A Real Piece of Work

by Erin Riley

An exhilarating, thought-provoking and joyful debut that asks how we create our identities and how we can transcend them.

‘Language gave to me the body I knew was mine and brought into existence so many possibilities for what my gender can be.’

Across these twenty fresh and boldly intimate stories, Erin Riley writes about the things that matter family, heartbreak, humanity, justice and swimming, and the messy, hard graft of becoming one’s authentic self.

In weaving together their everyday while questioning society and its structures, Erin gifts us stories that double as a manifesto on how to disrupt and reinvent narrative, identity, love and community.

Life is complicated, messy and – when small risks are taken – even exhilarating. In Erin’s hands we fall in love, get curious and become exasperated with (and sometimes charmed by) the people in their life, emerging with new perspectives on how to be in the world.

Genres: Memoir, Essays, Nonfiction, Queer, Audiobook, LGBT, Biography Memoir

256 pages, Paperback

Published February 27, 2024

Reviews

[Camila - Books Through My Veins · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had the pleasure and honour of meeting Erin not long ago when they launched their first book, A Real Piece of Work, and even though I had barely made a dent by reading just a few essays, I knew it would be a winner. I fucking love being right.

I had no idea what these essays were about or even who Erin was, but in my most Camila-fashion, I bought it and attended the launch because I love supporting Australian authors from my little corner of the internet. In exchange for my presence, I was gifted with witnessing a thought-provoking and unforgettable conversation between admirable and intelligent human beings. The cherry on top was meeting Erin in the flesh and getting my book signed by them, of course!

When I finished the book, I immediately sent a prayer to the Universe for Erin. I felt so genuinely moved and touched by their writing that I could not help but feel pure gratefulness for their existence and every single person who made this book possible.

Erin's essays delve into a plethora of things: from falling in love, queerness and weddings to OCD, the Australian mental health crises, homelessness and much, much more. Although each essay touches on something unique, Erin's talent came through in every one of them. Their extraordinary capacity for storytelling is embedded in every sentence, regardless of the tone of each essay. Some made me feel deeply sad and concerned about the state of the world, others made me feel joy and hope and filled me with gratefulness. Nothing can summarise these essays adequately, but I will give it a go and proclaim that A Real Piece of Work is life itself: sometimes sweet, sometimes bitter.

I honestly have nothing but profound admiration for Erin and their writing, and I wish with all my reading heart that there is plenty more of it to come.

Overall, A Real Piece of Work is a tender, thought-provoking and evocative collection of essays that reflect the intricacies of human life and the lived experiences of a brilliant, kind and lovely human. Utterly unmissable and 100% recommended.

[Lana McLean · Rating 5 out of 5]

Prepare to be captivated and deeply moved by Erin Riley's extraordinary memoir in essays, "A Real Piece of Work." This remarkable book explores vulnerability and its profound impact on our lives when we have the courage to challenge & embrace it.

Riley's poignant storytelling takes readers on an introspective journey, one that examines the intricacies of our human experiences. As I delved into the essays, I found myself engrossed in their raw honesty and relatability. The author fearlessly bares their soul, revealing their own struggles and triumphs, inviting us to reflect on our own lives in the process.

What truly struck me was the emotional resonance of this book. On numerous occasions, I found myself discussing the essays with my Psychologist, as the author courageously confronts fears and vulnerabilities, some of which I also share. Riley's ability to delve into these intricate layers with sensitivity and compassion is a testament to their writing prowess.

The book also explores the complexities of relationships, particularly the intricate dynamics between mother and child. As the author unravels their own experiences, they shed light on the universal struggle for connection, acceptance, and healing. The way they intertwine their personal journey with broader themes is nothing short of masterful.

In conclusion, "A Real Piece of Work" is a captivating and thought-provoking memoir that digs deep into the essence of vulnerability. Erin Riley's powerful storytelling will challenge your perceptions, ignite introspection, and ultimately leave you with a profound appreciation for the strength vulnerability can bring.

Oh and I obviously found myself immediately Googling Nicole Kidman's strange clapping at the 2017 Oscars. Thank you for that core memory!

[Brittany]

disclaimer if you’ve read other reviews by me and are noticing a pattern: You’re correct that I don’t really give starred reviews, I feel like a peasant and don’t like leaving them and most often, I will only leave them if I vehemently despised a book. I enjoy most books for what they are, & I extract lessons from them all. Everyone’s reading experiences are subjective, so I hope my reviews provide enough information to let you know if a book is for you or not, regardless if I add stars or not. Find me on Instagram: @bookish.millennial or tiktok: @bookishmillennial

This was a stunning, devastating, and introspective nonfictional read as Erin Riley took us through milestone and formative times in their life. Erin has ADHD, OCD, and is trans - they came out at 36 years old, and discuss so many topics, such as societal structures and theories that people operate on, therapy, familial trauma, their own work and advocacy, acceptance, unlearning/healing, identity, and community.

The entire book had me captivated but especially chapter 24 (this was the chapter on Libro.FM so I'm hoping it translates the same in the ebook/hard copy!) about their parents' reactive and defensive behavior is what stood out to me. Erin wrote about such personal situations yet connected them to overarching themes of wanting to feel seen, understood, accepted, loved. We are all only human. Wanting to fit in, wanting to be seen for who we are authentically, is at the core of our human experience. Being social creatures (yes, even us booktroverts!!) means we want the people we love to see us as we are and to say "you are enough" or more simply... "I see you". We don't all get that.

I cried so many times reading this. Just read the quotations below. This book hit so hard. I'm not trans so I can't speak to the trans or nonbinary or genderqueer experience. However, the way Erin sought understanding and felt rejection from their parents hit extremely close to home. I wanted to hug them through my phone! Damn, this book hurt. But it also highlighted the beauty of queer joy, queer power, queer found family, queer community. It was such a beautiful parallel to all the pain they had felt in those exhausting interactions with their parents. This is probably so incoherent because I'm an emotional goddamn mess but just ... thank you Erin. Thank you for sharing your story so generously, and for showing that hope and joy and a full life can be found in the family we find.

[Meg Cooke · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was about the journey towards embracing gender queerness. Erin explores how they have always been the one there for others; their mum, their patients, their queer community. In a life rife with obligations it was about learning they didn’t owe anyone the performance of a gender that didn’t fit them.

I enjoyed several stories in the book in particular the ones about the failures of the Australian welfare system, the manky cat queen and Erin’s OCD. But a lot of it didn’t resonate with me and my engagement was lost in some of the more academic sections. It was a easy quick read but I guess I was looking to be a little more moved.

[Kirsten Chow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Consumed this book in a week.
I could hardly put it down.
It’s about all the things I think about all the time.

Social work, justice, injustices, people, people’s stories, people’s pain.
Healing, community, queerness, identity, chosen family, biological family, joy, grief.

Incredible. Thank you for sharing your stories

[Rosie Brennan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read it in a day, absolutely beautiful.

[Dannie Lynn Fountain · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful, moving, deeply thoughtful collection of essays. I received a complimentary audiobook from the publisher via libro.fm.

[Sarah Pisani · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can’t quite collect my thoughts after finishing this incredible memoir, I can only grasp at descriptors - insightful, moving, thought provoking, funny, challenging, vulnerable, heartbreaking, ground shifting, delightful and honest. Overall: exquisite.

[Rachael Walshe · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really well written piece of literature. Erin's exploration of self, identity, family, gender, queerness and society was deep, honest, and reflective of places many of us have been. A beautifully thoughtful read

[Jasper Peach · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have been listening to this all day and I’m gutted to have finished. Social work, gender, queer chosen family, family of origin, ocean swimming, risk, love and joy. My heart is full, seen, heaving and my brain feels exultant and smooth.

[Jaclyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn’t realise how starved I was for essays until reading this. The essays about Riley’s social work clients were my favourites. I also really enjoyed the essays about identity, exercise and queerness. This is a tender heart and mind expanding collection. Riley is a beautiful gentle prose stylist and uses the essay form to its full potential. I loved this a lot.

[Frankie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Half read while walking from place to place and I can’t remember the last book that made me do that. Loved every essay.

[Sophiealka · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars. Insightful and vulnerable, the fantastically titled "A Real Piece of Work" is a collection of short literary essays and memoir weaving together stories from the author's work as a social worker with their experiences of otherness, in particular navigating the internal and social processes involved in identifying beyond the gender binary, in queerness, and in neurodivergence. The writing blends the personal and the political, the familial and the professional, and invites comparisons to Maggie Nelson, whose work it explicitly references. But Riley's work is a very different animal to Nelson's, more earthy and Australian, less academic but no less cerebral, and with a healthy and unapologetic dose of self-affirmation.
While I chuckled at the occasional evocations of familiar, cliches (said affectionately) of oat-milk drinking, Aeropress-using white queer millenials of pre and post pandemic inner-city Australia, there was so much to love here, particularly in terms of providing a very accurate and relatable expression of the way in which millenials and genzers conceive of the personal as political, of identity as self determined and gender as socially constructed, the way in which this is not understood by older generations, and the psychological consequences of this lack of understanding. This is an important book and I thank Erin Riley for their vulnerability in writing it, both as a queer millenial and as a mental health professional, but also as a keen reader of Australian literature, queer literature, literary nonfiction, and memoir.
I particularly appreciated the exploration of family dyamics and their role in our relationship with our identity and sense of being in the world, and the integration of therapeutic models.

[Melinda Charlesworth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully and tenderly rendered, this collection is at times confronting but always honest. An invitation into the joy, heartache, and finding yourself tales that everybody must face but with the added layer of navigating life from a queer space.
Riley shares their experience with family, friends and strangers as they take ownership of themselves as a proud and complex human. Their ability to write about relationships in a way that allowed a rare glimpse into the world of another, at times I felt a bit intrusive, always I knew they wanted it to be shared.
The beautifully captured challenges of community social work were the best I've ever come across, sharing the motivations and the roadblocks these health professionals face while endeavouring to make life easier to live for those who need advocacy to deal with the systems that conspire to make life harder.
Take your time to savour each vignette when you read this. there's something there for all of us to learn, you just won't know when your bit is about to sink in.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

I appreciated the author's vulnerability and honesty in writing about their struggles and triumphs as a non-binary person with OCD and ADHD. They share their disappointments and pain, mostly caused by their parents, but they also recognize that these same parents do love them, however imperfectly. This is an ultimately hopeful and inspiring story of learning to accept oneself and to find an accepting community.

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful essays full of personal narrative and the journey of understanding self and the world in relation to self. Really loved the exploration of acceptance (freely given, hesitantly given) and also the hard love that comes through these pieces. Such a great place to gain further knowledge of ways gender and affirmation is experienced. I also loved the anecdotes about social systems as well as the therapy/psychology slants interwoven too. Strong recommend from me.

[Keira Bourne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Picked this book up at the Lifeline fair and even though you shouldn’t, I did judge this book by the cover. I only picked it up cos I thought the cover was cool but when I have the blurb a read I thought it sounded good too. It follows Erin Riley, a queer individual from Sydney and the events that happen to them. I really enjoyed this book and reading little snippets from their life. I’m local to Sydney as well so it was nice reading a book where I understood references and places that were talked about. I also liked the complexity in which Riley discussed systemic issues in our society, it would begin by telling a story and finish by discussing how deep rooted the problem actually is. I also admire Riley for going to such personal depths in these stories, a lot of them are light hearted but some explore dark, serious and saddening topics that would be hard to write about. I really enjoyed Riley’s writing style and would be keen to read more of their life stories

[Ella Rule · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this hard-hitting but touchingly vulnerable collection of essays, Riley encapsulates what it means to grow up and discover yourself while queer, and exist as queer in a contemporary context.
Riley's reflections on their relationship with their mother, learning to love a body that goes against constricting societal gender roles and emphasis on the importance of queer friendship will absolutely stay with me.
A must read for anyone on their journey to coming to terms with their identity.

[Mikaela Oldham · Rating 4 out of 5]

A generous, insightful exploration of gender, queerness, love, identity and anti-oppressive social work. What it means to become oneself in a body that is constantly misgendered, in a world that is hell bent on categorising and minimising. How families, of origin and of choice, shape the process of becoming. I really connected with Erin’s wonderings about the impacts of their mother and themselves on how they felt in the world, and on shifting to gratitude for rigidity.

[Samantha Puc · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, damn. I listened to the audiobook, read by Erin Riley, and was frequently caught off-guard by how much I saw myself in their essays. The experience was both a huge relief and a complicated self-assessment, all while being completely hooked on Riley's writing and voice. I picked this up on a whim from Libro.fm and I'm so, so grateful I did.

[Terri · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. Erin eloquently describes their experience of queerness, gender, love, family, and social work and intertwines all this with theoretical reflections and a deep social justice framing. I found validation, affirmation and inspiration in these pages. A beautiful and poignantly written collection of personal essays.

[Lisa Jewell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Insightful, tender, confronting and I think accepting or maybe not. I felt a kindred regarding the OCD, and as a parent of children in their 30s I gained a clearer perspective. Much to chew on, and feel joy and sadness about - life, right?

we truly are tender souls
needing love
and a nod of the head that all is okay.

[Kaitlyn (ktxx22) Walker · Rating 3 out of 5]

More like a 3.5. Beautiful and powerful bits sprinkled throughout. Will recommend often, but for a specific reader, unfortunately of which I’m not really the one. I also wish it had ended one story sooner that last essay felt really out of place where it sat, but I also understand the desire to do things mildly chronologically. Beautiful writing overall.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful collection of essays that balances the poignant and intimate personal experiences with thoughtful words about the author’s profession and our society. I’d recommend it to anyone but particularly people who have difficult family relationships or an interest in social work and gender identity.

[Sophie Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

some of these essays in particular really hit hard. i really loved ‘routine’ and then the last one also felt so raw and honest that i finished this book feeling kind of sick.

however, would say that i agree with one of the reviews about finding it hard to resonate with the more academic sections (but maybe me being dumb!)

[Jules · Rating 4 out of 5]

A generous and whole-hearted collection of essays. I felt like I really knew Riley by the end of the book and felt a strong sense of solidarity towards them, as one social worker/Vikki Reynolds fan to another.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found myself excited to pick up this book everyday, and slowing myself down while reading it so I could take it in properly. As I was reading I found myself thinking some essays were stronger than others, and after reading the prologue that made sense and I liked the collection better for it.

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wouldn't normally have picked up this book but my daughter was reading it and so I borrowed it once she finished. It was very moving and made me consider a perspective I hadn't considered much before. Highly recommend.

[Jonno Weiss · Rating 5 out of 5]

beautiful, raw, wise. I loved this - Erin writes in a way that makes it effortless to read.
Shout out to Fizzy who my dog plays - the inner west dog world and the inner west queer world is almost a circle.

[Kirsten · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish I could give this more than five stars.

(Audiobook, read by the author)