Christian Living
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Body Work: The Radical Power of Personal Narrative
AN INSTANT NATIONAL BESTSELLER
Memoir meets craft master class in this "daring, honest, psychologically insightful" exploration of how we think and write about intimate experiences-"a must read for anybody shoving a pen across paper or staring into a screen or a past" (Mary Karr)
In this bold and exhilarating mix of memoir and master class, Melissa Febos tackles the emotional, psychological, and physical work of writing intimately while offering an utterly fresh examination of the storyteller's life and the questions which run through it.
How might we go about capturing on the page the relationships that have formed us? How do we write about our bodies, their desires and traumas? What does it mean for an author's way of writing, or living, to be dismissed as "navel-gazing"-or else hailed as "so brave, so raw"? And to whom, in the end, do our most intimate stories belong?
Drawing on her own path from aspiring writer to acclaimed author and writing professor-via addiction and recovery, sex work and academia-Melissa Febos has created a captivating guide to the writing life, and a brilliantly unusual exploration of subjectivity, privacy, and the power of divulgence. Candid and inspiring, Body Work will empower readers and writers alike, offering ideas-and occasional notes of caution-to anyone who has ever hoped to see themselves in a story.
Memoir meets craft master class in this "daring, honest, psychologically insightful" exploration of how we think and write about intimate experiences-"a must read for anybody shoving a pen across paper or staring into a screen or a past" (Mary Karr)
In this bold and exhilarating mix of memoir and master class, Melissa Febos tackles the emotional, psychological, and physical work of writing intimately while offering an utterly fresh examination of the storyteller's life and the questions which run through it.
How might we go about capturing on the page the relationships that have formed us? How do we write about our bodies, their desires and traumas? What does it mean for an author's way of writing, or living, to be dismissed as "navel-gazing"-or else hailed as "so brave, so raw"? And to whom, in the end, do our most intimate stories belong?
Drawing on her own path from aspiring writer to acclaimed author and writing professor-via addiction and recovery, sex work and academia-Melissa Febos has created a captivating guide to the writing life, and a brilliantly unusual exploration of subjectivity, privacy, and the power of divulgence. Candid and inspiring, Body Work will empower readers and writers alike, offering ideas-and occasional notes of caution-to anyone who has ever hoped to see themselves in a story.
Editorial Reviews
Named a Most Anticipated Book by Bustle, Marie Claire, Glamour UK, Autostraddle, NET-A-PORTER, AnOther Magazine, Electric Literature, Lit Hub, and The Millions
"Although the essays . . . are all personal narratives themselves (as opposed to straight-up craft essays with clear dos and don'ts for the aspiring or practicing writer), they also provide practical and philosophical arguments for the expansiveness that such narratives allow and for their power in the world . . . Febos encourages her readers to tell their stories, to write them, for themselves or others. In this way, Body Work, is in itself an example of the strength of personal narrative; it's also an argument for how such narratives inevitably create space for community as well as a freer self." -Ilana Masad, NPR
"This original, lyrical collection weaves memory and teaching-about craft, about trauma and healing, about social justice-into an ode to personal writing that couldn't come at a more critical time . . . Illuminating . . . This is a book that explores self-reflection as a path to rebirth." -Jean Guerrero, Los Angeles Times
"Targeted to the writer who fears their personal narrative would be seen as self-indulgent, hurtful to others, or simply not worthy of their time and talent . . . I found myself underlining passage after passage, eager to read them aloud to my own nonfiction students who oohed and ahhed in recognition . . . Generous-hearted . . . Wise . . . Empowering." -Alysia Abbott, The Boston Globe
"Champions the transformative act of writing by way of personal wounds: secrets, traumas, vulnerabilities, and non-conformities. Just as powerfully, [Febos] reckons with the noxious assumption that we're not worthy of telling our stories, hindering our instincts of exploration and release . . . Febos channels empathy-which she believes every emerging writer should practice and receive-into the emboldening cri de coeur that is Body Work." -Sarah Moroz, Elle
"Piercing . . . Prepare to rave about this book to everyone you've ever met, seriously." -Lucy Morgan, Glamour UK, A Most Anticipated Book
"Contains multitudes . . . In Body Work, Febos offers a compelling rebuttal of the accusation that a memoir is simply a diary in print . . . Body Work asks the fundamental questions with which our literature, and our culture, are currently grappling. Which version of the story is yours, which is mine, which is true? Is there room in our American house for more than one story, or more than one version of the same story?" -Meredith Maran, Oprah Daily
"Body Work is a riveting read full of encouragement and inspiration that will drown out your inner critic and help you see that your story is valid ...
"Although the essays . . . are all personal narratives themselves (as opposed to straight-up craft essays with clear dos and don'ts for the aspiring or practicing writer), they also provide practical and philosophical arguments for the expansiveness that such narratives allow and for their power in the world . . . Febos encourages her readers to tell their stories, to write them, for themselves or others. In this way, Body Work, is in itself an example of the strength of personal narrative; it's also an argument for how such narratives inevitably create space for community as well as a freer self." -Ilana Masad, NPR
"This original, lyrical collection weaves memory and teaching-about craft, about trauma and healing, about social justice-into an ode to personal writing that couldn't come at a more critical time . . . Illuminating . . . This is a book that explores self-reflection as a path to rebirth." -Jean Guerrero, Los Angeles Times
"Targeted to the writer who fears their personal narrative would be seen as self-indulgent, hurtful to others, or simply not worthy of their time and talent . . . I found myself underlining passage after passage, eager to read them aloud to my own nonfiction students who oohed and ahhed in recognition . . . Generous-hearted . . . Wise . . . Empowering." -Alysia Abbott, The Boston Globe
"Champions the transformative act of writing by way of personal wounds: secrets, traumas, vulnerabilities, and non-conformities. Just as powerfully, [Febos] reckons with the noxious assumption that we're not worthy of telling our stories, hindering our instincts of exploration and release . . . Febos channels empathy-which she believes every emerging writer should practice and receive-into the emboldening cri de coeur that is Body Work." -Sarah Moroz, Elle
"Piercing . . . Prepare to rave about this book to everyone you've ever met, seriously." -Lucy Morgan, Glamour UK, A Most Anticipated Book
"Contains multitudes . . . In Body Work, Febos offers a compelling rebuttal of the accusation that a memoir is simply a diary in print . . . Body Work asks the fundamental questions with which our literature, and our culture, are currently grappling. Which version of the story is yours, which is mine, which is true? Is there room in our American house for more than one story, or more than one version of the same story?" -Meredith Maran, Oprah Daily
"Body Work is a riveting read full of encouragement and inspiration that will drown out your inner critic and help you see that your story is valid ...
Readers Top Reviews
Christine HammHolly
I've been following Febos' work since Whipsmart, and it keeps getting more thoughtful, more developed and more beautifully written with each book. She not only examines what it means to be a queer female writer, but also what it mean to write with a queer body. There may be other writers that make such profound and empathetic connections between writing, being female and the erotic, but I haven't encountered them yet.
Leah Odze Epstein
Anyone who was struggled with the question, “Why bother writing? Who cares?” Will find this meditation on the importance of processing and sharing our stories life changing. One of the most searingly honest and straightforward writers out there.
Jennifer Koskinen
Melissa Febos give a talk last year while she was writing this book and I couldn't help but fall in love with her raw intelligence and brave perspective in discussing the intrinsic value of writing about the past. Body Work, released this week, is essentially a philosophical manual for memoir writers. “In praise of navel-gazing,” she explains that not only are there readers for every story, but the act of writing itself is a powerful, healthy and often necessary step in healing individual and collective trauma (the history of science she includes around this is particularly interesting). Her book is full of insights on how to think about traumatic or disassociated memories, the notion of “pliable memory,” how to write about sex (and how that can actually help you have more connected sex), how to write about other people, and the ways in which to interpret the idea of regret and confession in writing. I outlined the crap out of my copy and will be keeping this one at my writing desk for both reference and inspiration. Love. Take me to church, baby.
Lilly Dancyger
A must-read for anyone navigating the rough waters of writing about their own life. I wish I'd had this book while writing my memoir, and I'll be recommending it to every writer I know for the rest of time.
Mara L.
Body Work: The Radical Power of Personal Narrative by Melissa Febos is a thoughtfully-written collections of essays about writing our own stories. It is very academic and feminist and makes you consider your own experiences and how dominant society and culture color our perspective unless we actively fight against it. Febos ruminates on the craft of writing and about truth with its subjectivity tied to a person’s perspective. Overall, I found this incredibly fascinating and gave me food for thought, especially the parts where she goes over the possible ethical concerns about writing about other people and reframing our own stories through introspection. I am not a writer, but was an English major in college and lifelong feminist, so I really enjoyed this book. Thank you Catapult + HighBridge Audio for providing this ebook + audiobook ARC.
