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As an aspiring author, I always look forward to the readings at UMW, especially the novelists. I was most intrigued to hear that her book was in fact, real nonfiction events that happened to her. I’m usually most interested in fiction, but hearing bits of Tessa’s memoir was shocking and unexpected. Tessa did what most people would never attempt— fire eating, snake-charming, knife-throwing, sword-swallowing, and more.

She began by reading the prologue of her book, The Electric Woman, she detailed on that there actually isn’t even a trick to it. You just have to eat fire, swallow a sword, etc. I particularly thought what she said about “unlearning body defense mechanisms” was interesting. She simply joined the traveling sideshow because she thought she could do it, despite the danger. She mentioned that even though the things she did were required a level of fearlessness, she actually was very afraid. I was very surprised by how simple the acts were in actuality. Like many people, I always assumed there was some sort of hidden trick or limits to the things that performers do to their bodies, like in a magic show. At one point, when the audience chose to have her read a portion about sword swallowing, she said she had to practice and force it to happen, just like any other skill you’d practice. She also said that snake-charming is just acting as a tree for a huge snake to slither all over you and prevent the snake from “falling onto a baby in the audience,” which was funny.

Although the most surface-level exciting things involved the incredible way Tessa learned several circus sideshow acts along the way, I was also moved by the personal aspects of the journey portrayed in the book that inspired her, such as her mother. Tessa was actually inspired by her mom to let go of her fears and do something wild and different. Her mother had a series of strokes that paralyzed her. Tessa talked about her mother’s paralysis in the text as she narrated the first time she lit herself on fire. Tessa’s overall message was impactful and realistic. She reiterated that there are no tricks in the sideshow, or in life in general.

By Amanda Smith

On April 5, 2019, Tessa Fontaine created a wild and crowded audience in the William Street Mansion. Tessa Fontaine is an internationally published author who wrote a nonfiction book about her life on the road with America’s last travelling circus and the parallels of fear and horror that her mother faced when becoming paralyzed from massive strokes. On this evening Tessa would be making a quick stop on her national book tour, a year after being apart of the circus.

Her book is titled, “The Electric Woman”. Mrs Fontaine had come to UMW to read a few of her favorite sections of her book. Her first reading was the book’s prologue. When reading this section, Tessa drew in her audience with her with the tone of her voice. At first, her words were playful and humorous while telling the audience that she had googled sideshow acts and lied to her boss about what she could do acts such as fire eating, sword swallowing, and snake charming.

She went on to explain later in her next reading section that she would learn how to one of the things she told her boss she knew how to do, fire eating. When telling this compelling story she said that during the days leading up to her fire eating class she was hoping that fire-eating was just an illusion, that you didn’t really have to put fire into your mouth. After taking the audience through a vivid experience of learning how to smother a fire burning on human legs and arms to the burning, charcoal taste of fire burning her tongue as she put out the flame in her mouth. Tessa suddenly deepened and darken her tone as she placed emphasis on the line “the trick is that there is no trick…you eat fire by eating fire.” I do believe that by saying this she had told the audience the central theme of her book. That she really meant to say, there are no shortcuts or easy streets in life, you just need to go through life and do it. Circulating around this idea, Tessa had introduced the character of her mother and how she went through a series of massive strokes which left her paralyzed, speechless and left her with symptoms of short term memory loss. Her mom would become dependent solely on her and husband, Davey.

Tessa explained that Davey and her mom would set out for a trip to Italy that they have been waiting a long time to do. Tessa had thought the worst, that her mom was taking an extreme risk with her health and that she would facing death right in the face. Which to Tessa had influenced her decision to join the circus. Tessa answered an audience member’s compelling question, “Why the circus? Why not something else?” to where Tessa would explain that she joined the circus because it would be dangerous. Then she would be facing her fears, just like her mom was or as Tessa put it briefly, “I was building intimacy with something that I feared” Another audience member had asked, “how did you deal with your mom?” Tessa replied hesitantly, “It was devastating. Having a wonderful humans body fail and not be able to do what its suppose to takes its toll, especially since you’ve seen the vibrant person they used to be.” Tessa went onto a more light-hearted section of how her co-workers taught her how to swallow a sword and that, just like eating fire, “you just had to untrain your bodies natural instincts to chose and hurl, and just shove a knife down your throat.” as she put it.

I believe her reading highlighted the most important idea of her novel. That you need to go through life with every intention of knowing how dangerous it is, and also learn that you’ll need to endure with some amount of pain along the way. There is no trick to life. But the best way to live through it is to just do it.

Sorry for the last-minute announcement, but I am offering extra credit to anybody who attends Tessa Fontaine’s talk tomorrow, Friday, April 5, at 5:00 pm in the Mansion (1201 William St).  Fontaine is a creative writer whose work intersects with disability, but even if her reading/talk doesn’t explicitly address disability, you can post or turn in a one-page response and earn a full class’s worth of participation points.

In Jonathan Mack’s “The Right Way to be Crippled and Naked,” the main character is announcing to his family and friends that he has fully made up his mind to live as a naked Jain monk. He later expresses his reasons in doing so and adds, more than once, that his decision is final and he cannot be convinced otherwise. Mack, a 40 year old queer, disabled man is obviously making his transition to be a Jain monk so that he can finally “let go” (Mack, 49). He describes himself in a self-deprecating way in which he only sees his disability as a setback for himself, so his new revelation to be naked for eternity is a way for him to reclaim his body and his confidence.

Mack discusses, in extreme detail, his days at the gay baths where he would sometimes be selected as a suitable sex partner. This atmosphere in itself is demeaning and only furthered Mack’s self hatred as he saw men not choosing to sleep with him as a direct correlation to his crippled leg. When men did sleep with him, it was only a casual, one-night fling causing Mack to feel just as unfilled as before the encounter. He even states that all his problems would be solved, “if only I were beautiful,” insinuating that all his misfortunes could be corrected with an idealistic “beauty standard” that he wished he could fit (Mack, 47). Jonathan is majorly lacking on self confidence and feels strongly that he needs to overcompensate for his “hairy stick leg… knotted and clawed hoof” (Mack, 44). He cannot accept the imperfections on his own body, even if it’s not centered around the leg. Mack puts himself down in other ways including the size of his penis and his facial features as well as his disability which in turn leads to a self destructive mentality that he has held onto for so long.

Mack’s sudden urge to live naked is encouraging in that he is finally accepting himself, imperfections and all. Although, Mack does reveal that he has been naked more than the average human, but only to have loads of sex for the possibility of one day feeling accepted. He proclaims that he would, “like to learn how to let go for real,” during his sexual encounters displaying his want to appreciate himself and his body (Mack, 49). He does add that , “I always adore other crippled men,” showing that he doesn’t judge others who are disabled or imperfect (Mack, 48). Unfortunately, Jonathan tends to be his own toughest critic as he cannot admire himself the way he can others and their bodies. His claim to be seen naked, whether he is accepted or arrested for doing so, in a way gives Mack his power back. He hopes to be seen as a man who “doesn’t move like a naked man,” meaning that Mack will naturally be able to move about even if every inch of his body is seen and fully on display (Mack, 43). With this new realization, he cannot hide behind his clothes or even himself, and that mentality in and of itself, is so freeing.

I pledged. (Kyelin Thrift)

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