The Loneliness Files
by Athena Dixon
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Pub Date Oct 03 2023 | Archive Date Sep 30 2023
Tin House | Tin House Books
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Description
What does it mean to be a body behind a screen, lost in the hustle of an online world? In our age of digital hyper-connection, Athena Dixon invites us to consider this question with depth, heart, and ferocity, investigating the gaps that technology cannot fill and confronting a lifetime of loneliness.
Living alone as a middle-aged woman without children or pets and working forty hours a week from home, more than three hundred fifty miles from her family and friends, Dixon begins watching mystery videos on YouTube, listening to true crime podcasts, and playing video game walk-throughs just to hear another human voice. She discovers the story of Joyce Carol Vincent, a woman who died alone, her body remaining in front of a glowing television set for three years before the world finally noticed. Searching for connection, Dixon plumbs the depths of communal loneliness, asking essential questions of herself and all of us: How have her past decisions left her so alone? Are we, as humans, linked by a shared loneliness? How do we see the world and our place in it? And finally, how do we find our way back to each other?
Searing and searching, The Loneliness Files is a groundbreaking memoir in essays that ultimately brings us together in its piercing, revelatory examination of how and why it is that we break apart.
About the Author:
Born and raised in Northeast Ohio, Athena Dixon is a poet, essayist, and editor. Her work is included in the anthology The BreakBeat Poets Vol.2: Black Girl Magic and her craft work appears in Getting to the Truth: The Craft and Practice of Creative Nonfiction. Athena is an alumna of VONA, Callaloo, and Tin House and has received a prose fellowship from The Martha's Vineyard Institute of Creative Writing and a Second Book Residency from Tin House. She writes, edits, and resides in Philadelphia.
Advance Praise
“I was blown away not only by the writing, but by the adventurous and expansive concept stretched out across these essays. The Loneliness Files has a real opportunity to reshape and redefine what a cohesive, braided, essay collection can be.” -- Hanif Abdurraqib, Tin House Editor-at-Large
"In The Loneliness Files, Athena Dixon dissects the social constructs that both create and pathologize loneliness, ultimately concluding that the remedy might not be its eradication, but a radical re-envisioning of what loneliness can make possible: a deeper understanding of oneself, a deeper appreciation of the connections that keep us tethered to the world, and the absolute wonder of finding unexpected pockets of joy in solitude. Dixon writes with the astute candor of a recluse who has invited you into her most intimate spaces, ones that are rich with the minutia of a contemporary life, and in so doing, she compels you to consider the intricacies of your own." - Destiny O. Birdsong, author of Nobody's Magic
"Athena Dixon is my favorite sort of writer: Startlingly direct, vulnerable, and astonishingly honest. In The Loneliness Files, Dixon invites us to sit on her sofa with her, and with unflinching humility, reveals to us that her fear of dying alone is only eclipsed by her fear of not being remembered. I can assure you that anyone who reads The Loneliness Files will not be able to forget Dixon or her extraordinarily relatable journey." - Laura Cathcart Robbins, author of Stash: My Life In Hiding
Available Editions
| EDITION | Paperback |
| ISBN | 9781959030126 |
| PRICE | $17.95 (USD) |
| PAGES | 192 |
Available on NetGalley
Featured Reviews
Librarian 705637
As I was reading this book, all I could think about was how soon I could get a print copy so I could read it again, making notes and underlining Dixon's thoughtful, lyrical text. (And then read it again, more slowly.) This book resonated so strongly with me, as someone who is unmarried, childless, and living alone. Dixon thinks about technology, fandom, pop culture, women's roles, death and grief, legacy, interrupted/ended friendships, and so much more. I hope lots of readers will find this profound and moving book.
Melissa G, Reviewer
I stumbled onto this author via social media and have been following her work for a few years. This latest book attracted me because of its focus on the digital world and how it impacts our sense of connection to each other (or lack thereof). The book opens with the author looking at other women’s stories of loneliness that have appeared in the news. She looks as if into a mirror, trying to assess whether or not she sees herself in these women. From there, the author moves on to giving us a peek at her dating and professional life under the influence of social media, online dating, and the forced isolation brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. I especially love her reflections on social media—its known downsides and her sometimes hesitant, other times enthusiastic participation. Her analysis of The Truman Show and the insights it offers into the way marketing works in today’s world made me want to watch the movie again. I also admire how she anchors herself and her narrative in her real-life community of family, which she remains connected to in spite of the distance and relentless passing of time. Thank you to NetGalley and Tin House for the opportunity to read in exchange for an honest review.
Reviewer 976142
At approximately 30% of the way through my digital ARC, I pre-ordered a physical copy of The Loneliness Files. I've never read something that made me feel so seen, and I knew that I need to have these essays on hand forever to remind myself that someone gets it. Thank you, Ms. Dixon. Thank you so much.
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