Intreview with Alemitu Kassa

Spring-Summer 2006

Ms. Alemitu Kassam is a registered nurse who lives with her family in Somerville, part of Metropolitan Boston. Voice in Bliss is her first book.  In addition, she is also the first immigrant Ethiopian woman in Massachusetts, perhaps in the whole United States, who decided to write about her own as well as others’ experience.

The following are some of the questions we asked the Author MS. Alemitu Kassa:

Mela: What motivated you to write your book? Did you have any role model or models you admired when you were growing up in Ethiopia, or here in the USA?  Can you share with our readers some of the difficulties you have encountered, both as a woman and as an immigrant, while writing your book?

Alemitu: What motivated me most to write Voice in Bliss is the realization that sexual, verbal or physical abuse is a common element that affects people’s lives; that this violence, though universal, is not given the priority it deserves. It is a blessing for me when someone with similar issues comes across this book and achieves resolution. We all want to move beyond abuse, fear, separation, and illness. We are bound together by this journey, a search for bliss- an internal peace that heals the debilitating wounds of life.

As for role models, there were and are plenty of women I have admired throughout my life. My teachers, people I have only read about, as well as some of my family members influenced me as I grew up. Women who have been abused and were not reluctant to face it and thereby overcome their hurdles are my role models. My struggle with the English language made writing this book particularly difficult.  In addition, the guarded customs of my native land have impacted me as well. In my culture, there are certain things that one is not supposed to talk about, and this limits freedom of expression. These are the difficulties that one encounters as an

Mela: Most of the poems in your book have pictures next to them.  That’s a wonderful combination.  Did you develop both skills at the same time? Which one did you develop first? 

Alemitu: I used poetry to document my experiences early in my life. More recently, a friend introduced me to watercolor painting.  Indeed, I find that painting is a wonderful tool to express my thoughts beyond the words. Poetry was the first coping skill I acquired.  The poetry I read and write brought me closer to the healing power of God’s love. I discovered that forgiveness does not mean to see no wrong in the perpetrator, but rather to let go of the anger and the guilt you have for yourself.

Mela:  At the being of your book there is a statement “Voice is constant, insistent and sincere”. Did you name your book Voice in Bliss based on that concept? After your success in writing your first book, are you planning to write another one?

 Alemitu:  It is essential to expose and express hidden wounds in order to heal; it is a worthy cause to seek understanding and compassion for self and others.  My book seeks to expose and express the wounds that I have heard expressed in the voices of many women. Theirs are the voices that are “constant, insistent, and sincere.”  For many years, I assumed we are all unique and therefore alone. Eventually, through listening to others, I realized the importance of our connections. That “other” voice may validate our own voice. Yes, I am in process of writing a follow-up of Voice in Bliss.

MeIa:  In The Journey of The Women (on page 174), you stated that “no one is prepared enough to identify and confront domestic abuse.” Then you told the story of four middle class working women with similar life experiences, who were also victims of domestic violence, but in different forms. Do you think that a woman has to actually experience domestic violence before she fully understands what domestic violence is? Or do you think that if young Ethiopian and other girls are taught about the nature and signs of domestic abuse early on in life they could avoid becoming victims of domestic violence?

Alemitu: I think women can understand the signs and symptoms of domestic abuse without personal experience, and I believe that if young women and men are taught about abuse, incidents will decrease. Even so, someone in an abusive situation cannot completely understand what is going on through the process of education alone, as the emotions that come up in an abusive situation are not logical in origin. Therefore, women who have similar experiences and who may better “understand” other victims can be extremely helpful in helping a woman heal.  However, I do believe that education is a powerful tool and can reduce incidents of domestic violence and abuse.