Maelstrom

Abstract

The external voices people hear express multiple and conflicting views about the voice-hearer’s thoughts, actions, and sense of self—condemnatory, threatening, sneering, dismissive, occasionally comforting. They can confuse and they can harm, and sometimes it is only when the voices are absent that peace can be found. But where do the voices go when they are not present? When and why do they come back? Drawing upon the transcripts and lived experience, this fictional work explores the arrival and departure of voices, attempting to place voice-hearing within myth-traditions to show its provenance in human history, as well as offering a storytelling strategy for dealing with them.