Theater Has An Incredible Capacity

When I Wrote 'the Good Body,' I Turned 40 And Suddenly Had This Stomach. It Seemed Like The End Of The World. Because I Didn't Value My Body. I Was Constantly Judging It, But I Also Didn't Live In It.

I Think That It Was Really Rock-and-roll Stars, Women Who Were Breaking Boundaries With Their Bodies And Their Voices And Their Beings And Their Music. I Spent A Lot Of Time At Concerts,just Watching Women Rock Out. They Expressed So Much Of What I Believed Could Be Possible.

But My Body Was Telling Its Story. I Have Read A Lot Of Stuff About Cancer. I Needed This Book. I Wish I'd Had This Book When I Had Cancer. I Wanted Someone To Be Talking To Me About "fart Floors." I Wanted Somebody Telling Me What It Was Like To Have A Colostomy Bag. I Felt So Alone. And If You're A Person Who's Been Traumatized By Past Abuse, It's So Potentially Re-traumatizing. You Slip Right Into "oh My God, This Is The Only Person This Has Happened To Before" Mentality: "i'm Especially Bad And I Have Especially Bad Cancer..."

Give Voice To What You Know To Be True, And Do Not Be Afraid Of Being Disliked Or Exiled. I Think That's The Hard Work Of Standing Up For What You See.

I Think The Human Species Is Very Suicidal.