Emma's Mixtape

I look forward to reading your book. The Guardian article brought me here. My Psychiatrist knows nothing about me & is just the woman who prescribed me too many drugs. How alien a concept to me that you should have such a relationship.
 

Don't worry - I can understand how strange it might be to see your work digested and compressed like that but it's still an engaging, thoughtful, moving, funny piece of writing and I think your character-on-the-page is intact x
 

I just read the piece in The Guardian. It was stunningly written, compelling. I can't wait to get a copy, you are truly talented.

Katie, England
 

Hello Emma,

I've just read your 'edited book' in the Guardian and felt a need to write to you. I would read your articles when they appeared but hadn't come across you in ages. I have always enjoyed your writing so when I read the byline I was both pleased, yet concerned about you. Reading on, I realized you are in control of your life and my crazy concern for someone I don't really know is hollow. Anyhow, it's good to know you are writing and looking beautiful. I will buy your book and enjoy your wit and honesty.

I agree with Michaela. 'There is only love'

Cath
 

Throughly enjoyed the article Emma. Candid and heartfelt. The best and most interesting article i have read in a long time. I'll be buying the book.
 

I really enjoyed your book extract, and I’m looking forward to reading it the way you intended it to be read x
 

I really enjoyed your book extract, and I’m looking forward to reading it the way you intended it to be read x
 

It was a great article. :)
 

Sorry you didn't like what the Guardian did. I read the article earlier and what shone through for me was your excellent writing and your amazing personal story. You are very brave.
 

I've just read the excerpt in today's Guardian - very impressed, and moved; certainly not "a malevolent conga line of misfortune". Having spent much of the last twenty years as both a client and a therapist I really applaud any book that manages to give an accurate portrait of that that incredibly intimate space. I know the Guardian piece is an edit, but it strikes me that you've managed to maintain that acute writerly presence when exploring your own history, a kind of intense detachment that gives the reader the space to have their own emotional responses. You are very much present, but not getting in the way (cf. John Burnside's excellent memoir "A Lie About My Father"). Well done - I look forward to reading the full book.
 

Just read the extract in the Guardian magazine on a train from London, don't think you should worry too much as it had the desired effect, I want to read the book. But understand it must be frustrating for some editor to scale all your hard work into a glance in a weekend magazine...
 

I was gripped by your article and really enjoyed it. Felt your sadness upon losing mr f (I caved in to curiosity, I googled, I'm sorry) and yet he is also surprisingly, satisfyingly irrelevant to the story. What was more compelling was the relationship with Dr R and your parents. Brave of you to confront all this so openly, and express it so succinctly, without asking for any sympathy or judgment. Thank you.
 

Emma Forrest new book day! Went a bit like this:

- I linked book extract in guardian on my facebook.
- best friend read link, declared it awesome (seemed to have completely forgotten years of me telling her to read EF.)
- best friend text saying she was in town and going to buy new EF book.
- I replied saying it wasn't out till the 17th.
- best friend replied saying that she'd just asked for it in waterstones and they sold it to her.
- I had hissy fit on phone to best friend, declaring myself the ultimate-EF-fangirl and listing evidence of my fangirlishness while best friend laughed smugly.
- best friend redeemed herself by promising to buy an extra copy today and put it in post to me if Brighton Waterstones didn't have it
- I started walking to Waterstones, scowling to myself about how life just-isn't-fair.
- best friend un-redeemed herself by texting me at five minute intervals from cafe where she was reading book to smugly tell me how brilliant book is.
- Waterstones had book on shelf! Day was saved!
- Apologised to best friend for hissy fit and re-bonded over mutual love of Chris-Martin-stupid-hat episode.

Anyway. It's an amazing book Emma - really brave and sad and honest and painful and funny and all that stuff. (And I hope you're not cross that we found it in shops a bit early.)

x
 

No worries, love. It didn't come off that way to me and thankfully it states it's an extract and one should know well they'll put out some of the juicy bits for the readers to cast a line and reel us in. But oh how I wish it was a whole chapter!

I cannot wait to read about the events in your wildly interesting life so far. The ups as well as the downs that have molded you into the wonderful lady you are today. This sounds so ass-kissy, but if anyone knew our past conversations, they'd understand.

You wrote the break up piece very well and just the way I knew you would, which is not in the tone of some jilted lover. If anyone gives you shit they are a sad case.
 

Guardian have put up a correction!

http://www.guardian.co.uk/theobserver/2011/jan/09/for-the-record