Not You

Shortly after graduating high school, Megan purposefully conceives a child in one of many failed attempts to secure the acceptance she desperately wants from anyone who would offer.

She soon finds herself in a variety of dire straits that includes 12 months in a maternity home and her subsequent surrender to mental illness. It would take the births of three more children to finally find the self-respect necessary to become the responsible mother her children deserved. 

Not You: A Memoir details the struggles of a single mother who has the task of overcoming the self-loathing that imprisons her inside of one bad choice after another. For the woman who has been mocked and abused, has lost a baby, lost herself, or has lost her community due to decisions she’s felt were necessary—this memoir will appeal to anyone who has had to find the courage to love themselves first.

About the Author:
Having begun Not You as part of her master’s thesis while attending Southern New Hampshire University, Megan Harris M. is now working on her PhD in English, with a concentration in Creative Writing and a minor in Literary Theory at Morgan State University in Baltimore, MD. She also serves as an Instructor of Record for their Department of English. Her creative works usually include pieces of her past that she uses to help others who’ve experienced the same, as well as some academic projects that explore the lasting effects of colonialism and sexism. On a normal evening, you can find her typing rhythmically away, a glass of Merlot close by her side as she listens to the hypnotic sounds of jazz floating in the background. She is the mother of five children and resides in Maryland, just south of the city of Baltimore. See more at meganharrism.com.