About Me
Memoirist. Essayist. Prose poet.
I’ve always embraced the concept “feel the fear and do it anyway.” Whether it’s been earning a master’s degree in history, backpacking Europe solo for six weeks, or teaching English in South Korea for six years, I gravitate to new challenges. At fifteen, I escaped from an abusive home and embarked on a quest to heal. This often arduous process is ongoing, but through it I’ve discovered a deep inner resiliency, embraced optimism as my lifeline, and learned how to finally and fully love and accept myself.
Writing has always been my gateway to self-discovery. My creative projects address the mother-child relationship, childhood abuse, body image, sexuality, sexual assault, and being hard of hearing in the context of a worldwide search for self. In my short-form essays, prose poems, and upcoming memoir, I lay clues to my path of healing, breadcrumbs I hope readers can use to journey through their own weeds of discovery. I also share the healthier ways I’ve learned to write about trauma in my ongoing series with Hippocampus Magazine. I believe with persistence and tenacity, anyone can mend their deepest wounds and step into their power.
Some interesting tidbits:
My self-care routine includes regular meditation, yoga, and dark chocolate. I’ve won National Novel Writing Month eleven years in a row. My name is pronounced “yo-LAND.” My partner and I have housesat around Toronto since 2021. Batgirl is my favourite superhero.
Short Bio
Yolande House’s creative writing has appeared in literary magazines such as The Rumpus, The Fiddlehead, Grain, PRISM international, Joyland, and the Humber Literary Review. Her writing has made it to the finalist round at Creative Nonfiction three times, and her Entropy essay was selected as one of the magazine’s “Best of 2018.” She can be found on Instagram (healthruwriting) and Twitter (herstorian). Currently, she’s revising a completed childhood memoir.
My Work
What I Remember / What I Don’t Remember
The Rumpus
Voices From the FOLD: A Festival Magazine
Joyland Magazine
Porcupine Literary
Yolande gratefully acknowledges the financial support of the Canada Council for the Arts, The Access Copyright Foundation, and the Ontario Arts Council.
Photo credits: Roy Cruz (top), Sarah McCarthy-Sitthiket (Batgirl tee)