A journey of healing and activism

Heidi Yewman’s memoir “dumb girl” (Aug. 19) chronicles the physical, emotional and sexual abuse she suffered for years, and how that pain was transformed into purpose following the tragic shooting at Columbine High School. Among the victims was her beloved basketball coach.

For years Yewman has worked as a gun violence activist, producing the award-winning documentary “Behind the Bullet,” and has worked on campaign, organized vigils and asked the hard questions to gun owners.

In this interview, we talk about Yewman’s decision to share her life’s story in “dumb girl” and what it was like to revisit the experiences of her childhood. She talks about her time as an activist and the gains and losses, as well as the hope she sees with the younger generation.