The real focus of her book, however, is what she calls “practical” writing advice. The first chapter of the book follows her trip from a difficult breakup in Nebraska, to getting a PhD in rhetoric and technical communication despite knowing “absolutely nothing about that field” in Michigan, to the moment she decided to “unapologetically” take herself seriously as a writer. “Who I am today as a writer began with a broken heart,” she said. Roxane Gay next read a passage from her upcoming book, How to be Heard. The distinction between me and my trolls is that I know I am no different than them,” Gay wrote in the essay. Ultimately, it’s not about being perfect, the author said. Some of Gay’s disappointment in herself, she said, comes from examining her own behavior as a public figure on the internet, where the line between being toxic and reasonably defensive can be difficult to navigate. RELATED: Fatima Farheen Mirza reads from unfinished second novel at UI Literary Legends event “Who actually has healthy habits?” she responded to an audience question later in the night, laughing.
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