Andrew Solomon joins writer, artist, and award-winning filmmaker Tanya Selvaratnam to discuss Tanya’s new book, Assume Nothing: A Story of Intimate Violence. Recorded on February 23, 2020.
In Assume Nothing, Tanya bravely recounts the intimate abuse she suffered while in a relationship with former NY State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, using her story as a prism to examine the domestic violence crisis around the world. She details finding the strength to leave, risking her career, reputation, and safety, and how she struggled in the wake of the abuse to reclaim her voice. Assume Nothing scrutinizes the insidious way women learn to accept abuse, regardless of socio-economic status, age, gender, race, or religion. With singular sensitivity and nuance, Tanya redefines what it means to be a victim of intimate violence.
Tanya Selvaratnam is the author of The Big Lie: Motherhood, Feminism, and the Reality of the Biological Clock. Her work has been published in The New York Times, Vogue, CNN, Glamour, and McSweeney’s. She is an Emmy-nominated and Webby-winning filmmaker, who has produced for Aubin Pictures, Glamour Women of the Year, Planned Parenthood, and the Vision & Justice Project.
