In Trouble: Alum Elaine Schleiffer Releases a Horror Anthology on Reproductive Rights
March 15, 2023
“A vivid examination of power and self-determination.”
UMD English alum Elaine Schleiffer '10 co-edited and released In Trouble, a new collection of horror stories, in January 2023. The stories collected in this speculative fiction anthology revolve around the topics of abortion and reproductive rights. According to Schleiffer, “the book was born the day after Roe fell,” when she and co-editor E. F. Schraeder “were sharing our rage and grief at the communal loss of an intrinsic right.” All proceeds from In Trouble are being donated to the National Network of Abortion Funds (NNAF).
In Trouble features star writers from the horror and speculative fiction sphere. Many of these contributors donated their contribution fees to the NNAF.
The experience of working on In Trouble was a deeply personal and important one for Schleiffer, an advocate for reproductive rights who has had two abortions herself. "Working on a horror genre book about abortion felt exactly the same as living in a post-Roe United States," Schleiffer said. "Readers who have not had to choose abortion can now share in the anxiety and fear that lives in my bones. I am proud to have released this book on what should have been the 50th anniversary of Roe v. Wade.”
In Trouble is available for purchase at Omnium Gatherum Press.
About Elaine Schleiffer:
Elaine Schleiffer graduated from College Park in 2010, and used to be a member of the marching band! Go Terps! She is originally from Ohio, and wound up back in Cleveland after several years in Maryland. She has had two abortions, one in Maryland and one in Ohio. In Ohio she was supported by her local abortion fund as the procedure was not covered by her insurance at all; as a cost-saving measure, she was given the choice to forgo anesthetization. The experiences of abortion care were vastly different across state lines, and cemented her determination to advocate for all people like her who need access to care. She has since served as a clinic escort, board member, and eventually board chair at Ohio's largest remaining independent abortion provider, Preterm. She is also a member of the LGBTQ+ community, and she wants the way that she talks about abortion to reflect the diversity of folks who choose abortion care. The majority of adults in the United States believe abortion access is necessary, but the majority of adults in the United States no longer have access to abortion providers, due to legal strangulation of our rights.