Burning Down Narratives of Shame

This interview – delayed due to the global pandemic – features Elissa Washuta, a member of the Cowlitz Indian Tribe and a nonfiction writer. She is the author of My Body Is a Book of Rules and Starvation Mode, and her book White Magic is forthcoming from Tin House Books. With Theresa Warburton, she is co-editor of the anthology Shapes of Native Nonfiction: Collected Essays by Contemporary Writers. This is essential listening for anyone who wants to find a voice for writing about difficult subjects like trauma and mental health. It covers such subjects as using humor to deal with difficult subjects, and allowing oneself to be angry. Elissa talks about what her Catholic upbringing taught her (or not), as well as negative stereotypes of native women. There’s also a moving discussion of what happens when mental health diagnoses are wrong.