A few interviews acknowledge that this is a non-linear text, or that the chapters are numerous and occassionally very short. What is often less discussed is the form of the book, which is exquisite in itself.
Much has been asked and written about the content of the memoir, the specific events and experiences that shaped Gay’s body and vice versa. I try to remember that, because I feel deeply that fans demand too much of our heroines, blurring a line between empathetic appreciation and a demanding usurpation of their life’s experiences. Breathtaking in the most literal sense, and true not in the sense that something is also my experience, but true in the sense that the prose is alive and unfolds around me in a way that is utterly consuming and compelling. I find Gay’s writing breathtaking and deeply true, and I won’t explain or qualify either of these in this post, except to say that I do not know any other words to describe my favorite pieces of writing. There is no writer who creates prose so exacting or beautiful, whether she writes about Scrabble or Sandra Bland, whether it is fiction or nonfiction. I start with this declaration just to let you know this is not a review or a critique, but an appreciation of a my favorite writer on a subject that is deeply personal.
