ENB: When you say, “perfume allows a body to escape circumstance,” I think about portals and the importance of escapism...the creation of other universes and new worlds. What role does fantasy play here? It seems like it's like something you almost use as a tool to get outside of whatever reality we're given. Tanäis: I start with that line and as you get deeper in the book, you see how scent and survival are deeply connected. Part of being human is to confront your own mortality, your own filth, your own decrepitude. You know, falling apart. We found ways to escape through fragrant substances. To me, the idea of escape and transcendence is rooted in this ancient idea of ascending to ancestor, like when you're burning incense, but it's also rooted in materials that are of this earth, that take you back to your body. 🌸🐍🪷 We love this interview with Tanais in conversation with @bombmag about “The Fragrance of Belonging” and IN SENSORIUM, Tanaïs’s lyrical memoir about fragrances, their histories, and the decolonizing resilience of the American Bangladeshi Muslim artist. IN SENSORIUM is available now from @harperbooks 🐍🌸🌟