Perhaps that comes at the end.Īlthough what jumps out most through all these texts is first and foremost the feeling of anger and the recognition of injustice and inequality fueling the emotion, there is also a desire on the part of these authors to not only tear down the flawed system, but also to build something up in its stead. I’ve made my way through portions of some of them, and come away feeling incensed and frustrated, but not really feeling quite incendiary or powerful because of being fueled by anger, necessarily. There’s a part of me that remains cautious while reading through them. Burn It Down edited by Lilly Dancyger, Seven Necessary Sins for Girls and Women by Mona Eltahawy), and I wouldn’t be surprised if the floodgates remain open with more and more titles being published over the next year or two at least, but all these books about women’s anger, the reasons behind the anger, what we can do to make things better for this generation and the next – I can’t help but wonder what will come of reading these titles.

A couple titles listed below are quite new (e.g. Broad-ranging and cathartic, Burn It Down is essential reading for any woman who has scorched with rage-and is ready to claim her right to express it.There’s been a flood of feminist titles being published in the past couple of years throughout 2018 & 2019, many of which have been fueled by so much anger accumulated over so many years that it has bubbled over and had to find an outlet, be written out and find an audience. In this ferocious collection of essays, twenty-two writers explore how anger has shaped their lives: author of the New York Times bestseller The Empathy Exams Leslie Jamison confesses that she used to insist she wasn't angry-until she learned that she was Melissa Febos, author of the Lambda Literary Award-winning memoir Abandon Me, writes about how she discovered that anger can be an instrument of power editor-in-chief of Bitch Media Evette Dionne dismantles the 'angry Black woman' stereotype and more.

We're expected to be composed and compliant, but in a world that would strip us of our rights, disparage our contributions, and deny us a seat at the table of authority, we're no longer willing to quietly seethe behind tight smiles. Print Burn It Down - Women Writing about AngerĪ rich, nuanced exploration of women's anger from a diverse group of writers Women are furious, and we're not keeping it to ourselves any longer.

Burn It Down by Lilly Dancyger