November 22, 1963

On November 22, 1963 two events impacted me deeply: JFK was assassinated. I had an abortion. The relief I felt upon obtaining an abortion was offset by my realization that a terrible event had occurred in modern American history. In the 56 years since I have dealt emotionally with the violent death of a president; I had not yet come to terms with the abortion. I decided to investigate that event; I created my symbolic embryo and applied the image to baby clothes, tea towels, anything that might sustain it. The results confounded me, startled me, and in some cases, amused me. Through this I was able to lay to rest the memory of the necessary loss of the small cluster of cells that tied me to the past. And pay homage to the child that might have been.