Dopey

The doctor tells her she should write these words down every day; it helps. It’s good for the frontal lobe of the brain; the frontal lobe is flexible and can redevelop. I am brave. I am free. I am strong. I am alive. And she should read books she already knows; that won’t be too much for her. Cooking helps. Cleaning helps. Writing helps. Animals help. Children, of course. Therapy helps!

Following Fat (Luftschacht 2018), in which Regina Hofer recounts her experience of anorexia (and its consequences), comes the companion volume Dopey. Trauma, abuse, depression, delusion — through striking prose and expressive, associative drawings, Regina Hofer confronts all these things she has endured with great courage and determination, exploring everything, however much it may hurt. What matters, as the book states, is knowing where the fear comes from.