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"You can't force a story that doesn't want to be told"- Eileen Myles
Eileen Myles is an American poet and writer who widely recognized and honored for their many literary contributions. As a member of the New York School in the 1970’s and 1980’s, Myles produced hundreds of poems and collaborated with other NYS poets such as John Ashbery and Barbara Guest. Myles continues to write and was honored with a Guggenheim Fellowship in 2012.
In Eileen Myles’ 1994 novel Chelsea Girls, the lines of fiction and autobiography are blurred as they recount events from the distant past such as their father’s alcoholism, to events of their young adulthood involving complicated relationships. While fashion is not a focus of Chelsea Girls, Myles’ description of clothing in several stories reveals many interesting things about their own thoughts on clothing and how it impacts self worth and confidence. Click below to read more about the impact of fashion in Chelsea Girls.
In Eileen Myles’ poem "Holes", they describe the progression and ultimate downfall of an intimate relationship by describing the decaying shape of several types of clothing. A personal interview with Myles' confirms the sentiments expressed in "Holes". Click below to read the poem and understand more about Myles' relationship with clothing.
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