Two or Three Things I Know For Sure - Dorothy Allison

I've referenced Allison's novel Bastard Out of Carolina before - but it's one I read back in college. It's set in the South and tells the story of a young girl growing up amidst poverty and abuse. To date, it's one of the most powerful books I've ever read, and even now I cringe at the sadness and horror it contains. One of the literary concepts I truly believe in is the idea of survival through storytelling - particularly in the feminist tradition. Allison is a primary example of the raw strength that comes from putting pen to paper. Two or Three Things I Know For Sure is Allison's memoir (written initially as a performance piece) about her life growing up in the South surrounded by her own poverty and abuse - it focuses on the women in her life - her sisters and mother, her aunts and girlfriends - and what they taught her about the importance of self-worth. As the title suggests, through the book, Allison shares the "two or three things she knows for sure," including "No one is as hard as my uncles had to pretend to be," "I'd rather go naked than wear the coat the world has made for me," and "If we are not beautiful to each other, we cannot know beauty in any form." Allison's story-telling ability seems to have been cultivated as a child - as a way for her to escape the reality of her life, as well as a way to make her experiences real. While I wish this book would have been longer with more stories and in-depth detail about her life, I'm sure Allison wrote it more for herself than for others. And even if I'll always wish there were more from her, I am quite grateful for what she has chosen to share.