Nora Samaran

A practical guide to nurturing healthy, loving non-monogamous relationships using attachment theory. Attachment theory has entered the mainstream, but most discussions focus on how we can cultivate secure monogamous relationships. What if, like many people, you’re striving for secure, happy attachments with more than one partner? Polyamorous psychotherapist Jessica Fern breaks new ground by extending attachment theory into the realm of consensual non-monogamy. Using her nested model of attachment and trauma, she expands our understanding of how emotional experiences can influence our relationships. Then, she sets out six specific strategies to help you move toward secure attachments in your multiple relationships. Polysecure is both a trailblazing theoretical treatise and a practical guide. It provides non-monogamous people with a new set of tools to navigate the complexities of multiple loving relationships, and offers radical new concepts that are sure to influence the conversation about attachment theory.

As Nora Samaran writes, "violence is nurturance turned backwards." In its place, she proposes "nurturance culture" as the opposite of rape culture, suggesting that models of care and accountability--different from "call-outs" rooted in the politics of guilt--can move toward dismantling systems of dominance and oppression. When communities identify and interrupt systemic violence, prioritize the needs of those harmed, and hold a circle of belonging that humanizes everyone, they create a foundation that can begin to resist and repair the harms inflicted by patriarchy, white supremacy, and capitalism. Emerging from insights in gender studies, race theory, and psychology, and influenced by contemporary social movements, Turn This World Inside Out engages today's crucial questions, helping move us beyond seemingly intractable barriers to collective change. Includes the essays "The Opposite of Rape Culture Is Nurturance Culture," "On Gaslighting," and "Own, Apologize, Repair," as well as conversations with Serena Bhandar, Ruby Smith D az, Aravinda Ananda, Natalie Knight, and Alix Johnson. "Nora Samaran writes with a unique combination of compassion and intelligence on the most pressing topic of our time. I'm convinced that if every person read her words, the world would be a much better place." --Liz Plank, journalist and executive producer of Divided States of Women "Turn This World Inside Out is doing something unique and visionary." --Wayde Compton, Author of After Canaan and The Outer Harbour "Turn This World Inside Out is a must-have for educators, parents, counselors, and all members of the community who are working to transform structural harm." --Agustina Vidal and Maryse Mitchell-Brody, The Icarus Project, New York