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richelleski's review
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Abandonment, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Addiction, and Misogyny
sophiaschoice's review
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Sexual assault and Drug use
chris_topher's review
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Drug use, Sexual assault, and Violence
savvylit's review
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
I don't know about you, but I find forthright, intimate discussions about the craft of writing to be fascinating. Body Work is just that -- a beautifully written book about the writing process. Technically this was written for writers but it would be just as interesting to anyone who loves to read. (Especially if you're a fan of memoirs).
In Body Work, Febos celebrates the immense power of personal narratives. She explores the ways in which memoir can be healing for the author: the ability to freely express trauma can help to alleviate some of the burden of said trauma. She also delves into the ways that personal narratives can help to heal readers. To read a personal narrative and see your own experience reflected back at you is to feel a lot less alone in the world.
Beyond those healing aspects of memoir, Febos also recounts quite a lot of her writing process for her three prior books. One section focuses on the ways that she included real people in her work and how they reacted. Another section is ostensibly about writing good sex scenes but is also about writers honing their ability to express moments the way happen in reality.
All in all, this is an engaging read and a delightful insight into the mind of a very talented author. Highly recommend!
In Body Work, Febos celebrates the immense power of personal narratives. She explores the ways in which memoir can be healing for the author: the ability to freely express trauma can help to alleviate some of the burden of said trauma. She also delves into the ways that personal narratives can help to heal readers. To read a personal narrative and see your own experience reflected back at you is to feel a lot less alone in the world.
Beyond those healing aspects of memoir, Febos also recounts quite a lot of her writing process for her three prior books. One section focuses on the ways that she included real people in her work and how they reacted. Another section is ostensibly about writing good sex scenes but is also about writers honing their ability to express moments the way happen in reality.
All in all, this is an engaging read and a delightful insight into the mind of a very talented author. Highly recommend!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Drug use
melissagrace's review
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Drug abuse and Sexual assault
lowbrowhighart's review
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault and Sexual violence
Moderate: Sexism, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Sexual harassment, Homophobia, Colonisation, Sexual content, Addiction, and Drug use
klbrida's review
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault
sammies_shelf's review against another edition
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
"Since when did telling our own stories and deriving their insights become so reviled?"
So, I have to be honest. I have not yet read any of Melissa Febos' memoirs, but she lives in my brain as a master memoirist. Because of this, I was thrilled to have the opportunity to listen to an advanced copy of her book in which she talks about writing itself. In BODY WORK, Febos discusses the difficulties and the power of owning and sharing personal narratives. She discusses writing about real people, working through trauma, and healimg through storytelling. It is such a remarkable experience to listen to a writer narrate their own book, and this was no exception. Listening to this book feels like a master class. While I am not a writer, this book gave me the opportunity to assess my use of personal source in my work as an actor as well as the kind of work I want to create and the parts of me that fuel those passions.
If you love memoirs, you will love this look into a memoirist's process! Now, I'm going to go read all of Melissa Febos' books.
BODY WORK is out now!
Thank you so much to Highbridge Audio/RB Media and Netgalley for the ALC!
"I have revised the story of my victimhood and my culpability. I have completed what was interrupted, what stuttered like a skipping record for decades. I have brought to it my questions like some oracle, made myself a supplicant to the past, asked her what I could not when I was her, and told her what she could not tell herself. Through this process, I have become able to love her."
So, I have to be honest. I have not yet read any of Melissa Febos' memoirs, but she lives in my brain as a master memoirist. Because of this, I was thrilled to have the opportunity to listen to an advanced copy of her book in which she talks about writing itself. In BODY WORK, Febos discusses the difficulties and the power of owning and sharing personal narratives. She discusses writing about real people, working through trauma, and healimg through storytelling. It is such a remarkable experience to listen to a writer narrate their own book, and this was no exception. Listening to this book feels like a master class. While I am not a writer, this book gave me the opportunity to assess my use of personal source in my work as an actor as well as the kind of work I want to create and the parts of me that fuel those passions.
If you love memoirs, you will love this look into a memoirist's process! Now, I'm going to go read all of Melissa Febos' books.
BODY WORK is out now!
Thank you so much to Highbridge Audio/RB Media and Netgalley for the ALC!
"I have revised the story of my victimhood and my culpability. I have completed what was interrupted, what stuttered like a skipping record for decades. I have brought to it my questions like some oracle, made myself a supplicant to the past, asked her what I could not when I was her, and told her what she could not tell herself. Through this process, I have become able to love her."
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse and Sexual assault
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