You can always count on Febos to be vulnerable and raw with readers and this book was no exception. I highly recommend this book to anyone thinking of writing a memoir.

This is my first Melissa Febos book, and I just finished reading it for a second time. The first time was as a Netgalley reviewer, when I listened to the book as an advanced-copy audiobook (ably read by the author and generously provided by High Bridge Audio) but this second time was a much closer reading as I consumed the ebook on Scribd for the Lonely Hearts Book Club, a book club for writers led by Hurley Winkler. I enjoyed the audiobook, but I really got a lot out of this closer reading and highly recommend the book be read rather than (or in addition to) listened to. Here are some lines that were so good I had to write them down:

"There is no pain in my life that has not been given value by the alchemy of creative attention."

Writing is "a primary means of digesting and integrating my experiences."

"Writing is a form of freedom more accessible than many and there are forces at work that would like to withhold it from those whose stories most threaten the regimes that govern this society."

This last quote sums up one of the main points of the book, which is that women are shamed and told they are "navel gazing" when they tell the truth about their lives. But, to quote Febos, "The resistance to memoirs about trauma is ... a reiteration of the classic role of the perpetrator: to deny, discredit and dismiss victims in order to avoid being implicated or losing power."

My main contribution to the book group was to mention how the personal is political, as telling our personal stories makes larger political truths clear. I said women have been doing this since the consciousness raising groups of the 1970s and been shamed for doing it the whole time.

Febos agrees that internalized sexism kept her from "feeling worthy of writing memoir." But that she has come to realize that "telling our own stories and deriving their insights" is not navel-gazing, and that we must "tell stories so that their specificity reveals some larger truth."

Febos also talks about how painful excavating memories for memoir can be but says "the primary work of trauma recovery is to tell the story of the trauma."

Successful memoir, Febos notes, required her to "walk back through my most mystifying choices" and figure out what drove her to make them. Writing of these experiences also requires her to "access feelings, the ones we avoided knowing at the time... the ones for which I had been numb the first time around." But as with all writing, we write to understand, so memoir is an important tool for helping us to understand ourselves.

"Self knowledge, the insights unavailable in the past and acquired in the time since, are what gives memoir its depth."

Febos warns, however, that we needn't have all the answer before we start writing -- simply possessing the "desire to become whole" will help lead us to the "necessary starting point." She also advises that we start writing the book before we consider what our mother will think of it; we can worry about her reaction later.

I highly recommend this book, especially for writers of memoir or even personal essays, but really for everyone who reads. The writing is sharp and insightful and provocative.

In a time where I am considering leaving my nursing career and jumping into the creative yet consuming wedding community as a planner, this book is everything I didn't know I needed. Very inspiring, and amazing story telling in this part memoir, part craft book.

Body Work: The Radical Power of Personal Narrative by Melissa Febos
Narrated by Melissa Febos
Publisher: HighBridge Audio
Genre: Nonfiction (Adult), Self-Help
Published: March 15, 2022

Body Work: The Radical Power of Personal Narrative by Melissa Febos is a collection of essays about the transformative power of writing and telling your story.

This was the first book I've read by the author and this review is for the audiobook. I enjoyed listening to the audiobook. The author/narrator is engaging and tells her story well.

I found this fascinating! While I'm not looking to publish my story or any of my writings, I find the act of writing my story to be therapeutic, especially with things that have been difficult in my life.

I was captivated by this book! The author freely shares about her life and some of the struggles of publishing her own stories as a woman in a "male space". Her feminist perspective was refreshing and I paused several times to really think about some of the ideas she raised. I had never really considered what it's like in the publishing world, especially as a woman.

I definitely recommend checking this one out! You'll definitely have a lot to think about.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Absolutely loved this !! Didn’t know what to expect when I went Into this. I haven’t read any of Febos work prior to this. If you’ve ever felt you didn’t belong this is for you. Healing through creativity (especially writing) is a big theme in this book. I highly recommend and urge everyone to give this a try !

Fantastic set of essays. I really loved the audio narration and was totally absorbed in this collection from the beginning. Will definitely be recommending this title, and working my way through Febos' back catalogue. Thank you!

This short book of essays made me feel like I've really been missing out on Febos' work. All of those books just got added to be my list.

“Writing is a form of freedom more accessible than many and there are forces at work in our society that would like to withhold it from those whose stories most threaten the regimes that govern this society. Fuck them. Write your life. Let this book be a totem of permission, encouragement, proof, whatever you need it to be.”

Despite Febos declaring that her book is not one, BODY WORK is absolutely a manifesto: for anyone who has doubted if their voice has worth, for anyone who has been told that their story doesn’t matter, for anyone whose presence has been consigned to the margins. It’s primarily a craft book, about the work of writing memoir, but with broad resonance for non-writers as well. Febos talks about the practical aspects of writing and publishing - how to write about sex, what to consider when describing real people in your text, the relationship between confession and memoir - in a way that’s intrinsically connected to the personal, emotional, transformative aspect of this kind of labor. It's a book that only someone who has done immense internal work can write, and she gives us the gift of showing both how writing itself facilitates that transformation and how she uses that internal evolution to make her work stronger. I loved what she had to say regarding the healing power, both individual and communal, of writing about trauma. It’s a bit strange to read this without having read her memoirs and essays, but I’m even more determined to get into GIRLHOOD, ABANDON ME, and WHIP SMART - and, despite not being a writer, intrigued about writing some of my own story. Thank you to Catapult for sending this brilliant book my way! Also, the audiobook is performed by the author herself and is beautifully done.

“We are writing the history that we could not find in any other book. We are telling the stories that no one else can tell, and we are giving this proof of our survival to each other.”

Content warnings: sexism, sexual harassment, sexual assault

When I started listening to the audiobook for Melissa Febos’ latest, Body Works, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Her last memoir, Girlhood, had come to me at a time when I needed it most. Not only was I blown away by the bravery of the nakedness of the truth in her writing, I felt a challenge rippling beneath the surface to re-examine my own girlhood. Which is to say, re-examine what parts of myself I was still silencing.


So when I found out Body Work was coming out, I knew I needed to read it. For starters, I loved Febos’ writing voice, the way she tells stories. But I wanted to know what she had to say on the idea of personal narrative, something I struggled with in my own writing. Autobiographical writing, whether it’s fiction or memoir, is usually mocked rather than read. From The Bell Jar to Wild, women’s stories especially are pushed aside. So, when you look at your own story you can’t help but wonder why bother?

In Body Work: The Radical Power of Personal Narrative, Melissa Febos demands that you bother. “It doesn’t matter if your story is your own,” she writes in the opening essay, In Praise of Navel Gazing. “Only that you tell it well.”

What followed was a three-hour discussion about memoir, why it’s important to write it, and a roadmap for what it takes to make good art. Just because something is personal, doesn’t mean it also isn’t worthy of being heard, of being turned into good art.

Body Work is described by its publisher as “a mix of memoir and master class,” and that’s exactly what I found when I listened to the audiobook. Broken into four essays, the book covers Febos’ personal experiencing with writing and what made her switch to memoir, and the pitfalls that come with writing about real people who are still alive. She shares rules about writing she teaches her students and balances it with her own struggles to follow them.

In the second essay, Mind Fuck: Writing Better Sex, Febos tells writers (and readers) to challenge the lens they view the world through. She shares how every day she ends and says: Today I reject the patriarchy’s bad ideas. Whether it’s about how your body should look, what you should keep to yourself, or what you deserve. “We do not have to earn our humanity,” she writes, “by being any kind of human.”

For me, Body Work is easily one of the best (if not the best) book on writing craft I’ve read. It’s inspirational, reassuring, and validates writers struggles with telling their truths. Body Work is one of those books that, if you are ready for it, that shatters the reader and/or writer you were before and empowers you to build yourself back up.

Happy publishing week to Melissa Febos and her latest non-fiction book, "Body Work." This is a memorist's master class on discovery and recovery and healing and writing.

I'm a big fan of Febos, having read (and listened) to "Girlhood" last year. She is the perfect nonfiction writing professor of our time, and I'm here for the education.

"Writing is learning to know yourself again. To find your own agency in the actions that you have committed.
Recovery is learning to know yourself again. To find your own agency in the actions that have been committed."

As a memoirist who teaches memoir, Febos share intimate stories of her past traumas and how she endures the process and the eventual reckoning. Because she's been in recovery for many years (from many things), she seems quite skilled at holding space for others. Gosh, who wouldn't want Febos for a writing coach to help them work through all of their "isms" in their soul and on the page? In this book, she encourages us (women, especially) to go there. Even if it seems like navel gazing. We have to unlearn what we think about memoir, and then get to work.

Special thanks to HighBridge Audio for the advanced audiobook, via the NetGalley app. I highly recommend the audio book, especially because Febos narrates her own personal narrative.

Heard the audiobook. This is a collection of essays that explore writing memoirs and subjects such as feminism in writing, the power of the erotic, writing to deeply understand and heal traumatic events.
After reading Body Work I feel a deeper sense of appreciation for BIPOC women writers of memoirs. I feel more prepared and honored to have the opportunity to read an authors deep unraveling and reweaving of events.

this is a thought-provoking, reflective, and internally kind collection of essays on writing, yes, but also on our relationships to ourselves, who gets to tell our stories, and how to know ourselves better. I am not a writer nor do I plan to be, but I could find points of reflection in and relate to every essay in this collection. This collection felt like going to see my therapist (but it's not a replacement for therapy folks, go if you have the resources!) The collection touched on feminism quite a bit, which made me love it even more, as I thought all of its feminist postulating was insightful and compelling. I walked away from Body Work with new thoughts on art, memoir, navel-gazing, but also a better relationship with myself.

"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 tomorrow, 03/15!

Thank you so much to RB Media and Netgalley for the ALC!

Thank you to NetGalley and HighBridge Audio for the advanced audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

"Every single thing I have created worth a damn has been a practice of love, healing and redemption. I know this process to be divine."

Wow. I wasn’t familiar with Febos’ work, but after reading Body Work I am looking forward to reading her memoir Whip Smart. Her voice is clear, smart, and unapologetic. In Body Work, she drew from her lifetime of experience as a writer, academic, sex worker, recovered addict and queer woman to talk about how our experiences shape us and give us a voice. The book is organized as a collection of essays where she gives clear pieces of practical advice about how to write about ourselves or others with examples from her own work and that of other writers she respects. She attacks those who try and restrict the way artists create (see: her view on “unrules”), and empowers the reader to block external voices and their inner critics in order to tell their stories authentically.

I work in a creative profession and I am a feminist but I am not a writer. I listened to this as an audiobook. The author's narration of her book was great, but the book was somewhat advanced at times and I think I would have been able to process it better if I had read it in print or e-book format. It would likely be more digestible in an audio format for professional writers. But I thoroughly enjoyed it nonetheless, and was moved by it. I listened to the last section multiple times because it was so beautiful and I wasn't ready for it to end. And it even included a lyric from one of my very favorite songs - what a treat.

Body Work: The Radical Power of Personal Narrative takes a compassionate method and gives manageable approaches, and invites you to have kindness and patience with yourself when dealing with life.

I finished listening to this book in one afternoon. A beautifully written book on craft and feminism. While this book could be academic at times, I found it easy and fun to digest, Highly recommend this book for any writers, creatives, or Febos fans.


I received a free copy of this ebook from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All expressed opinions are my own and do not reflect any stance or position held by the author or publisher. This did not affect my rating or review in any way.

Thank you, NetGalley for a copy of "Body Work." The first chapter, for me, was incredibly moving and powerful. The craft and content of this text were remarkable. I started writing down quotes to highlight, but there were so many. I appreciated Febos' messaging of "don't avoid yourself" and "I don't believe in writers' block, only fear." This book is organized around a few key ideas, and is grounded in a deep understanding of not just how published words affect readers but how the writer "changes" through the process of writing. I loved how Febos addressed her reader directly and blended historical elements with lightness; I always appreciate a good semicolon quip. Ultimately, I was really left wanting more. Just personally, I felt like I had so much more I wanted to hear about this from Febos.

This book takes an empathetic approach and gives bite size approaches and allows you to have kindness and patience with yourself when dealing with life. This is so necessary for everyone to read in life. Highly recommend. Especially loved the reflection to true life to humanize my feelings and relate. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Body Work: The Radical Power of Personal Narrative by Melissa Febos is a thoughtfully-written collections of essays about writing our own stories. It is very academic and feminist and makes you consider your own experiences and how dominant society and culture color our perspective unless we actively fight against it. Febos ruminates on the craft of writing and about truth with its subjectivity tied to a person’s perspective. Overall, I found this incredibly fascinating and gave me food for thought, especially the parts where she goes over the possible ethical concerns about writing about other people and reframing our own stories through introspection. I am not a writer, but was an English major in college and lifelong feminist, so I really enjoyed this book.

Thank you Catapult + HighBridge Audio for providing this ebook + audiobook ARC.