The narrative I constructed around living with a colostomy bag

by Maisie Goulsbra

“The way I thought about my own illness shifted over the course of a third year Media module I took, ‘Embodiment and Experience’. Its original convenor was Professor Lisa Blackman but when I studied it, it was run by Doctor Louise Chambers who was one of my favourite lecturers whilst studying at Goldsmiths. Her guidance was helpful and reassuring, and the texts we read were some of my favourite things on my degree. Submitting something so personal with a new mindset, gave me the feeling that everything had come full circle; university had helped me understand the world better and myself better. A very cliché finale to my studies…”

Maisie studied Media & English. Her areas of interest were identity, the self, and subjectivity. She was longlisted for Penguin WriteNow 2020 scheme for her fiction. Her subject matter touches often touches upon personal experience of living with a disability, as in this short essay, ‘The narrative I constructed around living with a colostomy bag.’

Insta/Twitter: @maisiegoulsbra        Portfolio: www.maisiegoulsbra.com