THE DRY SEASON

Brilliant and powerful ELIZABETH GILBERT So full of wisdom and pleasure that you don t want it to end MAGGIE NELSON In the wake of a disastrous two year relationship Melissa Febos decided to take a break for three months she would abstain from dating relationships and sex Her friends were amused Did she really think three months was a long time But to Melissa it was Ever since her teens she had been in one relationship or another It was time to focus on herself and examine the lifelong patterns that had got her to this point When those three months ended she decided to extend her celibate period fearing that she had not yet gained the clarity she was searching for She knew she was taking on a challenge but had no idea that this year would become the most fulfilling and sensual of her life No longer defined by her romantic pursuits Melissa learned to relish the delights of solitude the thrill of living on her own terms the pleasures unmediated by lovers and the freedom to pursue her ideals without distraction or guilt She began to see her life and her self worth in a radical new way Her year of divestment transformed her relationships with friends and peers her work creativity and most of all her relationship to herself The Dry Season is