''Run Towards the Danger'' is a 2022 Canadian essay collection by
Sarah Polley, a former child star, director, and screenwriter.
The six essays in the collection examine aspects of
Polley's career on stage, screen, and on film detailing her roles in a
Stratford Festival
The Stratford Festival is a theatre festival which runs from April to October in the city of Stratford, Ontario, Canada. Founded by local journalist Tom Patterson in 1952, the festival was formerly known as the Stratford Shakespearean Festival ...
production of ''
Alice Through the Looking Glass'', as well as her breakout roles in ''
The Adventures of Baron Munchausen'' and the TV series ''
Road to Avonlea
''Road to Avonlea'' is a Canadian television series first broadcast in Canada between January 7, 1990, and March 31, 1996, as part of the ''CBC Family Hour'' anthology series, and in the United States starting on March 5, 1990. It was created b ...
''. The book also revealed for the first time that Polley had been a victim of
Jian Ghomeshi who sexually and physically assaulted her when she was 16 and he was 28.
Summary
The book is composed of six essays:
*''Alice Collapsing'', about Polley's time performing in the
Stratford Festival
The Stratford Festival is a theatre festival which runs from April to October in the city of Stratford, Ontario, Canada. Founded by local journalist Tom Patterson in 1952, the festival was formerly known as the Stratford Shakespearean Festival ...
production of ''Alice Through the Looking Glass'' and her battle with scoliosis.
*''The Woman Who Stayed Silent'', about Polley's decision not to come forward about being sexually assaulted by
Jian Ghomeshi.
*''High Risk'', about Polley's high-risk pregnancy with her first daughter, Eve.
*''Mad Genius'', about the danger and abuse she suffered while shooting ''
The Adventures of Baron Munchausen'' at 9 years old.
*''Dissolving the boundaries'', about her trip to
Prince Edward Island as an adult and reflecting on her unhappy time filming the TV series ''
Road to Avonlea
''Road to Avonlea'' is a Canadian television series first broadcast in Canada between January 7, 1990, and March 31, 1996, as part of the ''CBC Family Hour'' anthology series, and in the United States starting on March 5, 1990. It was created b ...
''.
*''Run Towards the Danger'', about a life changing concussion, the symptoms of which persevered for nearly 4 years.
Reception
The collection received a positive review from
CBC which praised it for "riveting clarity".
References
2022 non-fiction books
Canadian essay collections
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