All Eyes on Me
Marisa L. Manuel
Citations
Abstract
All Eyes on Me tells the story of Desiree, an aroace (aromantic/asexual) intimacy coordinator with intimacy issues. While filming a low-budget RomCom, she and the rest of the cast and crew are stunned to find that one of the actors is suddenly without genitals. As more and more people lose parts of themselves, the Director says, the show must go on, and poor Desiree finds herself under the spotlight of a RomCom-gone-horror show.
Written partially in an abridged screenplay format, All Eyes on Me is an exploration of genre, sexuality, and the lengths that people will go to in order to achieve their dreams. It attempts to show the absurdity of an allosexual/romantic (ie, not ace or aro) world as seen through an aroace person’s eyes. It also critiques the idea that anyone can ever fully know themselves, while also advocating strongly that attempting to know yourself is a goal all its own. Finally, the novel spotlights the ways in which others’ perceptions mold us and our desires, and how we can go against those molds.
It is my hope that All Eyes on Me will find a home in the aroace literary canon, helping to legitimize and diversify the “genre” while making other aroaces feel seen.
