Lockout: Spacing Trauma and Recovery in the Aftermath of the Virginia Tech Shootings

Reflecting on the role that writing played in the recovery process, the author describes the mourning process after the loss of her husband during the Virginia Tech massacre on April 16, 2007. She analyzes how her traumatization was intensified by the interaction with the public. The private and tranquil space of her home is portrayed as the center of mourning and healing. Through writing, she regained emotional control in and over literary and figurative spaces of traumatization, enabling her gradual reintegration into the public life.