Objects That Remain

Laura Levitt was raped in her own bed in 1989, and her landlord called 911, but the police arrived too late to apprehend her attacker. Decades later, she returns to the objects that remain, viewing them as a means of engaging with traumatic legacies. The Objects That Remain is a personal memoir and an examination of the ways in which material remains of violent crimes inform our experience of trauma and loss.

Format: Hardback
Length: 184 pages
Publication date: 02 November 2020
Publisher: Pennsylvania State University Press

On a fateful November evening in 1989, Laura Levitt's life was irrevocably altered when she became the victim of a heinous act of violence in the sanctity of her own bed. Her landlord, hearing the cries of distress, promptly dialed 911, summoning the authorities to intervene. However, tragically, the police arrived too late to apprehend the perpetrator who had perpetrated this unspeakable crime. As they departed, the investigators took with them a pair of sweatpants and the bedclothes, as well as conducting a rape exam at the hospital. Regrettably, this crucial evidence was never properly processed, leaving a void in the pursuit of justice.

Decades later, Laura finds herself returning to these objects, viewing them not as mere clues that could potentially lead to the identification of her assailant but rather as a means of engaging with the profound and enduring legacies of trauma and loss. This captivating book seamlessly blends personal memoir with a thought-provoking exploration of the profound ways in which the material remnants of violent crimes shape our understanding and contemplation of trauma and grief.

Through her meticulous investigation, the author unveils the profound ways in which these objects that remain and the stories that surround them foster forms of intimacy. In doing so, she offers a transformative model of reckoning, where justice becomes an animating process of telling and holding. By delving into the complexities of justice and the pursuit of truth, The Objects That Remain invites readers to confront the enduring impact of violence and to explore alternative avenues for healing and reconciliation.

Weight: 402g
Dimension: 162 x 209 x 24 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780271087825