About Witness Statement

Welcome to Witness Statement — formerly Notes from a Noncustodial Mom / Notes from a Writer Mama.

This is a living archive. A literary dispatch. A mother’s testimony in real time.

I created this space to share my truth as I navigate the family court system, work to reclaim my daughter, and mother through the deep grief, beauty, injustice, and faith that define this journey.

Here, I write about what it means to survive systems that weren’t made for us — and to still believe in return.

You’ll find long-form essays, court reflections, spiritual devotions, poetry, audio prayers, and voice memos. You’ll also find practical resources for parents navigating custody battles, legal disenfranchisement, trauma recovery, and survival.

But this is not just my story. Witness Statement is a space for all who believe in the power of truth-telling, especially from the margins. It’s for mother-writers. Faithful resistors. Artists who grieve out loud.

I hope you feel seen here. I hope something in these words becomes your reminder that you are not alone.

Now, a bit about me:

I’m Starr Davis — a writer, poet, mother, and survivor.

My work has appeared in The Kenyon Review, Poem-a-Day (Academy of American Poets), The Rumpus, Catapult, and more. I hold an MFA in Creative Writing from The City College of New York and a BA in Journalism and Creative Writing from the University of Akron.

I’ve received fellowships from PEN America, the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, and am currently the 2024 Writing Freedom Fellow with Haymarket Books and the Mellon Foundation, where I speak and write about domestic violence and economic injustice targeting Black mothers.

My upcoming debut poetry collection, AFFIDAVIT, will be released by Hanging Loose Press in 2025, and my memoir, I AM MOSTLY BAD BLOOD, will be released by Autumn House Press in 2026.

My work has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize in both poetry and nonfiction, and my essays have been featured by Longreads, and podcasts like What You Didn’t Expect in Fertility, Pregnancy & Birth and Truth to Power.

Why I Write This Newsletter

Because motherhood should not have to be proven in court.
Because I want my daughter to know I never stopped showing up.
Because so many of us have been silenced, dismissed, or erased — and our voices are needed.
Because I believe God still moves even in custody hearings and court hallways.
Because our stories are sacred.

Join Me.

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Let’s build a community rooted in story, faith, resistance, and return.

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