Book influence: ‘Hunger Makes Me A Modern Girl’ by Carrie Brownstein
This book was recommended to me by my studio tutor. Brownstein talks about growing up and navigating her place in the world. I particularly liked the part at the beginning of the novel where she talks about seeking forms of validation from people in her life.
Brownstone talks about validation by writing to famous people- (I resonated with this because it is so similar to what I am doing in my work) ‘I was simultaneously trying to forge connections with people who had a pulse- just not people I knew or who lived anywhere near me’ p.15
She talks about making connections with people who live far away from her (Similar to what I have done- sending them to places like India and America to put your mark on the world).
She was inspired by reading magazines and seeing PO BOX addresses ‘I started writing letters to them. But the plan bombed. I wasn’t getting letters back, not even a stamped signature on an 8 by 10. The venture soon became less about competing with my peers and more about my own sense of invisibility and need for validation’ p.15
‘It’s true, I wanted help, but being acknowledged sufficed. A response, any response, implied that I existed, that I was not a weirdo, that I’d be ok. I could have gone to a school counselor or even talked to my parents, but I needed someone on TV or in the movies to reach out to me, not because they were famous but because they were so far away, it was like being seen from outer space. Suddenly I didn’t feel small ; I was bigger than the house I was living in, larger than my town. Thanks to them, I somehow belonged in the world’ p. 16
Ellie Wilsden Art 