I just finished Silverman’s Love Sick: One Woman’s Journey through Sexual Addiction. I wanted to jump into revisions as soon as I got home, but after starting to read Sue’s book on the plane I decided that I needed to finish it before approaching my own writing. Although her memoir is based on some different themes than what I am writing, there are similarities in her plot points, such as cannibalism, placing one’s self in danger for survival, and learning to use words as tools of healings. The way that Silverman weaves through various time frames is something that I need to work on. After reading her book, I recognize that my transitions are a bit jarring. Also, Silverman explains through the voice of experience, whereas I just cut from one thing to another without much reflection. I liked how she only used her first name once in the book. I have trouble using my first name, but reading her book has shown me that I really don’t have to unless it is germane to the story, such as hers is when she uses it to document her signature on a form. Additionally, I liked how Sue used her “unit” as a place of grounding for the plot and the setting. Reading Silverman’s book truly helped me to understand what the workshop was saying about leaving tears off the page and infusing more reflection. Now let’s see if I can put this all to use.
~C