Begin by Telling (11) (Essais Series)

Never forget /
to connect the dots /
This book is an attempt to connect a couple.

In Begin by Telling, experimental pop sensation Meg Remy (U.S. Girls) spins a web out from her body to myriad corners of American hyper-culture. Through illustrated lyric essays depicting visceral memories from early childhood to present day, Remy paints a stark portrait of a spectacle-driven country.

As though channel surfing, we catch glimpses of Desert Storm, the Oklahoma City Bombing, random street violence, the petrochemical industry, small town Deadheads, a toilet with uterus lining in it, the county STD clinic, and missionaries at the front door. Each is shared through language of the body; the sensation of experiencing many of the defining events and moments of a country.

Immersive and utterly compelling, the threads in Begin by Telling nimbly interweave with probing quotes and statistics, demonstrating the importance of personal storytelling, radical empathy, and the necessity of reflecting on society and one's self within that construct.

MEG REMY, originally from Illinois, has been established as one of the most acclaimed songwriters and performers to emerge from Toronto’s underground music scene where she currently lives. The creative force behind the musical entity U.S. Girls, her discography includes three Polaris Prize shortlisted albums, all of which also received Juno nominations for Best Alternative Album. Meg has a reputation for politically astute commentary and theatrical performance and was named the best live act of 2018 by Paste Magazine. During this time Remy has maintained a visual arts practice, exhibiting collage work and directing several music videos and other video art works.