The Women of David Lynch: A Collection of Essays

David Lynch, one of America's most misunderstood filmmakers, has for decades had to cope with accusations of misogyny from critics like Roger Ebert, but the funny thing is the women actors who appear in his films almost uniformly love working with him, and the together they have crated some of the most fascinating and multidimensional female character in cinema history, several of whom are celebrated in this anthology of essays by critics, scholars, writers, and fans of the directors work.David Lynch has been accused for decades of sexism and even misogyny in his work, due largely to frequent depictions of violence against women. Yet others see in Lynch’s work the deification of the female, and actresses like Laura Dern and Naomi Watts jump at every opportunity to work with him. “He is the master of the juxtaposition of the creepy and the sweet, the sexual and the chaste,” wrote W’s Lynn Hirschberg. “And at the heart of this tense, intriguing friction, you will always find Lynch’s women.” The Women of Lynch is a deep, provocative dive into this paradox, featuring twelve essays, thought pieces, and impressionistic interpretations of Lynch’s depiction of women on screen by an eclectic array of accomplished female critics, scholars, performers, and writers, each tackling this vexing conundrum in her own unique way. It also contains brand new interviews with Lynch actresses Mädchen Amick (Shelly Johnson, Twin Peaks) and Charlotte Stewart (Eraserhead, Twin Peaks)

This book contains essays by:

x. An Introduction by Philippa Snow

1. The Uncanny Electricity of David Lynch’s Women by Leigh Kellmann Kolb

2. Women’s Films: Melodrama and Women’s Trauma in the Films of David Lynch by Lindsay Hallam

3. A Colorless Sky: On the Whiteness of Twin Peaks by Melanie McFarland

4. Welcome to the Bipolar Silencio Club! by Hannah Klein

5. Warding off the Darkness with Coffee and Pie by Mallory O'Meara

6. “This is where we talk, Shelly.” An Interview with Mädchen Amick by Lindsey Bowden

7. The Triple Goddess by Lauren Fox

8. Isabella Rossellini: The Shocking “Real” in Blue Velvet by Kathleen Fleming

9. Tea And Sympathy: Mrs. Kendal and The Elephant Man by Rebecca Paller

10. Jade: Ornamental Gem or Protective Talisman? A Character Study by Marisa C. Hayes

11. "Mary X Marks The Spot." An Interview with Charlotte Stewart by Lisa Hession

12. Impressions of Lynch: Journaling a Requiem by Mya McBriar

Scott Ryan is the author of The Last Days of Letterman, Always Music in the Air, Fire Walk With Me: Your Laura Disappeared, Lost Highway: The Fist of Love, Massillon Against the World, and the best seller Moonlighting: An Oral History. He is the host of the YouTube series Tiger Talk, the co-president of Fayetteville Mafia Press and Tucker DS Press, and the managing editor and creative director of The Blue Rose magazine. Yes, he does collect vinyl records, is against streaming, and thinks the internet made everything worse.
David Bushman is the author of four books, including, Murder at Teal’s Pond: Hazel Drew and the Mystery That Inspired Twin Peaks (2022), Conversations with Mark Frost (2020), Forget It, Jake, It’s Schenectady and the editor of a series of Doctor Who essay books: The Companions of and Villains of Doctor Who (2022, 2024). He is a former television curator at The Paley Center for Media and TV editor at Variety. He is cofounder and copresident of Fayetteville Mafia Press and Tucker DS Press.