First published 2022
Jami Attenberg examines the moments that shaped her artistic identity in this memoir of creative discovery. The New York Times bestselling author traces her path from daughter of a traveling salesman to established novelist, revealing how wanderlust drove her across America and around the world. Attenberg describes funding her own book tours, sleeping on couches when money ran low, and writing constantly through magazine articles and novel drafts. She explores her Midwest upbringing, early trauma, and the risks she took while learning to trust her instincts. The memoir addresses questions of mortality and legacy while chronicling her evolution as an artist. Attenberg examines what it means to commit to art, claim ownership of ideas, and navigate the world as an independent woman. Through stories of friendship, class struggles, and creative drive, she shows how travel and writing helped her find home in multiple senses. The book offers readers an honest look at the creative process and the determination required to follow an artistic calling.
Genres: autobiography, biography-memoir, 21st-century
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: coming-of-age, independent-woman, self-discovery
Setting: America, Midwest, New York
Period: 21st-century
253 pages · Kindle Edition · Ecco