By Jess McCabe | 21 April 2009, 12:31

Live Through This is a collection of essays and stories which explore the link between creativity and self destruction, between being a survivor and creating art.

It’s a fantastic, but incredibly difficult book to read, because of the subject matter - I had to read it over the course of a few months, actually.

Some of the contributors:

Nan Goldin, bell hooks, Patricia Smith, Cristy C. Road, Carol Queen, Annie Sprinkle, Elizabeth Stephens, Carolyn Gage, Eileen Myles, Fly, Diane DiMassa, Bonfire Madigan Shive, Inga Muscio, Kate Bornstein, Toni Blackman, Nicole Blackman, Silas Howard, Daphne Gottleib, and Stephanie Howell.

Anyway, ladyfest edinburgh is organising two events, including a lecture and discussion with the editor of the book, Sabrina Chapadjiev.

Live Through This is a fearless exploration of women’s silent rage, the power that can come from internal struggle, and the possibility of transforming this burning force into fierce and enlightened work.

ladyfest edinburgh presents

‘Live Through This’

Lecture & Discussion by editor Sabrina Chapadjiev

Tuesday 12th May @ St Paul’s Hall, Jeffrey St, Edinburgh, 7pm

Performance with Sabrina Chap, Jo Foster & MacGillivray

Saturday 16th May @ The Bowery, Roxburgh Pl, Edinburgh, 7.30pm

About the book - In a collection of original stories, essays, artwork, and photography, Nan Goldin, Eileen Myles, bell hooks, and other cutting-edge artists explore their use of art to survive madness, abuse, incest, depression. Together they show that creative women are not destined to the fate of lost visionaries such as Woolf, Sexton, Arbus, and Plath. The book confronts the brutality many women and girls encounter in the world around them, and bravely takes as its subject the often misunderstood violence they at times inflict upon themselves.

About the tour - While putting “Live Through This” together, I found myself constantly attempting to understand what makes a person take their silent rage out on themselves, rather than understand it. Themes of shame, control, power and isolation came up continually- and soon I realized that each artists’ story shone some light on why some of the most intelligent and powerful people I knew were destroying themselves.

About the Performance - Sabrina, songwriter and playwright brings us a folk and blues infused performance supported by Fence Collective favourite Jo Foster with her melody strong songs, and McGillivray (aka Kirsten Norrie) a favourite of the Ladyfest group themselves, she’s been away in Oxford recording her first album ‘Wolves’, 17 electifying, haunting songs based on the tradition of lining out and mouth music.

“I’ve seen the kind of show Sabrina can put on. It’s good, strong work. Her talk is articulate, accessible, compassionate and street level smart. She has woven together a mind boggling presentation…she carries an important message.” Kate Bornstein