Men Explain Things to Me: And Other Essays - Hardcover

Rebecca Solnit

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1783780797 ISBN 13: 9781783780792

Publisher: Granta, 2014

Synopsis

Rebecca Solnit's essay 'Men Explain Things to Me' has become a touchstone of the feminist movement, inspired the term 'mansplaining', and established Solnit as one of the leading feminist thinkers of our time - one who has inspired everyone from radical activists to Beyonce Knowles. Collected here in print for the first time is the essay itself, along with the best of Solnit's feminist writings. From rape culture to mansplaining, from French sex scandals to marriage and the nuclear family, from Virginia Woolf to colonialism, these essays are a fierce and incisive exploration of the issues that a patriarchal culture will not necessarily acknowledge as 'issues' at all. With grace and energy, and in the most exquisite and inviting of prose, Rebecca Solnit proves herself a vital leading figure of the feminist movement and a radical, humane thinker.

About this title

About the Author

Writer, historian, and activist Rebecca Solnit is the author of sixteen books about civil society, popular power, uprisings, art, environment, place, pleasure, politics, hope, and memory. She is a Harper’s contributing editor.

Review

"This slim book seven essays, punctuated by enigmatic, haunting paintings by Ana Teresa Fernandez hums with power and wit." Boston Globe

"The Antidote to Mansplaining." The Stranger

"Feminist, frequently funny, unflinchingly honest and often scathing in its conclusions." Salon

"Solnit tackles big themes of gender and power in these accessible essays. Honest and full of wit, this is an integral read that furthers the conversation on feminism and contemporary society." San Francisco Chronicle Top Shelf

"Solnit [is] the perfect writer to tackle the subject: Her prose style is so clear and cool." The New Republic

"The terrain has always felt familiar, but Men Explain Things To Me is a tool that we all need in order to find something that was almost lost." National Post

"Where opponents would argue that feminism is humorless and superfluous, Men Explain Things to Me is a compelling argument for the movement's necessary presence in contemporary society. It approaches the subject with candor and openness, furthering the conversation and opening a new Pandora's box that's apt to change the way we talk about women's rights." Shelf Awareness

"Solnit’s intimate understanding of how the twin bulwarks of language and silence fuel political agendas is only part of what makes her writing so exciting. The other essays in the collection complement the first (some are even stronger), but theirs is the poetic correlation of masterful storytelling. Ultimately Solnit’s interdisciplinary, patchwork narratives are drawn together by a single theme: hope." The Baffler

"An engaging primer on the realities of mansplaining." Bitch Magazine

"Solnit’s pull-no-punches observations... make this a valuable contribution to feminist theory." The Indypendent

"A riveting collection of feminist essays." Chicagoist

"A necessary read in these fraught times. Starting with the title essay, which went viral and inspired the ever-useful term 'mansplaining,' Solnit writes powerfully about the ways in which power is wielded in today’s society, and brings awareness to the staggering inequalities that we wrestle with on a daily basis." FlavorWire

"A brilliant, varied, and thoroughly enjoyable read and definitely an addition to my list of feminist faves." Lip Magazine

"Sharp-witted and bold... quintessential Solnit." Publishers Weekly

"Sharp narratives that illuminate and challenge the status quo of women's roles in the world. Slim in scope, but yet another good book by Solnit." Kirkus Reviews

"Fantastic" Amanda Palmer

About this edition

• Publisher: Granta
• Publication date: 2014
• ISBN 10: 1783780797
• ISBN 13: 9781783780792
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 144