Status Updates From Blood Memory

she gets points for her honesty and forthrightness but goodness what a picture. you're fine if you're the pope or the first lady or someone she considers 'above her' but if you're working with her you can literally expect physical assault which she brushes off as her part of her "violent period" like it's wild

now we have the correspondence between martha and her analyst (but one sided only). she seems to need to write the same way she needs to dance as a way to express her inner self. i don't always like her (she can be quite forceful and entitled... she's not a soft or humble person) but she's an interesting character

this book shocks me so much. her analyst is treating both her AND her husband (surely a major no-no?) plus the analyst meets martha outside of sessions for drinks, etc. (definitely a major no-no!). martha's life seems so atypical... it's like the normal rules of life don't apply to her in so many different domains. it's quite bizarre

oh and now BETTY FORD is a student! if you're interested in pop culture this is full of random celebrities and tea but the vibe isn't gossipy it's more that many famous people make random cameo appearances and she relates many little interactions

now she's relating the story of her love affair with the married artist carlus dyer. her gay male friends have a crush on carlus and having invited martha down knowing she'd sleep with him, hoping it would break up the marriage so they could be there to 'pick up the pieces after' (who ARE these people??!)

she seems quite proud of this, of being desired. she's probably hurt a lot of people quite carelessly

martha has had many unsatisfactory jobs and unsavory situations with men but she's so forceful she comes out unscathed and just keeps rising up. for example, she's 8 months behind on rent and threatens her landlord "i need a new floor! if i don't get it i'm moving out!" and they give it to her. (!!!) i think it's her well-off upbringing that's helped her have so much chutzpah

martha's also had 'movement for actors' classes and the list of people who have been students is quite surprising. (bette davis, woody allen, etc.) apparently her studio was shown in annie hall in the audition scene. i must look this up!