Editorial Content for Shoulder: a memoir
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In SHOULDER, artist and writer Moya Hession-Aiken recalls her years of early family security, youthful doubts, self-discovery and acclaim, and luminous love. This vibrant memoir ranges from the tough knocks of her Irish heritage to the glamorous glow of New York City.
Born in Ireland and raised in England, Hession-Aiken’s early memories center on the security she felt with her parents, Me-Mum and Me-Dad. This is in spite of the neighborhood they inhabited, which was slowly sinking into an urban slum, and the fact that they were scorned as devout Catholics in a mostly Protestant atmosphere. A young Hession-Aiken found friends there but was often tormented by aggressive, hateful classmates. Early on she struggled in school, declaring herself to be the class dunce --- until her creative capabilities were revealed, bringing a rise in status. By the time she was a teen, she sensed her destiny and was able to attend Manchester Polytechnic, where she excelled in the realm of textile design.
"A noted designer, Hession-Aiken shows off her skills as an author and a memoirist. She is able to put us squarely in the picture with simmering plot threads and often hilarious conversation and observation."
Always adventurous and prepared to take on new challenges, in the 1980s Hession-Aiken crossed the Atlantic, found sufficient shelter in Manhattan, and began to learn the American ways. Working as a waitress, not only did she have to figure out how to pronounce a wide range of menu items, she also had to know what foods they referred to --- which was all foreign to her Irish vocabulary. Her escapades before and after work, recounted here in bold language and present tense, were building her as a dynamic, feisty, fun-seeking female.
Hession-Aiken eventually gained a position in the garment industry as a textile designer, a work world filled with surprises, such as once losing a job simply because the industry guarded against possible design theft through routine dismissals. She diligently worked her way up in the profession to what would become award-winning artistry, gradually becoming accustomed to and immersed in American culture, and occasionally free to fly back home to visit Me-Mum and Me-Dad. Then, through work connections, she met Bill. After their first full evening together, she promised herself that she would marry him.
A noted designer, Hession-Aiken shows off her skills as an author and a memoirist. She is able to put us squarely in the picture with simmering plot threads and often hilarious conversation and observation. Readers sense that the “shoulder” of her title could be one with which to shove oneself forward as she did, one that bears burdens of which she had many, or one to cry on since a thread of tragedy runs through her narrative.
The depictions of Hession-Aiken’s wild and wonderful life in two countries, the family bonds that remained tight despite her many moves, her career triumphs in the face of multiple setbacks, and her pursuit of her one and only life partner will inspire readers and have them hoping for more words from this gifted writer.
Teaser
Growing up a headstrong Irish Catholic girl in a notoriously tough housing estate in Northern England, Moya Hession-Aiken has just one goal --- to live a rich, creative life in America. SHOULDER tells the story of the riotous and hilarious path from her boisterous but warm family back home to her education in London and her escape to New York in the 1980s, where she finds everything she’s looking for --- exciting jobs in the fashion industry and later at MTV --- but where she also meets the man of her dreams, only to lose him to cancer following the birth of their son. Told in a voice that is equal parts Alan Bennett and Frank McCourt, this is a story about the thrill of taking chances and the unbearable pain of loss, as well as a profound meditation on what it takes to survive and what it means to care for others.
Promo
Growing up a headstrong Irish Catholic girl in a notoriously tough housing estate in Northern England, Moya Hession-Aiken has just one goal --- to live a rich, creative life in America. SHOULDER tells the story of the riotous and hilarious path from her boisterous but warm family back home to her education in London and her escape to New York in the 1980s, where she finds everything she’s looking for --- exciting jobs in the fashion industry and later at MTV --- but where she also meets the man of her dreams, only to lose him to cancer following the birth of their son. Told in a voice that is equal parts Alan Bennett and Frank McCourt, this is a story about the thrill of taking chances and the unbearable pain of loss, as well as a profound meditation on what it takes to survive and what it means to care for others.
About the Book
Growing up a headstrong Irish Catholic girl in a notoriously tough housing estate in Northern England, Moya Hession-Aiken has just one goal --- to live a rich, creative life in America.
SHOULDER tells the story of the riotous and hilarious path from her boisterous but warm family back home to her education in London and her escape to New York in the 1980s, where she finds everything she’s looking for --- exciting jobs in the fashion industry and later at MTV --- but where she also meets the man of her dreams, only to lose him to cancer following the birth of their son.
Told in a voice that is equal parts Alan Bennett and Frank McCourt, this is a story about the thrill of taking chances and the unbearable pain of loss, as well as a profound meditation on what it takes to survive and what it means to care for others.
