Traumatized: The – As author Catherine Liu prepares for the release of her new book, ‘Traumatized,’ she challenges the modern trend of turning personal suffering into public spectacle at the expense of systemic change.
For nearly sixty years, the mantra that the personal is political served as a rallying cry for progress. In the late 1960s. it led homemakers to transform their private discontent into public action. inspired by Betty Friedan’s 1963 work. *The Feminine Mystique*. They found strength in consciousness-raising groups, bringing long-taboo subjects into the light. Yet. as author Catherine Liu argues in her upcoming book. *Traumatized: The New Politics of Public Suffering*. that movement has shifted. Today, the personal has not just informed the political—it has consumed it.
Liu. who will be in conversation with writer William Davies at the book’s official launch at Foyles in London on Tuesday. September 29. at 7 p.m. suggests that our current culture of confession often acts as a distraction from the structural crises facing the country. This trend is perhaps most visible in the way public figures now leverage their own vulnerabilities to build their brands. Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. for example. used an Instagram livestream on February 1. 2021. to recount her experience during the January 6 Capitol invasion and disclose her status as a survivor of sexual assault. She has since filmed herself undergoing the egg-freezing process, framing the choice as one of personal destiny and control.
While such disclosures are often hailed as progressive, they also highlight a stark economic divide. Egg freezing typically costs between $15,000 and $20,000 per cycle, with annual storage fees reaching $1,000. For the majority of American women. who struggle with the rising costs of childcare. health insurance. and limited maternity leave. these fertility choices remain luxuries. By elevating professional. affluent suffering. the media often ignores the material realities of the average family struggling to make ends meet.
This phenomenon of monetized suffering is not entirely new. It mirrors the trajectory of Oprah Winfrey, who, on November 10, 1985, shared her own history of childhood sexual abuse on television. Winfrey effectively synthesized the activist energy of the 1960s with a Reagan-era emphasis on self-improvement and entrepreneurship. Her success provided a blueprint for the trauma-recovery industry, which is now worth billions. Psychiatrist Judith Herman, author of the 1992 book *Trauma and Recovery*, played a significant role in this shift. While Herman successfully advocated for the recognition of trauma symptoms in survivors of sexual violence. her focus often overlooked the economic realities of the blue-collar neighborhood where she practiced in Somerville. Over time. “raising awareness” became the primary objective for NGOs and not-for-profits. often resulting in a depoliticized approach to complex social issues.
The consequences of this shift are visible everywhere. from celebrity memoirs dominating the publishing industry to artistic reinterpretations of classic works. such as Christopher Nolan’s version of *The Odyssey*. which reimagines the goddess Calypso as a New Age therapist. Liu argues that this fixation on public displays of pain encourages individuals to chase validation through the exposure of their deepest secrets. rather than organizing around common economic and political interests.
Ultimately. the reliance on trauma as a currency strengthens emotional and surveillance capitalism while isolating individuals in their own private narratives. As Americans face significant economic strain. living paycheck to paycheck. the need for a shift back toward universal solidarity becomes pressing. True progress. Liu suggests. requires moving beyond the spectacle of personal suffering to build a politics rooted in the shared. ordinary struggles of the population.
Those interested in the discussion can catch Catherine Liu during her upcoming tour. Following the London launch. she will appear in New York City: on Sunday. October 11. at the PS1 MoMA Bookstore; on Monday. October 12. with Claire Stapleton at POWERHOUSE Arena; on Thursday. October 15. with Vivek Chibber at Woodbine; and on Tuesday. October 20. for a seminar on group psychology at The Convent in Brooklyn. A virtual event is also scheduled for October 18 via the Verso Virtual Book Club.
Catherine Liu Traumatized politics trauma culture AOC Oprah Winfrey social issues inequality book launch