LITERATURE

That Thing You Do With Your Mouth: The Sexual Autobiography of Samantha Matthews as Told to David Shields

by Samantha Matthews
Shields, David & . McSweeney's. Jun. 2015. 160p. ISBN 9781940450643. pap. $15; ebk. ISBN 9781940450810. MEMOIR
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Actress and voice-over artist Matthews has regaled a daring tell-all of her sexual history, starting with the abuse she incurred from her stepbrother and how this affected her relationships going forward. Her monolog is aptly titled using a double entendre ("that thing you do with your mouth" is, in this case, talking, as she recounts this history to her first cousin once removed while he records it.) As this account was spoken to the writer, it jumps around, elaborating on certain events, while putting others in perspective. Because of this disjointedness, the narrative reads like a friend confiding a long-held secret after a night of drinking.
VERDICT While not a memoir about surviving abuse, this history of Matthews's sexual past is daring, juicy, and theatrical.
Reviewed by Staff , Jun 18, 2015
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