Out of Something Ugly is an award-winning book of poetry documenting the ramifications of child abuse and neglect on a person's psyche, along with the mind's inspiring, tireless ability to endure and survive. The content in this collection was written over a ten-year span, starting from the creator's adolescence and continuing into her mid-twenties. The cornerstones of this work include struggling with self-loathing and loneliness, processing the conflicting and overwhelming emotions felt toward the original abuser, and pushing ever onward to try to find a way out of the dark. Out of Something Ugly's mission is to draw beauty and meaning from ugly experiences so as to transform them and turn them into instruments for healing.

The hope is that this book will serve as a catalyst for those who are ready to begin to feel and process their pain, as a companion for those who are already undergoing the process, as enlightening for those who have not had these experiences and wish to understand, and as a moss-covered monument for reflection by those who have already completed their journey of healing and closed their personal book of trauma shut.

The 2nd edition includes a redesigned book cover, an edited poetry list (including the addition of some poems not previously included) and an introduction by the author reflecting on the process of healing and loving.