Do you know Molly Gaudry? Because you should.
I don’t want to bury the lead, so if you want to get to know her, start by helping her out at Fly with Molly. But more on that in the minute.
I mention this because I’m a huge fan of Molly. She’s a hell of a writer — just last month I finally got round to reading her stunning prose-verse-novella We Take Me Apart and the book kept me up at night, thinking about all the new things she made possible in her writing. She’s also a hell of a literary citizen — in addition to all the work she does on her own to support and promote writers and books, she’s also one of the masterminds behind The Lit Pub.
But Molly suffers from double vision, cognitive functioning, and sensory processing disorder. That’s just about the worst thing that could happen to a scholar, writer, and bookseller, and it’s been hard times. Vision therapy. Physical therapy. Occupational therapy. Craniosacral therapy, myofascial trigger point release therapy, mental health therapy . . . . And that’s on top of all her writing, her academic work, her Lit Pub business, her marketing . . . .
There’s good news, though: Molly has found tremendous success with AntiGravity Fitness.
AntiGravity Fitness incorporates physical therapy and “heavy work,” proprioceptive and vestibular stimulation and feedback, deep tissue trigger point massage, and, with the help of the hammock’s tight, total body “squeeze” (which is like wearing a “hug vest”) my central nervous system is calmed enough that I am better able to self-regulate prior to sensory overload or sensory meltdown caused by overstimulating environments (classrooms, grocery stores, movie theaters, etc.)
The system has been so effective in helping Molly with her challenges (you can read more here) that she wants to share it with others, to help others. To do that, she’s going to become a certified instructor in AntiGravity Fitness.
But to accomplish this, she’s going to need some funding. Which is where I come in.
Molly has been so supportive of the literary community that the literary community is stepping up to help. Molly’s running a fundraiser through Indiegogo, called Fly with Molly, and writers and publishers have been stepping up to offer perks for anyone willing to help her out.
My perk is part of the CCM/Sunnyoutside Bundle: Contribute $70, and, as a thank you, you’ll get four books from Civil Coping Mechanism plus a signed copy of my chapbook, Box Cutters.
Of course, you don’t have to take that offer: there are also a couple of perk packages from Ampersand Books, as well as loads of options from writers, artists, editors, and Molly herself. Or you could always just chip in — any amount helps — and skip the perks altogether. Whatever works for you.
At the very least, visit Fly with Molly, read her story, and share it with everyone you know. Social media, blogs, gyms, street corners.
And thanks from me and the rest of the literary community.
Samuel Snoek-Brown 