out when and how to do so. It’s never easy and always personal, just like voice, the noun.
You can learn more about Mickey and The Coroner’s Lie here: https://legacybookpress.com/coroners-lie/