elseship: an unrequited affair

Writer and book designer Abraham’s (Cyclettes) foray into experimental memoir is by turns introspective, exasperating, and astonishing. Framed as an attempt to understand and explain a multiyear unrequited love affair with a roommate, the book incorporates journalistic writing, drawings, ephemera, and a healthy dose of etymological curiosity. This is a highly personal examination of an intimate relationship that sometimes borders on an obsession. Abraham’s love of complex language is evident. Content is gathered loosely into chapters organized by love-related terminology—Eros, philia, and more—and chronicles Abraham’s relationship to her beloved. Artwork, handwritten notes, and photographs illustrate and underscore the theories, memories, and rationalizations that make up this book. Some passages read like poetry, whereas others are more like diary entries.