The Power of Telling the Truth on the Page: Meet Danielle Leukam
Photography by Twelve Ten Photography
Danielle Leukam didn’t set out to be a writer. Or maybe she did, before the world decided to alter her path. Before the moments that left her with an ache she couldn’t name, before survival became something she had to negotiate with every day. Her mother kept an old school assignment from her sister, written when they were kids.
It read: "My sister is five. She loves to write."
A sentence written in childhood innocence, before Danielle understood that writing could be something more than just joy. That it could be a necessity, a way to breathe when the world felt too thick with silence.
She was raised in the shadow of one of the best hospitals in the world, which led her into the medical field. But there was always something else pulling at her, something she couldn’t name until it was forced to the surface.
"It wasn’t until I experienced something so profound and horrendous that my body finally figured out how to scratch that itch. That itch was writing, and it was advocacy. One of the first things I did after being held hostage in my home and raped three times over five hours was buy a laptop and write the details of what happened to me."
There is no soft way to say it, and she doesn’t try to soften it. The words are sharp, intentional. Writing wasn’t just an act of reflection; it was survival. It was the only way to make sense of the impossible. The only way to put order to chaos. She typed out what had happened, let her family read it because speaking the words out loud was too much. That was where it started—the act of putting her life down on a page, not to rewrite it, but to claim ownership of it.
Reading Roxane Gay’s Hunger was another kind of awakening. She saw herself in those pages, in the way Gay spoke of eating as a way to protect herself, to become undesirable, to make herself less of a target. Danielle had done the same, though her version looked different.
"For me, I bought a big black truck, a black motorcycle, got tattoos, and created a badass image of myself so men would be less likely to choose me to assault. Reading Roxane Gay’s memoir normalized and validated what I was going through as a rape survivor. It was incredibly empowering."
There is something profound in knowing you’re not alone. In finding someone who has already laid out the words you were too afraid to say. That was the shift for Danielle, realizing that writing wasn’t just about surviving—it was about giving others a place to land. It was about offering the kind of perspective that had helped her when she needed it most.
That understanding carried her forward, past her own story, into the stories of others. She’s interviewed twelve sexual assault survivors from the Midwest for her next book, Reclaiming Power: Experiences of Sexual Assault, crafting a space where their voices can exist alongside expert insight from victim advocates. Because this isn’t just about one story, it’s about many. It’s about how what happens to one person ripples outward, affecting family, friends, and entire communities.
"Perspective. What happened to me is bigger than just me. What happened to me affected my family, my friends, and the family and friends of the rapist too. They are victims of him too."
She carries this awareness into her public speaking, into the work she does to educate professionals—those working in law enforcement, advocacy, and the legal system—on what it truly means to survive. And she brings it into the conversations she hopes to start, the questions she hopes people begin asking.
"How can we help? What can we do to help victims and survivors of sexual violence? How can we stop rape culture? How can we help end sexual violence?"
These are not abstract concepts to her. They are urgent, tangible. They keep her writing, speaking, and showing up even when it’s exhausting. Because someone out there is searching for the words to explain what happened to them, the way she once was. Someone out there is waiting to be believed.
"If someone discloses they’ve been assaulted, the first thing you need to do is start by believing them."
That’s the foundation of everything she writes, everything she does. Writing isn’t just storytelling. It’s advocacy. It’s education. It’s holding space for the people who have been silenced, for the ones who have been told their stories don’t matter. It’s an act of courage, one she has had to cultivate over time, and one she now extends to others.
She remembers Maya Angelou’s words:
"Develop enough courage so that you can stand up for yourself and then stand up for somebody else."
That is what she does. She stands up, and in doing so, she creates space for others to do the same.
Photography by Twelve Ten Photography
About Danielle Leukam:
Danielle Leukam is the author of Reclaiming Power: Experiences of Sexual Assault (non-fiction); Four Pounds of Pressure: A Memoir of Rape, Survival, and Taking Back My Power (memoir); Another Four Pounds of Pressure: Case Files, Statements, and A Survivor’s Redemption (sequel memoir); The First Sister: A Dangerous Bloodline (thriller novella); Fly Like a Girl: Adventures of Erin and Brad (children’s book); Never Stop Exploring: Adventures of Erin and Brad (children’s book).
After surviving a heinous attack in her home in 2018, she finally pursued her dream of becoming a writer. Danielle is from the Rochester, Minnesota area and works full-time at the Mayo Clinic. She is passionate about advocating against sexual violence through public speaking and writing. Danielle has taken back her power and strives to empower others to do the same. Follow Danielle on Facebook, Instagram, and X to keep up with her work.
About Beyond the Narrative:
Beyond the Narrative is a new blog series by Our Galaxy Publishing where we highlight and amplify the personal stories and creative journeys of badass women writers who are forging their own paths and making an impact with their voices.
This series aims to explore how identity, cultural background, and lived experiences shape your writing, highlighting the unique contributions you bring to art, literature, and community. We want to uncover the heart behind the stories and celebrate the power of diverse voices in shaping the future of books. Learn more about Beyond the Narrative on our blog,An Interview Series Amplifying the Voices of Women Writers, and readmore of our interviews here.
Our Galaxy Publishing is an educational and service-based platform that helps writers navigate the publishing industry with clarity, confidence, and creative control. Whether you’re self-publishing, seeking a literary agent, or still figuring out W T F you’re doing, we provide the tools, resources, and support to make your writing and publishing journey intentional, strategic, and powerful.