“A lasting, conscientious change in the self is similar to one in society: it requires consistent tending. It is sometimes painful and often tedious. We must choose it over and over.” This is one of the many resonant passages readers will come across from writer Melissa Febos in her latest book, Girlhood.
In this stunning essay collection, Melissa deftly examines (and interrogates) the stories we're told as girls, how these narratives inform who we become as adults, and the ways we can transcend them to be in service of the self. Alongside Melissa's writing, each piece features a stunning illustration by Forsyth Harmon, who is also the author and artist of the novel Justine (a devastating story that also tackles the complexities of girlhood). At the beginning of each essay, Forsyth lends her signature illustration style—simple, sharp, and effortless line drawings—to create a portal inside. While these visuals are black and white on the page, Girlhood as a whole reminds us to traverse the grey area that often makes up adolescence; that liminal space between who we're told to be and ultimately owning who we really are.
Together, Melissa and Forsyth's work renders a nuanced portrait of how our girlhoods shape us, challenge us, and stay with us. In this interview, Melissa and Forsyth shared more about how these themes informed their books, what led them to collaborate on Girlhood, and the role of pace in their creative lives.
Meredith Westgate — ”Being a writer can often be empathy overload.”
Larissa Pham — ”I think everyone woke up to just how impossible it is to survive.”
Jen Spyra — ”How much doubt attends every stage of your writing?”
Jen Batchelor — ”I take it very seriously when a word gets hijacked out of our vocabulary.”
Suzanne Koven — ”Literature opens the conversation.”
Courtney Marie Andrews — ”Poetry is asking you to get beneath the surface.”
Lesley Thornton — ”My self-care is preparation for community care.”
Dina Nur Satti — ”Art is really asking people to listen to the process.”
Jessica Manning — ”Your vision for your future changes.”
Zak Williams — ”You need to be engaged with your environment and the people around you.”
Deja Foxx — ”We should be making statements about who we are.”
Becky Cooper — ”What is the story that I should be the one to write?”
Nicole Caputo — ”I really see design as a lifestyle.”
Elizabeth Walton Egan — ”Where speed can hurt is when you are out of control.”
Mélanie Masarin — ”You never remember the time you spent on the internet.”
Lindsay Adams — ”Slow storytelling means giving yourself the grace and the space to evolve.”
Orion Carloto — ”Slowing down is the most beautiful thing you can do for yourself.”
Makenna Goodman — ”I do think that we want to escape, but I don’t think we want to flee.”
Taylor Sterling — ”I want to be more empathetic to how I can help versus how people can help me.”
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