Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay

Bad Feminist

by Roxane Gay

'Pink is my favourite colour. I used to say my favourite colour was black to be cool, but it is pink – all shades of pink. If I have an accessory, it is probably pink. I read Vogue, and I’m not doing it ironically, though it might seem that way. I once live-tweeted the September issue.'

In these funny and insightful essays, Roxane Gay takes us through the journey of her evolution as a woman (Sweet Valley High) of colour (The Help) while also taking readers on a ride through culture of the last few years (Girls, Django in Chains) and commenting on the state of feminism today (abortion, Chris Brown). The portrait that emerges is not only one of an incredibly insightful woman continually growing to understand herself and our society, but also one of our culture.

Bad Feminist is a sharp, funny and sincere look at the ways in which the culture we consume becomes who we are, and an inspiring call-to-arms of all the ways we still need to do better.

Reviewed by clementine on

4 of 5 stars

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If someone asked me for a recommendation for a primer on feminism, I'd point them in the direction of this book. Roxane Gay is, generally, a wonderful, insightful, and balanced writer, who manages to make her point using personal anecdotes, current social and political movements, and pop cultural artifacts. Her essays are heartfelt and eloquent, sometimes hilarious and often heartbreaking. Some of her topics are a bit basic or played out, but her approach is always eloquent enough that it doesn't matter. My biggest issue with this book has to be that many of her references, while actually fairly recent, already seem dated - for instance, the Paula Deen fiasco was a flash in the pan that no longer seems relevant. Regardless, her writing is so compelling that this hardly detracts significantly from the merits of the book. Roxane Gay is one amazing woman, who writes so thoughtfully and powerfully while embracing and emphasizing her human side. Highly highly recommend to feminists new and old.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 8 January, 2015: Finished reading
  • 8 January, 2015: Reviewed