“Artful and wise. This is pitch-perfect storytelling, witty as the best stand-up comedy but with a brilliant structure that delivers the audience to its dead-serious heart.”
-- Patricia Weaver Francisco
Author, Telling: A Memoir of Rape and Recovery
“Nancy Donoval tells of being date-raped in college and of the years it took before she even was able to name it as such. Then followed the further abuse of being blamed or disbelieved.
“But this is not therapy. She describes her pain with such
self-deprecating wit and quirky insight that the stories become profoundly moving and even entertaining. Like the best storytellers, she transforms the events in the telling and ultimately arrives at a deeply meaningful hope.”
-- William Randall Beard, Minneapolis Star Tribune
As a survivor speaking from personal experience, Nancy brings an authentic voice to this difficult topic. As an award-winning storyteller, she artfully models how to talk honestly about sexual violence without shame or blame--using compassion, humor and powerful narrative to motivate and inspire. Nancy puts your audience at ease by creating, as one audience member put it, “an experience of exhilarating liberation!"
“I learned a lot. You have to tell someone if this happens. It’s painful to tell others but it’s even more painful when you keep the truth hidden. And you got to keep the hope up.”
“It is my truth. I learned that there is hope and healing and humor somewhere in the hell.”
“I never knew how startlingly common date rape is.”
“I really enjoyed how many people came to hear someone talk about a socially uncomfortable issue. I would love for our school to have more speakers like Nancy.”
“I really liked how the painful parts were given in pieces. It made it less heavy and easier to stay open to receive it.”
“I liked how humor was added to the story but the message was still clear that it was a very serious life changing event.”
“There were so many positive messages. Never stop telling this story!”
“This show is epic and teaches people about what a person goes through and their struggles in life after rape happens.”
“I have no words, the story is WOW!”
Nancy Donoval is a nationally-touring professional speaker and storyteller with over 20 years experience. Her work has been heard on Minnesota and Chicago Public Radio and she's performed at venues ranging from the National Storytelling Festival to the New York Society for Ethical Culture. She holds an MFA from Northwestern University and teaches at Metropolitan State University.
Nancy helps others create good art about hard stuff with her workshop Laughing in the Dark: Using Humor to Turn Private Pain Into Public Art.
CLICK HERE to listen to Nancy’s National Story Slam Winning Story (part of her
one-woman show about surviving sexual assault) on Chicago Public Radio.
![“It happens in daily life, not just a statistic.”
“It felt like she was speaking for me since I haven’t been able to.”
“Helped me understand...what people I know that have been assaulted have been going through.”
“Realization...that someone you know can rape you. [Learning] what is identifiable as rape.”
“She was so relatable on so many levels.”
“Her experience made me realize the problem on campus.”
“Don’t pretend it didn’t happen. Always talk to someone.“](Sexual_Assault_Speaker_files/shapeimage_14.png)
CLICK HERE to read about to Nancy’s recent keynote for Family Resources Honor the Women Benefit Luncheon.
They do AMAZING work in their community; support them if you can.
THE ROAD TO SHAMELESS: A Survivor’s True Story of Rape and Recovery
NO SHAME, NO SILENCE: Speaking Up Against Sexual Violence
WE ALL KNOW SOMEONE: How to Support Survivors in Your Life
Nancy’s Programs:
BRING NANCY DONOVAL’S POWERFUL STORY
TO YOUR SCHOOL IN 2016-2017
Save 15% When You Book Dates by September 1
612-889-4043 • Nancy@Stories2StopRape.com
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