Visceral art criticism memoir
—
I’ve just read three of these Repeater longform essays and this was the one that instantly spoke to me. Given that I’m not a woman musician/art historian with a penchant for bad boys, it seems a bit of a stretch, but I think what I’m really referring to is the introspective nature of this book, that connects the working practice of women artists to their self-care, their bodies and their health.

It seems a collision of writing modes, art criticism and visceral memoir, but it’s all connected by the body: the bodies of the artists, whether healthy or ill, and how they depict bodies, bodily fluids, the visual cues of the healthy body and the unwell one; and the body of the writer herself and that of her addict partner as they both unravel under their respective demons. The artists reject the meanings that others place on to their bodies, reclaiming the sole authorities of their lived experiences; and so it is for the writer as she navigates a precarious relationship that derails her for a year (this is what I empathised with most as I too had a year of bad choices) until she begins to reclaim her own autonomy, her body and her practice.

A wonderful, challenging book: four and a half stars

Body High is a fierce, poetic dive into desire, heartbreak, and the emotional chaos of living in a body. Ryann Donnelly blends memoir with cultural critique in a voice that's raw, intimate, and often electrifying. At times the structure feels a bit fragmented, but it suits the book’s pulsing, confessional energy. A powerful, punk-infused exploration of identity and obsession—definitely worth the ride.

on Storygraph - https://app.thestorygraph.com/book_reviews/82f28c50-c251-465e-9a68-29f8abac0f22
on Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7479860323