To Read & To Write

I am so surprised when I hear that critics and readers alike are still shocked and taken aback when they read a novel about a young girl’s sexual experiences growing up. Granted, Melissa Paranello’s One Hundred Strokes Of The Brush Before Bed has been deemed by the author herself as pornographic literature. Even still, Paranello has added that this doesn’t make her book any less full of content or substance, as it explores themes of politics and identity, and deeply. And from my end of the line, this book seems nothing but relatable.  The book chronicles the intense story of Melissa P., a young 14 year old girl growing up in Sicily. One Hundred Strokes Of The Brush Before Bed was originally written in Italian (U.S. copies translated by Lawrence Venuti) and was published in 2003, much to the horror of Melissa’s parents, who realized that it was indeed an autobiographical novel. Each diary entry is raw, fluid, and extremely candid. Much of the subject matter describes her sexual...