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Are women able to achieve anything they set their minds to? In How to Suppress Women’s Writing, award-winning novelist and scholar Joanna Russ lays bare the subtle—and not so subtle—strategies that society uses to ignore, condemn, or belittle women who produce literature. As relevant today as when it was first published in 1983, this book has motivated generations of readers with its powerful feminist critique.
posted by johnofjack on Oct 3, 2023 - 5 comments

[Some] people look at our history textbooks and say, "Oh no! We have only one president's weird sex letters, and that president is Warren G. Harding! We need a book that fixes that! This is that book. [more inside]
posted by Etrigan on Apr 12, 2023 - 0 comments

Through the lens of horror—from "Halloween" to "Hereditary"—queer and trans writers consider the films that deepened, amplified, and illuminated their own experiences. [more inside]
posted by johnofjack on Dec 29, 2022 - 4 comments

Six half-hour episodes that are sort of visual essays on specific subjects, but do not expect to learn how to do these things he's telling you about. Subjects include making risotto, covering your furniture, making small talk, splitting the check, putting up scaffolding, and improving your memory. They're often sweet, funny, a bit twisted, and occasionally profound. On HBO Max.
posted by Stanczyk on Dec 16, 2020 - 11 comments

I love making fun of movies. I love turning a piece of criticism into a piece of entertainment. I love pointing out a plot hole that makes a superfan write me an angry e-mail. I love turning my unsophistication into a tool. I love being hyperbolically, cathartically angry for no reason. I love being flippant and careless and earnest and meticulous all at once. Shit, Actually is inspired by a series of essays I started at Jezebel, in which I’d rewatch successful movies from the past to see how they hold up to our shifting modern sensibilities... What do we do now with beloved cultural works that don’t hold up?
posted by The corpse in the library on Dec 8, 2020 - 12 comments

An essay collection from Samantha Irby about ageing, marriage, settling down with step-children in white, small-town America.
posted by ellieBOA on Sep 10, 2020 - 7 comments

"I wanted to leave something for you girls [her daughters] for when I die, besides a collection of oversized glasses for you to sell on eBay. These letters explore a lot of the topics I wish my father I had discussed (and some I'm glad we didn't tbh). Then I figured, well, I should probably make some money off them if I'm going to spend all this time writing them. I didn't want to leave you with just my stand-up specials that feature me, pregnant with you, shouting all of my opinions and grodie stories at strangers."
posted by The corpse in the library on Dec 6, 2019 - 1 comment

A collection of essays on Trump, misogyny, segregated public schools, Joan Rivers, South Park, and how to moderate an audio-gear-swap Facebook page, among many other topics.
posted by The corpse in the library on Dec 6, 2019 - 1 comment

Named one of The Guardian's "Best Books of 2016." From the author of My Brilliant Friend. This book invites readers into Elena Ferrante’s workshop. It offers a glimpse into the drawers of her writing desk, those drawers from which emerged her three early standalone novels and the four installments of My Brilliant Friend, known in English as the Neapolitan Quartet. Includes over 20 years of letters, essays, reflections, and interviews. [more inside]
posted by MonkeyToes on Jul 15, 2018 - 0 comments