Debbie Millman Instagram – I am so thrilled to share one of Roxane’s latest ventures! She is working with @scribd and their new publishing arm Everand Originals to publish essays from extraordinary creative people. More info is below. The first essay is by chef, cookbook creator, writer and overall badass Julia @turshen, a person who is I respect enormously. Read her remarkable essay in the links below! Repost from @roxanegay74: • About a year ago, I reached out to four writers whose work I admire and asked, basically, what would you write about if you could write about anything you want, and be well paid for your effort? Over the next five months, you will see how those writers and I answered that question with a series of longform essays (10,000 words or more), called Roxane Gay Presents, in partnership with Everand Originals (the digital subscription arm of Scribd). First up is Julia Turshen’s “Built for This: The Quiet Strength of Powerlifting.” In this essay, Julia writes about her journey into the world of powerlifting and how it helped her develop a different, less fraught relationship with food, exercise, and her body. It was a pleasure working with Julia to really dig into the writing and find the beating heart of this essay. She did a remarkable revision that really made this piece sing. I hope you see, in these words, Julia’s authenticity, ferocious heart, and how wholly she commits to the things and people she cares about. And when you’re done with this essay, check out her newsletter “Keep Calm and Cook On,” or her excellent cookbooks, “Simply Julia,” and “Small Victories,” and “Now & Again.” You can find a link to Julia’s essay in my bio! And if you are new to Everand, you can sign up for a free sixty day trial at http://try.everand.com/turshen.