by Asia Hayes

Sonya Renee Taylor opens her debut novel, The Body Is Not An Apology: The Power of Radical Self-Love, with a bold call to action:prompting readers to redefine self-love, and reminding us, “[r]adical self-love is not a destination you are trying to get to; it is who you already are.”

It almost sounds as if she’s about to present one of the many self help books or social media posts that aims to sell self-love as a product, but what she does instead is guide readers to explore the possibility of radical self-love, a concept that moves beyond confidence, self-esteem, or self-acceptance.

In 2010, Sonya Renee Taylor spoke the words “your body is not an apology” for the first time. The words sprang from a moment of vulnerability shared between herself and her teammate, Natasha, at the Southern Fried Poetry Slam. The words, shared for Natasha, were as much for her as they were Taylor. As a poet, the phrase followed Taylor like a “cosmic boomerang,” leading to the concept of radical self-love and its power as a tool for social change.

Through radical reflections and unapologetic inquiries introduced at the start of the book, Sonya Renee Taylor encourages readers to evaluate the cultural and societal norms about the body. Further, the book's social justice lens confronts readers with the reality of oppression, isms and phobias.

Taylor tells us, “too often, self-acceptance is used as a synonym for acquiescence.” The Body Is Not An Apology works to deconstruct how many people have come to conceptualize the mass  movement toward body positivity. Instead, Taylor offers a more radical approach, reminding us the way to radical self-love is a practice that pushes one toward an honest relationship with oneself.

Narratively, Taylor aims to break the pattern of traditional body acceptance work by incorporating thought-provoking questions and acknowledging the ways oppression impacts individuals and their bodies. Still, the book falls into some of the patterned traps of yet another social media platform or brand as a healthy alternative to the mainstream. While every unapologetic inquiry is a moment for reflection, and every radical reflection is a moment for innerwork to be done, readers can expect a few plugs for her website and social media platforms.

From the beginning, it’s made explicit that this book will not fix you. The book is not the solution to the problem; instead, think of it as the first step in one of the many ways we can approach radical self-love. The Body Is Not an Apology is an interruption that forces us to look at the body shame inside of us. Untangling the body shame that resides within us is not easy work. Taylor presents one path to recognize there are other options for how we see ourselves and how we interact with the world around us. As readers, there are various ways we can move forward from the book, including the gentle nudge toward the path to healing.

The Body Is Not an Apology gives readers permission to confront the shame around the body and be cradled by the authors' words. The book holds a mirror to the reader, reminding us we’re both a masterpiece and work in progress all at once.

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Asia is a graduate student in St. Louis, MO pursuing a joint Master of Social Work and Juris Doctorate degree. Her experience lies in educational justice and education-based nonprofit organizations. When she’s not in class, she can be found enjoying a cup of coffee and a good book.