gabrielle_erin 's review for:

Writing into the Wound: Understanding trauma, truth, and language by Roxane Gay

4.0

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This was such an important an affirming read for me. The discussion of how, as an author, one goes about unpacking and communicating their trauma through writing was so relevant to me as a debut author. Gay discusses the importance of not using literature as a roadmap for trauma or thinking that explaining your trauma is merely enough of a reason to write for an audience. The relationship she defines between author and audience is so clear and respectful of the journey that each take to arrive at the work and I really appreciated this outlook. I wish it was a bit longer because I think there was more to explore - it also ended rather abruptly - but one of my most valuable reads this year. I'll be thinking about this one for a while.