Books

10 Essential Books About Writing

An illustration shows a person with brown skin and brown hair with a pencil in their mouth, bookshelves with blue, purple, yellow, and pink book covers behind them, and a laptop in front of them.
by Nylah Burton
April 6, 2022 at 12:07pm
Must-read titles for writers include works by Elena Ferrante, Akwaeke Emezi, Meg Wolitzer, Yoko Ogawa, and more.
A mom holds her child, both of their faces obscured. The sky is bright blue behind them.

“Impersonation” Explores a Power Struggle Between Two Feminist Moms

by Rachel Charlene Lewis
August 25, 2020 at 10:28am
What can a woman and a mother with no money afford to say no to? Read more »
black and white portrait of Iranian author Nazanine Hozar, a shorthaired woman looking at the camera

“Aria” Looks at Revolution through the Eyes of Children

by Hillary Gerber
August 25, 2020 at 9:00am
Children can act as a conduit for the reader who doesn’t understand something political. Read more »
A close-up of a woman in a lace top, her face obscured.

“The Hierarchies” Imagines a World Where Sex Robots Have Human Impulses

by Rachel Charlene Lewis
August 24, 2020 at 10:01am
It’s a shocking and eye-opening debut, one that has me looking at my coffee maker a little differently. Read more »
A collage of two books, one middle grade, and one adult, about sexual violence.

“True Story” and “Fighting Words” Extend the Legacy of “Speak”

by Emily Cataneo
August 19, 2020 at 11:36am
Twenty-one years later, we’re still telling similar stories to Speak—and yes, 21 years later, we still need them. Read more »
Tomboyland author Melissa Faliveno, who is white with short, dark hair and glasses.

Meat and Potatoes: In “Tomboyland,” Melissa Faliveno Asks Who Can Explore Queerness

by Rachel Charlene Lewis
August 18, 2020 at 11:55am
Given Faliveno’s commitment to honesty, there isn’t a moment in Tomboyland that feels chastising or heavy-handed. Read more »
Kendra Atleework, a white woman with red hair, stands outside, seemingly in the desert

“Miracle Country” Is a New Kind of Climate Change Memoir

by Izzie Ramirez
August 14, 2020 at 12:41pm
Miracle Country shines in the moments when Atleework dives deep into her own thoughts and feelings. Read more »
The cover of I Kissed Alice by Anna Birch, which shows two girls, one short with light curly hair, and one tall and slim with a preppy aesthetic and dark hair, with panels from a graphic novel above.

In “I Kissed Alice,” A Fanfiction Romance Blossoms Offline

by Rachel Charlene Lewis
August 13, 2020 at 10:08am
Rhodes and Iliana find freedom in each other. Read more »
Alisson Wood, a white author with brown hair, sits down on a bench

Alisson Wood Reclaims Her Power in “Being Lolita”

by Evette Dionne
August 11, 2020 at 10:00am
“My voice is my power, and I’m now able to share this with other women and make them feel like they’re not alone.” Read more »
Kate Stayman-London, a white woman with short, brown hair, looks at the camera over her shoulder

A New Fairy Tale: “One to Watch” Imagines a Fat Bachelorette

by Evette Dionne
August 7, 2020 at 9:00am
Kate Stayman-London beautifully pulls back the curtain on what fat women in particular endure, not only when attempting to find love, but also in simply existing. Read more »
Seyward Darby, a white woman with short, brown hair, stands outside wearing a blue, button-down shirt

Valorizing Purity: What White Women Gain from Racial Hatred

by Evette Dionne
August 4, 2020 at 9:00am
Women have often been written out of the history of hate and related phenomena. Read more »

Pages

Best of Bitch

Mock & Awe: Janet Mock on Truth-Telling, Community Building, and Writing the Story She Had Been Waiting for Her Whole Life

Janet Mock, a transgender Hawaiian woman with curly, brown hair, smiles
by Tina Vasquez
Spring 2014 • Maps & Legends
“Redefining Realness” is written with astounding honesty and heart. Read more »

A Look at How Media Writes Women of Color

by Victoria Law
November 17, 2014 at 5:07pm
Nearly every Saturday morning, feminists of color hold Twitter discussions taking a deeper look at issues, such as gender violence. It’s the... Read more »

Rewriting the Future: Using Science Fiction to Re-Envision Justice

by Walidah Imarisha
Spring 2015 • Law & Order
Our justice movements desperately need science fiction. Read more »

Eat, Pray, Spend: Priv-Lit and the New, Enlightened American Dream

Elizabeth Gilbert, a white woman wearing a navy blue jumpsuit, leans forward and holds hand with and Oprah Winfrey, a Black woman wearing a gray cardigan and jeans
by Joshunda Sanders
Summer 2010 • Action
Even as reports on joblessness, economic recovery, and home foreclosures suggest that no one is immune to risk during this recession, the popularity of women’s wellness media has persisted and, indeed, grown stronger.  Read more »