Support

Writer. Knitter. Amnesiac. 

In 2019, my gallbladder ruptured, causing a severe infection that starved my brain of oxygen and caused permanent damage. I remember the fluorescent hospital lights, the stiff sheets, and then nothing. When I opened my eyes, almost everything was gone—my memories, my sense of place, the thread of my story.

Writing is instinct. Breathing. I don’t remember the words I wrote. Sometimes I find my own books on the shelf. Three novels. Three short stories. My name is on the covers. I don’t remember the stories. But I know I’m a writer. My process is different now. I write in small bursts, piecing sentences together, never sure if I’ve written them before. I reread what I just wrote, sometimes again and again, editing by feel and rhythm, trusting what sounds true. 

This site is a fragment: writing, photos, pieces of my story. I share them to make sense of what’s left and to keep telling stories, even when memory fails.

My current project is Born Without An Algorithm—a memoir about living with a mind that won’t follow the rules: writing, forgetting, writing. And living.

For consults about amnesia, email Michelle at hello@michelleokane.org.

@akafeisty.com

♡