(Ebook) Body Work: The Radical Power Of Personal Narrative by Melissa Febos ISBN 9781646220861, 1646220862

(Ebook) Body Work: The Radical Power Of Personal Narrative by Melissa Febos ISBN 9781646220861, 1646220862

"I do not think that the vocation of writer is superior to any other," writes Melissa Febos in her newest essay collection, "but I do believe it is the most useful life for me, the one in which I can most be of service to this questionable project of human civilization."

In this bold & exhilarating mix of memoir & master class, Melissa Febos tackles the emotional, psychological, & physical work of writing intimately while offering an utterly fresh examination of the storyteller’s life & 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 & 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? 

"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

Drawing on her own path from aspiring writer to acclaimed author & writing professor—via addiction & recovery, sex work & academia - Melissa Febos has created a captivating guide to the writing life, & a brilliantly unusual exploration of subjectivity, privacy, & the power of divulgence. Candid & inspiring, Body Work will empower readers & writers alike, offering ideas - & occasional notes of caution - to anyone who has ever hoped to see themselves in a story.