Continued, It Girl
A real escape is possible when all eyes are on you.
That’s how it’s always felt to me. When I’m up there on that stage, or in front of the camera, or posing before the canvas, I can become whatever it is they wish to see.
My greatest power as a performer came from the fact that I knew how to make my Self disappear.
—Evelyn Talbot, in a letter written to Mr. Anthony Comstock, published after her death
Was it a blessing or a curse, this knack I had? The knack for knowing how people saw me. What they saw and what they didn’t—even when they were looking right at me.
Twinned with that knowing was my ability to give them what they wanted.
Until I realized: I’ve had enough of doing that. What about what I want?
If I could find a way to answer that question, then the much harder question would follow: How am I going to get it?