Live Through This: On Creativity and Self-Destruction (second edition)
Ed. Sabrina Chap
Seven Stories Press
December 2012
When people face abuse, depression, incest, madness, and other hardships, they will often exhibit self-destructive tendencies such as cutting, eating disorders, drug abuse, and suicide attempts. Another way to deal with trauma and pain is through art. In this collection of essays, artists such as bell hooks, Cristy Road, Bonfire Madigan, and Eileen Myles reflect on the relationship among their suffering and rage and their creativity. There’s something comforting about knowing that “it gets better,” or it at least gets bearable. Anyone who has struggled with inner demons, stared into the abyss, and has come back, will identify with these women and know they’re not alone.
— Rebecca DeRosa