Author Frauke Kasper wrote Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes, Knees and Toes for the third Keeping It Under Wraps anthology, all about bodies. Is the song stuck in your head yet? Frauke conducts a stock-take of all the emotional, mental and physical associations that come with different parts of the body: the way our shoulders bend over a small child, how we measure the 'appropriate' length of a girl's school uniform by its proximity to the knee. You'll find yourself investigating your own attachment to your individual body parts, deep beneath your skin.
Tracy, Alnaaze and Louise were lucky enough to meet Frauke during a memoir-writing workshop while submissions were open, and together explore ways to pull from a deep well of memories and emotions.
We asked Frauke what led her to write an essay for Keeping It Under Wraps: Bodies, Uncensored.
...a friend suggested I submit a piece for Keeping It Under Wraps: Parenthood, Uncensored and I did. However the topic (the myth of the perfect mother) was a bit too general and probably not quite personal enough, it made the shortlist but not the anthology. It was also the first piece that I ever submitted for publication. I’ve kept writing and I became keener to share the work. When the next call came for the Bodies anthology, I initially didn’t know what I’d write about. A few days after attending the workshop "Memoir Writing and Seeking Publication" offered by Louise, Alnaaze and Tracy, I realized what I wanted to write about. The workshop helped me get a clearer understanding of what KIUW was looking for and how I could write in my own voice. This time it worked.
We are delighted that Frauke not only submitted once without publication but returned for book three! Perseverance pays off.
You can find Frauke's lyrical essay, and many others, in the upcoming Keeping It Under Wraps: Bodies, Uncensored. Find Frauke on Instagram.
