I've Had to Think Up a Way to Survive: On Trauma, Persistence, and Dolly Parton

When Everything Fell Apart For Lynn Melnick, She Spent The Money From Her Nypl Fellowship On A Trip To Dollywood With Her Family. Melnick's Trauma Began Long Before 2018, But Events Of That Year Forced Her To Relive Portions Of It--abortions, Drug Abuse, Rape--even As She Was Confronting New Pain In The Loss Of Close Friends And Family. Dolly Parton's Music Had Been A Balm And A Source Of Inspiration For Decades, And So The Trip To Dollywood Was A Personal Reckoning With My Traumatic, Often Violent Past...the Culmination Of A Difficult Year That Left Me Wanting To Get To The Bottom Of Just What It Is I Love And Need To Say About Dolly. Each Chapter Of This Book Explores Some Aspect Of Melnick's Life Through The Lens Of One Of Parton's Songs. Melnick Is A Mother, Wife, Daughter, Survivor, Poet; This Manuscript Has Her Examining Sex, Sex Work, Religion, Jealousy, Class, Nostalgia, Aging, Illness, Motherhood, Addiction, Abortion, And Art, Among Other Topics That Can Be Illuminated In A Discussion And Appreciation Of Dolly's Music And Life-- Provided By Publisher.