Hello, gentle readers—
I’ll keep it quick this time. As you might know, the paperback edition of Turning Pointe hits bookshops in June, and when it arrives it will be with a bold new cover and a new, updated preface. It will also have that cool thing that paperbacks sometimes have, little snippets of positive reviews.
Reviews are a little bit important to me, but by far the most important response to the book has been from readers, who have picked up Turning Pointe and found reading it to be a cathartic experience. A lot of people read this book and realized that they hadn’t failed at ballet, but rather that ballet had failed them. A lot of people read this book and started asking really hard questions about the suffering and abuse that are embedded in this art form. A lot of people read it and realized that they weren’t alone. Reviews are great, but those responses are the ones that make me feel like writing this book was the right thing to do.
I know about those responses because some readers have told me, and as I gear up to promote the paperback, I’d love to hear more. If there’s something you want potential readers to know about this book, please send it to me as a reply to this email. I’ll most likely use it in Instagram quote cards and tweets about the paperback, and I can conceal your identity however you need me to in order for you to speak honestly and feel safe. My hope is that your words will convince other people in the ballet world—or people who’ve been pushed out of it—that this book can be useful to them.
That’s it from me. Thanks as always for reading.
Chloe.