Skid Dogs by Emelia Symington-Fedy

Emelia Symington-Fedy grew up with her girl gang on the railroad tracks of a small town in British Columbia. Unsupervised and wild, the girls explored the power and shortcomings of "best" friendships and their growing sexuality.

Two decades later an 18-year-old girl is murdered on Halloween on the same tracks, and Symington-Fedy returns to her hometown to stay with her mother, who is fearful of a murderer at large.

While the media narrows its focus on how the girl dared be alone on the tracks, Symington-Fedy slowly comes to terms with the mistreatment of her own teenage body. Giving a bold and often darkly humorous first-hand account of nineties rape culture and the sexual coercion that still permeates girlhood, Symington-Fedy holds her hometown close and accountable and exposes the subtle ways that misogyny shows up daily. Award-winning poet and author Aislinn Hunter describes Skid Dogs as a "riveting, raucous and tender look at growing up a girl in a boy's world. [] Beautifully written and bravely told, this book is the Stand By Me for girls that's been far too long in coming."(From Douglas & McIntyre)

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Emelia Symington-Fedyis an essayist, storyteller and documentary producer. She is the creator of the popular blog and radio show that became an audiobook, Trying to Be Good: The Healing Powers of Lying, Cheating, Stealing, and Drugs.Shegrew up in Armstrong, B.C. and currently lives in Shuswap, B.C.

Interviews withEmelia Symington-Fedy

Radio West13:41Armstrong author Emelia Symington Fedy honors the life of murdered teen Taylor Van Diest and highlights teen friendship and 90s rape culture in her new memoir, Skid Dogs.

Armstrong author Emelia Symington Fedy honors the life of murdered teen Taylor Van Diest and highlights teen friendship and 90s rape culture in her new memoir, Skid Dogs.