{Character Interview} Brooke Flanagan of 'Survivors' Dawn'
We’re thrilled to be talking to Brooke Flanagan from Ashley
Warren’s Survivors’ Dawn. It is a
pleasure to have Brooke with us today at Pimp That Character!
Thank you for your interview, Brooke. How old are you and what do you do for a
living?
I’m twenty-four and a regional director for the A Campus Aware movement, which promotes
awareness of the crisis of sexual assault on college campuses. Our organization
has a similar vision to that of It’s On Us. I wouldn’t be surprised if the two groups
merge someday.
What would I love the most about you?
That I’m alive. Two days after I was assaulted, I tried to
commit suicide by walking in front of a speeding car. Luck and the driver’s quick
reflexes saved me from being killed. With the help of my mother and some great
friends, I went on to become a voice in the war against sexual assault on
college campuses.
Where do you go when you are angry?
I run at a nearby track, a habit I picked up in high school.
Something about running in loops, the repetition of my feet hitting the ground,
and the strain on my muscles and lungs, forces the anger and stress to shrink.
The anger never goes away completely, and I know it will return again in its
ugly form, but after running for an hour, I can make it through the rest of the
day.
What makes you laugh out loud?
My boyfriend, Adam. Adam has a corny sense of humor, but he
has great delivery and laughs so loudly at his own jokes that I have to laugh
with him.
What is in your refrigerator right now?
Not much. Hey, I’m twenty-four. Some almond milk,
blueberries, carrots, leftover stew that my mom made, and a bottle of wine that
Adam and I opened last weekend but never finished.
What is your greatest fear?
Not hard to guess this answer, right? I’m afraid of being
alone or in the dark or around strange men. I fear being touched suddenly by
another person. I’m afraid that tonight I’ll have a nightmare of being assaulted.
I’m afraid I will sink into a dark place again.
But despite those fears, I’m better. I’m much better.
Do you think the author portrayed you accurately?
There is the before me
and the after me. Ashley did a great
job of portraying me before Colin Jordan assaulted me. But as Lady Gaga’s “Til
It Happens to You” implies, non-victims can never truly know how it feels to be
assaulted. Clearly, Ashley did a ton of research before writing Survivors’ Dawn, and it she got a lot of
the feelings right, but there are depths to the darkness that a person cannot
know unless they’ve been there.
What are three must haves when shopping at the grocery
store?
Bananas, cereal, and pie with whipped cream. That sounds
like four items, but pie and whipped cream are incomplete without each other.
Who is your best friend?
Lauren Le. When we first met, we had little in common.
Lauren was into cosplay and partying. I ran for exercise and attended church
regularly. I was a virgin, and Lauren—well—she was not. But without her, I
would never have made it. She saved me, literally, and I will love her forever.
Do you like to cook?
If so, what is your favorite thing to cook?
To be honest, I haven’t yet learned to cook. I hope to be a
good cook someday, but so far, the most I can manage is making brownies from a
box. On the other hand, my mother is an excellent cook. She makes the best
blueberry pancakes. After I was assaulted, my mother moved to the college town
to be close to me. She provided a shelter for me and Lauren away from campus.
It meant so much to be able to get away, eat delicious home-cooked meals, and
then lounge around and watch movies and not have to pretend to be anything
special.
That was a really big deal, to just be ourselves and forget
all the other stuff for a while.
About the Author
The
unending accounts of sexual assault on college campuses compelled me to write Survivors’
Dawn.
My
goal in writing the novel was NOT to focus on the act itself, but instead, to
write of the victim’s journey, to tell a story about the strength, courage, and
determination of survivors, to describe the difficulties they face in their
pursuit of justice, and finally, to offer hope for a future where students can
pursue their dreams without fear of being attacked.
As
Lady Gaga’s “Til It Happens to You” implies, non-victims can never truly know
how it feels to be assaulted, but we can try to empathize, and we can try to
help. Awareness is key to reducing the incidence of sexual assault on campus.
Please do your part by taking the It's On Us pledge and contributing to
organizations that are fighting on the front lines.
Thank
you to readers who give me encouragement. It means so much to me. Word of mouth
is an incredible thing, so thank you also for telling your friends about Survivors'
Dawn.
WEBSITE & SOCIAL LINKS:
WEBSITE | TWITTER | FACEBOOK
About the Book:
A
heroic story of three college women’s fight for justice
At
first glance, Brooke Flanagan, Lauren Le, and Nikki
Towers have little in common:
a churchgoing
When
freshman Brooke Flanagan first arrives at the university, she’s
excited to escape her sheltered life in a Southern town. Lauren Le, a
scholarship student, likes to have a good time, but she never disappoints her
hardworking, single mom. Nikki Towers
always goes her own way. Confident, poised, and wealthy, Nikki’s biggest
problem is what to do with her future.
Into
these girls’ lives walks Colin Jordan. Colin is the son of a private equity
titan, captain of his club basketball team, and a brilliant pre-law student. He
is also a sexual predator.
Survivors’
Dawn relates a journey of heroes: the strength, courage,
and determination of the victims as they fight to survive; the obstacles they
face in their pursuit of justice; and finally, with its conclusion, hope for a
future where students can pursue their dreams without fear of being attacked.
A
contemporary novel, Survivor’s Dawn wrestles with issues of
privilege, sexual assault, and the responsibility of academic institutions to
protect their students.
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