Bodywavin' Through the BS: A Midlife Memoir

Artistic intellectual Amanda Seales humorously tells stories of the lows that rocked her life and the inspiring ways she regained her rhythm.

In Bodywavin’ Through the BS, join actor and activist Amanda Seales as she rides the rhythm of life—through its unpredictability and unfairness—with resilience and grace. Known for her candid humor and insightful social commentary, Amanda opens up about her experiences navigating cutthroat classrooms, the flipside of fame, a pop-up pregnancy, daddy issues, healing from assault, achieving unwavering self-acceptance, and more. Offering a raw, relatable, and spiritually grounded narrative that resonates with anyone who has ever felt misunderstood or underestimated, Amanda’s growth is a tool for others. The book will cover topics such as:

1. Limboing through TAKING CHANCES…high school & high stakes
2. Electric Slidin’ through a DREAM DEFERRED…collegiate course correction
3. Swag Surfin’ through a SEXUAL ASSAULT…sweating out the suffering
4. Tootsie Rollin’ through a NERVOUS BREAKDOWN…toppling past the tipping point
5. Roger Rabbiting through PREGNANCY…momentary motherhood
6. Moonwalkin’ through MY MISCARRIAGE…the labor of loss
7. Jookin’ through AUTISM…a skeleton key of the self
8. Nae Naein’ through FATHER ISSUES…divorcing from DNA
9. The Running Man to being RADICALIZED…seeing through the fire
10. Two Steppin’ through a MIDLIFE AWAKENING…taking root within the roots

Amanda shares pivotal moments that tripped her up, such as bouncing back from being kicked out of a prestigious theater conservatory to creating her own Black studies major, the series of events that built up to her having a nervous breakdown minutes before going on live TV, and the incredible impact of her late-in-life Autism self-diagnosis. As Amanda has often said, “My philanthropy is in my transparency,” and here she generously provides detailed accounts of the various therapies, people, and processes that she applied to regain her footing to walk her path of purpose. Tough truths, wry observations, and a litany of lessons, her story is not just about surviving, but thriving, and encouraging you to embrace life’s many modulations and adapt to the beat!