The Same Moon: A Mosaic of a Dissociated Identity
Christine Andersen endured childhood sexual wounding at the hands of neighbors and grew up behind a veil of amnesia. But the early hurt was not forgotten. Instead, the betrayal was delegated to parts that carried the secret pain, anger, and shame. Beset by symptoms she could not explain, Christine embarked on a journey to recover the fragments of herself that lived beside her, whispered in her ear, and screamed to be heard. Through a maze of psychological therapies, misdiagnoses, and years of inner turmoil, the hidden horror emerged from the shadows. Her determination to not only survive, but flourish, led her to consult with experts and ultimately to be diagnosed with dissociative identity disorder. She embarked on a mission to dispel the stigma and myths associated with dissociation, founding a fund at the University of Connecticut to enhance training in trauma for future psychologists and penning her autobiographical poetry collection, The Same Moon: A Mosaic of a Dissociated Identity. Christine is a retired dyslexia specialist and full-time poet. She has published over 140 poems since submitting her work in 2020. In this span, she won the 2023 American Writers Review Poetry Contest, the 2024 Harvest Harmonies Contest, and the Lee Maes Memorial Award #1 in the National Poetry Day Contest of Massachusetts. She also had two finalist awards in the Derick Burleson Contests of 2021 and 2024. In 2025, she placed second for the Connecticut Poetry Award and won the Jonathan Holden Poetry Chapbook Contest for To Maggie Wherever You’ve Gone, the Distinguished Favorite for the NYC Big Book Award for poetry of grief and remembrance. She was also a nominee for the 2026 Pushcart Prize. A Connecticut resident, she lives on a farm with three beagles and two basset hounds. Paperback: 146 pages Publisher: Kelsay Books (July 16, 2026)