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.
The Source of Self-Regard: Selected Essays, Speeches, and Meditations by Toni Morrison in white text on a pink background

Toni Morrison Champions the Arts in “The Source of Self-Regard”

by Bitch HQ
February 12, 2019 at 11:08am
Let these Toni Morrison quotes about writers and creators inspire you. Read more »
a Black woman with gray locs smiles at the camera

Toni Morrison Is the Source of Her Own Self-Regard

by Joshunda Sanders
February 12, 2019 at 10:02am
The Queen of American Letters has again blessed us with a work that is profound, soaring, and intimate. Read more »
three Black women holding each other while staring at the camera

“Beloved,” Black Women, and the Limits of Freedom

by Jenn Jackson
February 12, 2019 at 9:55am
Beloved is a touchstone for the complexities of today’s Black freedom struggle. Read more »
an old photo of a Black woman wearing a black tuxedo jacket with a white tie

Set Yourself Free: How Generations of Black Women Have Fought Incarceration

by Joshunda Sanders
February 11, 2019 at 10:12am
Black women have historically fought constraint and oppression. Read more »
a white woman with shoulder-length blonde hair and red lipstick wearing a black t-shirt

Lane Moore On Surviving Lifelong Loneliness

by Evette Dionne
February 8, 2019 at 8:25am
I wanted to write a book for people like myself because no one writes for us.  Read more »
stock photo of sex toys

Plastic Pleasure: Hallie Lieberman On the Liberating Future of Sex Toys

by Suzannah Weiss
February 6, 2019 at 12:13pm
Acceptance of sex toys is not necessarily an acceptance of women’s masturbation. Read more »
a book cover of a white man with a blue hat and a brown book bag looking at a white fraternity house

The Misguided Pursuit of “Better” Manhood at American Fraternities

by Imran Siddiquee
February 6, 2019 at 10:11am
The dominant narrative around fraternities has long been one of peer pressure, blackout drinking, and cruel hazing rituals. So why are so many male students, especially white ones, as excited as ever to join them? Read more »
Cover of Handbook for a Post-Roe America by Robin Marty features the title in white against a red background

Preparing for a Post-Roe America: A Q&A with Robin Marty

by Caroline Reilly
January 24, 2019 at 2:02pm
Robin Marty’s Handbook for Post-Roe America is the resource guide for anyone who wants to dedicate their time, money, energy—or all of the above—to keeping abortion accessible in this country while it’s legal, and even if it’s not. Read more »
a photo of a white woman with long, brown hair wearing a white t-shirt and a navy blue cardigan

“Maid” and the Resurgence of Hardship Memoirs

by s.e. smith
January 18, 2019 at 11:36am
Stephanie Land doesn’t frame her story as an inspiring tale of bootstrapping, a blueprint for others, or evidence that grit and determination are all it takes to escape poverty. Read more »
a white woman with brown, curly hair stares at the camera

Oh, the Places Rage Will Take You: “Last Woman Standing” Reckons with Comedy’s Predators

by Sara Rauch
January 15, 2019 at 11:57am
As a culture, are we fully invested in seeking justice for women who have suffered at the hands of men? Read more »

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Best of Bitch

Demanding the Impossible: Walidah Imarisha Talks About Science Fiction and Social Change

by Kristian Williams
April 13, 2015 at 2:23pm
Before she was a poet, journalist, documentary filmmaker, anti-prison activist, and college instructor, Walidah Imarisha was fascinated... 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 »

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 »

Hot Under the Bonnet: The Cooptation of Amish Culture in Mass-Market Fiction

a blue and white illustration of a woman in Amish attire standing next to a fan and a chicken
by Audrey deCoursey
Spring 2014 • Maps & Legends
Dubbed “Amish romance novels,” “Amish fiction,” or the more waggish “bonnet rippers,” these novels just one entry point into the varying images of Amish communities in U.S. popular culture. Read more »