On Anxiety by 3 of Cups Press

On Anxiety Reviews

• 
  Gal

  Short stories, essays, and art that have me thinking, rethinking, and overthinking. I found my own thoughts and thought process being put down on paper in other people's words.
  I don't feel as alone or as fucked up.
  If you have anxiety or simply know someone who lives with anxiety - I highly recommend this anthology.
• 
  Lizzie Huxley-Jones

  This book is absolutely stunning. A collection of short fiction, essays, poetry and art, all focussing on various forms and presentations of anxiety. It will make you laugh, it will make you cry. It will introduce you to some of the most exciting new voices in publishing. I can guarantee all of these things.
  
  I'm one of the editors from 3 of Cups Press, so I've been lucky enough to work on this book. I read the final proof a couple of weeks back and was blown away by what we've created. Get on this.
• 
  Anna

  In retrospect, I’ve experienced anxiety all my life to some extent. I actually recognised it about six years ago and occasionally light upon an old memory with the thought, “Oh right, that was an anxiety attack and I didn’t realise it.” Anxiety is thus something I’m still trying to understand, as well as soothe and live with. I can be a real idiot about it, for example deciding that reading this anthology would be calming when feeling anxious. It wasn’t, although I found it gentler than I expected. Probably should have gone straight for the
  calming music, oh well. ‘On Anxiety’ collects a wide range of short pieces, mostly prose but some poetry and art too. Each is thoughtful and of high quality, while a few are outstanding. I found ‘Crossing Borders’ by Nicole Froio especially powerful in its depiction of anxiety caused by the UK government’s ‘hostile environment’ policy. A few pieces play with structure in neat ways, for example interviewing a character from the novel they want to write in ‘An Argument with Myself’ by Narayani Menon. The book is also beautifully presented, which is part of the reason I actually purchased a copy for once.
  
  A quote that I found especially apposite:
  
  

  Anxiety is the failure of the body to submit to what will be. To what could be. There are a hundred possibilities of what could happen to me and to the people I love and my brain conjured up the worst of them. Some of the worst of them have happened. So in that sense, reassurance can seem futile. Our bodies are proof of this day after day. The news is proof.
  And it’s shitty to live like that, with your pain balled up inside you like a wet tissue; with no map for what to do with it and no coping mechanisms other than the ones that hurt you or the people around you. [From ‘Alignment’ by Sophie Mackintosh]

  
  
  I’m impressed by the variety of different perspectives the anthology contributors approached the topic of anxiety from. Each piece contributes something distinctive and interesting, so together they form a striking mosaic.
• 
  Rachael Dewhurst

  Recommended to me by a friend, this anthology took a couple of a long tome to get my hands on. I was so excited when it arrived but it sat on my shelf for months; partly due to my own heightened anxiety at the time, partly because it intimidated me. I was sure I was going to love it - I’ve carried page tabs around with me as I have been reading it. My expectations did not come to fruition, very sadly.
  
  There are a few things about On Anxiety that I really appreciate and would be remiss of me not to praise. Firstly, the obvious dedication to diversity. Showcased are contributors of different gender identities, sexualities, race, field of interest, socio-economic background, cultures.... Anxiety is shown very effectively to be extremely unprejudiced; it really does have the power effect everyone.
  
  The acceptance of different formats also helped to keep the collection feeling varied and accessible: traditional essays, comic strips, poetry, interviews were all deployed.
  
  However, overall I found myself feeling bored. So bored I almost DNF’d this book, but persevered as abandoning ship with 20 pages remaining felt redundant. While there was diversity the tone, with a couple exceptions, felt very monotone to me and almost lacking depth.
  
  That said, I don’t think this is a bad anthology, not at all. I just don’t think it’s for me.
  
  Favourite essay: Crossing Borders - Nicole Froio
• 
  Sarah

  These stories are so brilliant and diverse and so eye opening to all the different kinds of anxiety.
  Just a warning though, I had never had a triggering experience before reading this book but some of the stories are very intense.
• 
  Essi

  Highly relatable content. Just what I needed. Some of it very stressful too, but I needed this right now. Didn't check the resources in the end yet, but I'm sure they will be helpful too, when I get to them.
• 
  Jen

  There are so many self-help books about anxiety it’s easy to get bogged down with their facts and advice, or the miracle cures that say buy me and all will be well! This book is a perfect antidote to all that, not that there’s anything wrong with self-help books but if you are constantly trying to find the right one to help you, they’re not helping. Take a break from all that and read this book and know you’re not alone.
  
  This book has poems, stories, art and essays featuring individuals experiences with anxiety.
  
  I have so much respect for these brave people. They are excellent writers you feel as though they’re sitting next to you and telling their stories just for you, interesting and engaging stories.
  
  The Mania of Wakefulness by Sarvat Hasin is a personal account of the problem of not being able to sleep, often caused by anxiety or an over active mind, this story discusses solutions that have and haven’t worked. Crossing Borders by Nicole Froio educated me with a story about how it feels to be a Latina crossing the border into the US and the UK. Coast In Breezes by Hannah Williams such a well written, atmospheric, almost poetic, honest read. Stress Reduction for Companion Birds by Elf Goldstone is so creative and perfectly illustrates the anxious state. The Alligator by Alice Slater is so visual and … I can’t pick a favourite out of this collection. I could go on: every entry of this creative unique anthology is engaging and the quality of the writing is amazing! I’m sorry if I haven’t mentioned what I like about all of the stories etc but they are all good and there’s nothing I didn’t like. You’ll just have to buy a copy and see for yourself 😉 I couldn’t appreciate the artwork on an ebook which is why I need a physical copy!
  
  This is one of the most diverse books I have read and whilst I can’t relate to everything (Black Girl Healing: Making It Better) the thoughts about anxiety are universal and I enjoyed reading these stories and being educated. I love to read about people who are from cultures other than my own, they are enlightening and it’s important to learn about other peoples lives, to understand and get to know them. At the end of the day we are all people, we are the same!
  
  I’d recommend this book to anxiety sufferers, so that they might not feel so alone and to those who know someone as it can help them to understand the complex goings on of the anxious mind. And for anyone who is intrigued or who wants to know more and educate themselves about this invisible but often debilitating and hurtful thing that is anxiety: which has many forms from panic attacks and OCD to GAD where worry and overthinking can dominate almost every thought.
• 
  Yiqiu

  I absolutely love this collection!! So good! Probably it will be the best book I've read this year... There are moments when I think how wonderful to understand English and get to know about the world through that language, and this book definitely makes me feel this way - only that it is not 'this world', but 'my world', to be precise.
  
  I am not saying I am a particularly anxious person although I do suffer from it from time to time. What I mean by 'my world' is that it feels like the book is speaking my language because of its diverse range of topics (shapes of anxiety) and authors. I have a close friend suffering from insomnia; I struggle with crossing both physical and psychological borders; I sometimes feel under-represented; I live in a society where the value of art is constantly questioned. I have been there. I was touched, enlightened, inspired by these stories. You don't have to be anxious to feel that the stories/ experiences are close to your heart.
  
  I think the form of the collection (short stories, comics, poems) really works for this topic. As the editor put in the foreword, there are a lot of self-help books in the market, but simply telling the stories of one's own can be equally empowering. This book sends out a message that you do not have to be an expert to talk about this issue. Also, as one of the essays suggests that it is likely that the battle with anxiety can be a lifelong one. Then it may be helpful if you somehow transform it into the narrative (in written or spoken form) and acknowledges the fact that an easy cure is not easy to be found - and it is okay.
  
  My fav pieces are 'Alignment', 'Crossing Borders', 'An argument with Myself', and 'What uses of Flowers'. 'Alignment' is just so beautifully written. It is honest, raw when coming to depict the symptoms of anxiety and I can't agree more with the author's analysis of the fascination with horoscope. I absolutely love 'Crossing Borders' as I was an international student myself. The depiction cannot be more accurate. I don't think the experience of being an international student has been known by others and I thank the author for putting our experience into the beautiful essay. 'An argument' is funny and smart. 'What uses' is also a piece that feels very close to my heart.
  
  I hope this collection can reach a wider audience. It deserves it!
  
  
• 
  Georgia

  “Anxiety is universal, regardless of background, race, gender identity or sexuality.”
  
  I hate to give a low rating but I want to be honest. Because On Anxiety is a diverse range of peoples experiences, I’m not going to say how this lacked for me. Though I will say that it took me longer than expected to read, perhaps because of the large amount of authors - which is something I’m not used to.
  
  Instead I shall highlight the pieces that stood out to me:
  Alignment by Sophie Mackintosh
  Crossing Borders by Nicole Froio (my personal favourite)
  Coast in Breezes by Hannah Williams
  An Argument with Myself by Narayani Menon
  Spinning Straw into Gold by Grace Au
  What Uses of Flowers by Deborah Frempong
  Me I.R.L. by Siobhan Britton
  
  Please do not let this (short) review put you off! What didn’t work for me may well work for you.
• 
  Quinn

  This was a really good collection of essays/art; These ones in particular stood out to me.
  
  * Alignment - Sophie Mackintosh
  
  * Crossing Borders - Nicole Froio
  
  * Coast in Breezes - Hannah Williams
  
  * Spinning Straw into Gold - Grace Au
  
  * Pon di Road - Shanicka Anderson
  
  * (F)logging On - Sharlene Teo
  
  * Certain Calamity - Lori England
  
  * What Uses of Flowers - Deborah Frempong
  
  * Sonant - Eley Williams
  
  *Black Girl Healing: Making It Better - Marianne Tatepo
  
  * Me I.R.L - Siobhan Britton (art)
  
  
• 
  shit face

  [Note: This review is adapted from a full-length review article for the blog Powered By Girl]
  
  On Anxiety is a diverse project, full of wide-ranging voice and experiences across its central theme. It comprises 24 works from creators both well-established and new to the scene, including fiction, poetry, prose, comics, art.
  
  On Anxiety serves to provide comfort and companionship to fellow sufferers, whilst acting as an illuminating introduction for those less familiar. As someone who suffers from anxiety, I saw myself reflected in many of the works in the anthology. I also came to understand how my various privileges cushion me from certain aspects of the anxious experience. On Anxiety introduced me to these concepts gently and without judgement, opening my mind to the breadth I had perhaps not yet considered.
  
  My favourite contribution to On Anxiety is Sophie Mackintosh’s gorgeous personal essay “Alignment”. Sophie – like me, a Scorpio with an Aries moon – finds comfort from her own anxieties through astrology and horoscopes. The familiarity of her thought processes, couched in beautiful, meandering prose, was like a hand on my shoulder as I read. Anxiety can be a horrendously limiting illness, and the people it preys on come from all walks of life, but we never truly suffer alone. There’s always someone whose story reads similarly to our own, and I suspect many people will find them in On Anxiety.