Welcome to Studio Visits
A monthly conversation series about the creative process, hosted by Suleika Jaouad. Learn from extraordinary artists as they share stories, failures, wisdom and instruction.
Join Suleika Jaouad, creator of the Isolation Journals, for an hour-long virtual conversation with the writer, teacher & human extraordinaire, Melissa Febos.
A Conversation About Laying Things Bare
We are excited to be hosting Melissa Febos for a Studio Visit on May 30 at 1:00 PM ET. Melissa writes about the parts of the human experience that most of us feel a reflexive inclination to conceal, and she doesn’t just lay those things bare—she holds them up to the light and examines them in a way that allows us to see ourselves more clearly.
We’re also excited to announce her new essay collection, Girlhood, as our next book club pick. In gorgeous, sensuous, electric prose, Febos interrogates what women are told about what it means to be a woman, and what it takes to break free of those strictures. You can grab your copy in our Bookshop!
& if you become a paid subscriber, you’ll also get access to the Hatch, our virtual writing hour. Each month, we gather for a few words for inspiration, then write together in silence. It’s amazingly warm and connected and productive. We hope you’ll join us!
As a paid subscriber, you get:
Access to Studio Visits, a monthly virtual conversation series about the creative process. Learn from extraordinary authors & artists as they share stories, failures, wisdom, and instruction
Access to our archive of past Studio Visits with amazing humans like Elizabeth Gilbert, Jon Batiste, & Dani Shapiro
Access to the Hatch, a monthly virtual writing group, where we gather for a dose of community, inspiration and accountability
Discussion threads, where we can trade stories & tips about the creative process
A monthly book club forum where we dish about our favorite reads
A weekly newsletter and journaling prompt
If a paid subscription is out of reach, email us at suleika@theisolationjournals.com. We do provide scholarships.
About Melissa Febos
Melissa Febos is the author of the critically acclaimed memoir, Whip Smart (St. Martin’s Press 2010), and the essay collection, Abandon Me (Bloomsbury 2017), which was a LAMBDA Literary Award finalist, a Publishing Triangle Award finalist, an Indie Next Pick, and was named a Best Book of 2017 by Esquire, Book Riot, The Cut, The Rumpus, and others. Her second essay collection, Girlhood, was published by Bloomsbury on March 30, and became an instant National Bestseller. A craft book, Body Work, will be published by Catapult in March 2022. The recipient of an MFA from Sarah Lawrence College, she is an associate professor at the University of Iowa, where she teaches in the Nonfiction Writing Program.
Girlhood was on my books to buy list and will now be moved to the top.