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sausome's review against another edition
5.0
POWERFUL. INSIGHTFUL. AMAZING. AWESOME.
This book is an excellent collection by women who create -- be it fiction, non-fiction, poetry, spoken word, photography, performance art, graphic novels, etc. These essays, poems, photo collections, performance pieces, etc. address the pervasive issue of women+self-destruction+creativity, whether or not they've lived through something awful or relate to something women experience in their lives. Every selection provided something profound, to me, and every author sparked my interest in their other works.
What can I say, I collect quotes like a lepidopterist collects butterflies, so here you go:
p.10 - Preface - "It seemed to me that the friends and artists I felt this magnetic resonance with all had this sort of fire inside. Like Icarus, we had this strange fascination with how far into the light one could go and still come back. But we rarely spoke of these things, because we didn't need to. We had done it. We had lost control of our lives at some point, and visible or not, it had left a mark."
p.31 - Lady Lazarus: Uncoupleting Suicide and Poetry - "I felt it [depression:] like a dark wave, its shadow looming from miles above. Sooner or later, the crest would curl like a fist, crushing me below."
p.33 - "A notebook is an amazing confessional, a breeding ground, a nonjudgmental wailing wall, a home to build with your brain for every gorgeous, glimmering thing that can slip into words. It can hold some of the ugly that spills out when it's all too much."
This book is an excellent collection by women who create -- be it fiction, non-fiction, poetry, spoken word, photography, performance art, graphic novels, etc. These essays, poems, photo collections, performance pieces, etc. address the pervasive issue of women+self-destruction+creativity, whether or not they've lived through something awful or relate to something women experience in their lives. Every selection provided something profound, to me, and every author sparked my interest in their other works.
What can I say, I collect quotes like a lepidopterist collects butterflies, so here you go:
p.10 - Preface - "It seemed to me that the friends and artists I felt this magnetic resonance with all had this sort of fire inside. Like Icarus, we had this strange fascination with how far into the light one could go and still come back. But we rarely spoke of these things, because we didn't need to. We had done it. We had lost control of our lives at some point, and visible or not, it had left a mark."
p.31 - Lady Lazarus: Uncoupleting Suicide and Poetry - "I felt it [depression:] like a dark wave, its shadow looming from miles above. Sooner or later, the crest would curl like a fist, crushing me below."
p.33 - "A notebook is an amazing confessional, a breeding ground, a nonjudgmental wailing wall, a home to build with your brain for every gorgeous, glimmering thing that can slip into words. It can hold some of the ugly that spills out when it's all too much."
rosarachel's review against another edition
4.0
A wide spectrum of topics addressed in a variety of media, with varying clarity and quality. My favorite pieces are the ones by Silas Howard and Eileen Myles. It tries to strike a balance between gritty and hopeful, acknowledging the reality of pain without minimizing, moralizing, or martyring, and to talk about healing without getting all cliche and glossing over how hard it can be. It sort of works, some of the time. It's a valiant effort anyway, and certainly worth a look, though it probably won't change your life.
lilnoto's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
4.0
“It got to the point where it became logical: if a woman was fiercely intelligent, outspoken and passionate, I’d look towards her arms for the scars. They were almost always there.”
rustbeltjessie's review against another edition
3.0
I was really underwhelmed by this book. I've been wanting to read it since it first came out, but it wasn't what I thought/hoped it would be. I wanted it to be more about the actual relationship between art and self-destruction: like, why do so many artistic people also have a tendency to be self-destructive? I also wanted it to be more about the actual use of art in overcoming self-destructive behaviors. A lot of the essays barely even seemed to be about self-destruction at all, and even of those that were, most of them just weren't that good. The best pieces were the ones by Daphne Gottlieb, Cristy C. Road, Fly, Bonfire Madigan Shive, bell hooks, and Kate Bornstein. The rest, I could take or leave.
dreamofbookspines's review against another edition
4.0
I'm really enjoying the great variety of perspectives and styles that are included in this. Yes, some of it is heart-wrenching to read, because I can relate or because it's just tough stuff that hits my heart. It's not necessarily as inspiring, as say, Tiny Beautiful Things, but I think it's also a slightly different genre: Live Through This is more about musing on why creativity and self-destruction go together so often, particularly for women. On the other hand, Tiny Beautiful Things was more about inspiration and hope even when tough stuff happens. I do think the books are related though, just not identical.
I had major issues with the chapter by Bonfire Madigan Shive; the idea of medication avoidance is a dangerous one (saying this as someone who is diagnosed with anxiety disorder and ED-NOS). Other than that chapter, I think this book is highly valuable resource for women who write and struggle with mental illness or similar issues.
I had major issues with the chapter by Bonfire Madigan Shive; the idea of medication avoidance is a dangerous one (saying this as someone who is diagnosed with anxiety disorder and ED-NOS). Other than that chapter, I think this book is highly valuable resource for women who write and struggle with mental illness or similar issues.
meganmilks's review against another edition
5.0
i've owned this book for a long time but resisted reading it; was reluctant to enter this kind of emotional space. then eileen myles read her essay that's in here (which is worth the cost, really) when she read in chicago, but i still couldn't bring myself to touch it. then i met the editor (whose stage name is sabrina chap) when we both performed at sappho's salon, at a time when i was finally allowing myself to enter this space again with my own writing, so i took the book off the shelf, and wham. it hits hard and good.
these essays get away from stereotypical ideas about creativity, artistry, self-destructive behavior, the Mad Artist, etc. the writers collected here rarely tango with therapy-speak and many view their past behaviors as important and necessary to who they are now, never disavowing or regretting or shaming their former (or present) selves. as sabrina writes in her intro: "We have been taught that self-destruction is an awful thing. "It is bad," we've been told by therapists, psychologists, and those who do not understand its seduction. I would like to edit that. Instead of "it is bad," I would like for it to read, "It is." It is what we do naturally. We smoke too much, we drink too much, we drive sobbing in the rain. Our hearts break and we do not eat. At times we drink to forget, and at times, we forget for years."
the subtitle doesn't announce it, but this is a collection largely addressing female/feminine creativity and self-destruction (there are trans voices included). its emphasis is on creativity, on the ways in which these artists have channeled their self-destructive tendencies into art. not oh, madness is required for art; not even that they are intrinsically connected; but hey, look - see how power can be directed away from self-abuse and towards something that can last. what is so powerful about this collection is reading these pieces often about the worst of times, often about tough shit or about how these people dealt with their tough shit, are still dealing with it, and then you read their bios, all of their amazing accomplishments, and you feel so proud.
these essays get away from stereotypical ideas about creativity, artistry, self-destructive behavior, the Mad Artist, etc. the writers collected here rarely tango with therapy-speak and many view their past behaviors as important and necessary to who they are now, never disavowing or regretting or shaming their former (or present) selves. as sabrina writes in her intro: "We have been taught that self-destruction is an awful thing. "It is bad," we've been told by therapists, psychologists, and those who do not understand its seduction. I would like to edit that. Instead of "it is bad," I would like for it to read, "It is." It is what we do naturally. We smoke too much, we drink too much, we drive sobbing in the rain. Our hearts break and we do not eat. At times we drink to forget, and at times, we forget for years."
the subtitle doesn't announce it, but this is a collection largely addressing female/feminine creativity and self-destruction (there are trans voices included). its emphasis is on creativity, on the ways in which these artists have channeled their self-destructive tendencies into art. not oh, madness is required for art; not even that they are intrinsically connected; but hey, look - see how power can be directed away from self-abuse and towards something that can last. what is so powerful about this collection is reading these pieces often about the worst of times, often about tough shit or about how these people dealt with their tough shit, are still dealing with it, and then you read their bios, all of their amazing accomplishments, and you feel so proud.
neurodivengeance's review
4.0
I feel like I've been waiting my whole life for this book in some ways. It was HARD - facing your demons is hard - but there were also bits that were so loving and validating. Not all of this resonated with me but I am so glad a collection of (mainly) women's experiences with creativity and self-destruction exists. I'm now keeping an art journal because of one of the entries and that's been helping. This book made me face the dark spaces I inhabit but it also told me I'm not alone. One of my favourite bits was something Sabrina said in the preface - that women who self-harm do so because they have this massive power that they don't know what to do with yet. That helps me a lot, seeing it like that. I am very sad this book has to exist but, since it does, I'm glad it exists. I still feel a lot of the time that I can't possibly survive the shit I've lived through, that I will always be broken and in pain, but stuff like this helps me to understand that stages of recovery featuring more of a sense of peace/purpose are possible. Pity Amanda Palmer's wordvomit is in it but you can't have everything. Mainly, THANKS FOR EXISTING, BOOK.
tishmisc's review against another edition
5.0
The collection of writers Sabrina has pulled together is impressive, and their honesty about really hard shit in their lives is inspiring. Read it and pass it on to your friends.
sophiguana's review against another edition
1.0
there are people out there who want so badly to have suffered; they want to try on the trauma and pain of others for fun, like its a costume. they cheapen peoples' lived experiences to feel more interesting. this book is full of these kinds of people and their bad writing that encourages victimhood and lacks emotional depth. people who can twist an experience into something it isn't.
many essays are exploitative, preachy, and alarmingly full of binary thinking. they lack depth and self-awareness. many were also poorly written, and it was like reading somebody's anal banal diary. no juice. no connection.
sometimes i felt a piece was just okay. despite the writing style, despite the voice, i appreciated their story because they didn't pretend to have pain to sound deep (inga, toni, dianne).
when I somehow found myself all the way at bell hooks' chapter I almost shit myself. what are you doing in here, bell hooks, and why didnt the author put your brilliant ass first?? her essay was like breathing fresh air again after being buried in a pile of garbage. she was the only one willing to talk about how trauma is with you every single day, about the myths of recovery and healing.
other exceptions, which i feel they must be named because i dont like them roped in with the exploitative mess of the other stories, were Cristy Roads, Patricia Smith, and Nan Goldin (yes it was all photos so what).
i thought i was gonna be reading emotional experiences i could connect to. but this was like almost an advice column, but with a short, non-complex statement about the author's childhood. i got really mad at some of the authors. especially nicole. i dont know who this book is for
many essays are exploitative, preachy, and alarmingly full of binary thinking. they lack depth and self-awareness. many were also poorly written, and it was like reading somebody's anal banal diary. no juice. no connection.
sometimes i felt a piece was just okay. despite the writing style, despite the voice, i appreciated their story because they didn't pretend to have pain to sound deep (inga, toni, dianne).
when I somehow found myself all the way at bell hooks' chapter I almost shit myself. what are you doing in here, bell hooks, and why didnt the author put your brilliant ass first?? her essay was like breathing fresh air again after being buried in a pile of garbage. she was the only one willing to talk about how trauma is with you every single day, about the myths of recovery and healing.
other exceptions, which i feel they must be named because i dont like them roped in with the exploitative mess of the other stories, were Cristy Roads, Patricia Smith, and Nan Goldin (yes it was all photos so what).
i thought i was gonna be reading emotional experiences i could connect to. but this was like almost an advice column, but with a short, non-complex statement about the author's childhood. i got really mad at some of the authors. especially nicole. i dont know who this book is for
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