Body Work

In this bold and exhilarating mix of memoir and writing guide, Melissa Febos tackles the emotional, psychological, and physical work of writing intimately while offering an utterly fresh examination of the storytellers life and the challenges it presents. How do we write about the relationships that have formed us How do we describe our bodies, their desires and traumas What does it mean to have your writing, or living, dismissed as navel-gazingor else hailed as so brave, so raw And to whom, in the end, do our most intimate stories belong Drawing on her journey from aspiring writer to acclaimed author and writing professorvia addiction and recovery, sex work and academiaMelissa 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 ideasand occasional notes of cautionto anyone who has ever hoped to see their true self reflecting back from the open page.