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

Part of SXSW 2023

This event took place on Monday, March 13, 2023 at 2:30 PM UTC.

Venue: Austin Convention Center, Room 10AB. When everything fell apart for Lynn Melnick, she went to Dollywood. It was perhaps an unusual refuge. Yet it’s exactly where she needed to be. Because Melnick, like the musician she adores, is a survivor. In her new memoir, Melnick explores Parton's dual identities as feminist icon and objectified sex symbol—identities that reflect the author's own fraught history with rape culture. Each chapter engages with the artistry and cultural impact of one of Parton's songs, as Melnick reckons with violence, creativity, parenting, abortion, sex work, love, and the consolations and cruelties of religion. Book signing to follow.