Run Towards the Danger: Confrontations with a Body of Memory
- Downloads：3403
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2022-03-02 18:22:56
- Update Date：2025-09-07
- Status：finish
- Author：Sarah Polley
- ISBN：0593300351
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
- Download
Summary
*Named a Most-Anticipated Book of 2022 by Entertainment Weekly， Lit Hub， and AV Club*
Oscar-nominated screenwriter， director， and actor Sarah Polley's Run Towards the Danger explores memory and the dialogue between her past and her present
These are the most dangerous stories of my life。 The ones I have avoided， the ones I haven't told， the ones that have kept me awake on countless nights。 As these stories found echoes in my adult life， and then went another， better way than they did in childhood， they became lighter and easier to carry。
Sarah Polley's work as an actor， screenwriter， and director is celebrated for its honesty， complexity， and deep humanity。 She brings all those qualities， along with her exquisite storytelling chops， to these six essays。 Each one captures a piece of Polley's life as she remembers it， while at the same time examining the fallibility of memory， the mutability of reality in the mind， and the possibility of experiencing the past anew， as the person she is now but was not then。 As Polley writes， the past and present are in a "reciprocal pressure dance。"
Polley contemplates stories from her own life ranging from stage fright to high-risk childbirth to endangerment and more。 After struggling with the aftermath of a concussion， Polley met a specialist who gave her wholly new advice: to recover from a traumatic injury， she had to retrain her mind to strength by charging towards the very activities that triggered her symptoms。 With riveting clarity， she shows the power of applying that same advice to other areas of her life in order to find a path forward， a way through。 Rather than live in a protective crouch， she had to run towards the danger。
In this extraordinary book， Polley explores what it is to live in one's body， in a constant state of becoming， learning， and changing。
Oscar-nominated screenwriter， director， and actor Sarah Polley's Run Towards the Danger explores memory and the dialogue between her past and her present
These are the most dangerous stories of my life。 The ones I have avoided， the ones I haven't told， the ones that have kept me awake on countless nights。 As these stories found echoes in my adult life， and then went another， better way than they did in childhood， they became lighter and easier to carry。
Sarah Polley's work as an actor， screenwriter， and director is celebrated for its honesty， complexity， and deep humanity。 She brings all those qualities， along with her exquisite storytelling chops， to these six essays。 Each one captures a piece of Polley's life as she remembers it， while at the same time examining the fallibility of memory， the mutability of reality in the mind， and the possibility of experiencing the past anew， as the person she is now but was not then。 As Polley writes， the past and present are in a "reciprocal pressure dance。"
Polley contemplates stories from her own life ranging from stage fright to high-risk childbirth to endangerment and more。 After struggling with the aftermath of a concussion， Polley met a specialist who gave her wholly new advice: to recover from a traumatic injury， she had to retrain her mind to strength by charging towards the very activities that triggered her symptoms。 With riveting clarity， she shows the power of applying that same advice to other areas of her life in order to find a path forward， a way through。 Rather than live in a protective crouch， she had to run towards the danger。
In this extraordinary book， Polley explores what it is to live in one's body， in a constant state of becoming， learning， and changing。
Reviews
Elisabeth Donnelly
，
incredible， honest， made me cry， changes your view of Stories We Tell， review TK elsewhere
Meghan ReadsBooks
，
I am extremely grateful to Sarah Polley for opening up herself in these essays for readers to experience and am thankful to Penguin， Random House， and NetGalley for this book。 As I read this book late last night I found myself some what humbled as reviewer to read such a moving set of essays。This collection of essays the comprise Run Towards the Danger aren't meant to serve as a memoir per se as much as they are truly about a confrontation with a body （physical and mentally） reconciling past exp I am extremely grateful to Sarah Polley for opening up herself in these essays for readers to experience and am thankful to Penguin， Random House， and NetGalley for this book。 As I read this book late last night I found myself some what humbled as reviewer to read such a moving set of essays。This collection of essays the comprise Run Towards the Danger aren't meant to serve as a memoir per se as much as they are truly about a confrontation with a body （physical and mentally） reconciling past experiences， buried memories， and trying to， in my opinion， understand the self if not better than differently via examination of how past experiences did matter， did happen， and should be acknowledged。 So much of this memoir rang true for me in terms of seeing the recent past as a time in which I encountered great change in my life that forced me to finally examine my past， my childhood and adult life and relationships， and using words and reflection to process and understand that who I am and how I became this messy work in progress。 There is tremendous elegance in how Ms。 Polley structured her essays， such as the integration of quotes from Alice in Wonderland （and books in that series）， interactions with mentors and stage acting， in her examination of her relationship with her father and her experience with intense stage fright。 Her blending of a bit of research and bigger background into thoughts on the legal system and sexual assault， her very personal examination of the intersection of treatment of infertility and hope with the fears of pregnancy risk and the lack of compassionate connection in some medical settings （very relatable）， how becoming a mother brings back memories of the past and navigating parenting in the present means confronting， and accepting， echoes of the past。This is the memoir that I have in a way always wanted to read not because I can connect with the lived experiences shared， I can't， but because of the way Ms。 Polley expresses herself， her thoughts， and is using writing and reflection in such a openly therapeutic， vulnerable， and expressive manner。 I felt that I grew through her reflection and so much value the idea that I too should， maybe have been， running towards danger。I hope many self reflective souls will find value and celebration and awe in this memoir too。 。。。more
Kara
，
Run towards the danger has been a line that I have been using with myself and others， since I read this vulnerable memoir by Sarah Polley， writer， director， producer and political activist。 Instead of avoiding discomfort， pain and possible consequence， Sarah shares beautifully the misfortunes that her and her body have endured due at times， at the hands of others。 This memoir comprised of essays of Sarah Polley reflecting on her life， and these events dipping in and out of current and past exp Run towards the danger has been a line that I have been using with myself and others， since I read this vulnerable memoir by Sarah Polley， writer， director， producer and political activist。 Instead of avoiding discomfort， pain and possible consequence， Sarah shares beautifully the misfortunes that her and her body have endured due at times， at the hands of others。 This memoir comprised of essays of Sarah Polley reflecting on her life， and these events dipping in and out of current and past experiences。 She spends much time in her childhood， a child actor， who had her needs dismissed， minimized and overlooked by those that were to protect her。 She makes her way through her childhood in constant anxiety working in this world， losing her mother at a young age， and battling pain and surgery due to scoliosis。As an adult， she battles conflict of coming forward in a sexual assault case， where she was a victim at a young age， abuse that she has kept hidden even from herself for some time。 She shares how her body battled endometriosis， placenta previa and an emergency c-section with one of her daughters as she goes through her reproductive years and at last， she opens up to us about a debilitating concussion that took her three years to recover from。 To recover from much of her trauma she could not avoid， she had to move forward， to be curious， to spend time with these memories and feelings， she had to run towards the danger， in order to heal。Thank you to NetGalley and to Penguin Press for the ARC。 。。。more
James Beggarly
，
Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Press for the ebook。 Although the author has a lovely marriage with three young daughters， she， like most people， has had her share of misfortunes。 With great insight， and a brave honesty， she digs deep into some very specific times in her life。 She talks about a devastating concussion that left her half herself for over three years until a full cure becomes possible。 Another essay talks about a Canadian trial that features a radio host who has abused several wome Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Press for the ebook。 Although the author has a lovely marriage with three young daughters， she， like most people， has had her share of misfortunes。 With great insight， and a brave honesty， she digs deep into some very specific times in her life。 She talks about a devastating concussion that left her half herself for over three years until a full cure becomes possible。 Another essay talks about a Canadian trial that features a radio host who has abused several women。 The author is torn if she should come forward after having her own abuse that she’s kept hidden from herself for years。 And professionally she talks about a near breakdown during the run of a play after her mother’s death， the trauma of a large scale movie that had a million problems and didn’t protect her enough and feeling stuck on a children’s TV show for years that worked her twelve plus hours a day for eight months of the year。 Told with grace and humor， the honesty of this stories is pretty amazing。 。。。more
Jennifer
，