I Know What's Best for You: Stories on Reproductive Freedom

by Shelly Oria (Editor), Tommy Orange (Contributor), R.O. Kwon (Contributor)

Edited by Shelly Oria (Indelible in the Hippocampus) this explosive, intersectional collection of essays, fiction, poems, plays, and more, explores the universality of human reproductive experiences, as well as their distinct individuality.

Twenty-eight contributors examine issues both timely and, somehow, timeless: policing of women’s bodies, the choice to live child-free lives, the lack of access to reproductive health, the misogyny, racism, and other forms of bigotry inherent in the medical system, and the fear of what the future might hold.

In their own unique and unforgettable way, each storyteller examines our crisis of access to care in ways that are at turns haunting, heartbreaking, and outright funny.

This collection is a collaboration with the Brigid Alliance, a nationwide service that arranges and funds confidential and personal travel support to those seeking abortion care.

Genres: Nonfiction, Essays, Feminism, Poetry, Short Stories, Politics, Memoir

480 pages, Paperback

First published May 24, 2022

About the author

Shelly Oria was born in Los Angeles and grew up in Israel. Her short story collection, New York 1, Tel Aviv 0, came out from FSG and Random House Canada in November 2014. Shelly's fiction has appeared in The Paris Review, McSweeney's, fivechapters, and Electric Lit's Recommended Reading among other places, and won the Indiana Review Fiction Prize, a Sozopol Fiction Seminars Fellowship in Bulgaria, and the LMCC Workspace Residency among other awards. She holds an MFA from Sarah Lawrence College, curates the series Sweet! Actors Reading Writers in the East Village, has a private practice as a creativity coach, and teaches fiction at Pratt Institute, where she also co-directs the Writers' Forum.

Reviews

[J Yong · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this more than I did. There were some powerful pieces, specifically by Sally Wen Mao and Tiphanie Yanique. However, a lot of the contributions, namely by the editor, Shelly Oria, rang somewhat false in this discussion of reproductive rights. There is a lot of i'm-white-but-I-feel-marginalized-by-abortion-policy-and-my-experience-should-be-louder-than-those-other-women. Essentially, a lot of these vignettes were just dripping in white guilt. To top it all off, after finishing the book, I was conducting some research on the editor (namely because of the questionably politics she inserts in her fiction work). After a bit of digging, I discovered she is actively pro-israel .... good thing this is a library book so that I am not directly supporting her.

[Jenny of Oldstones · Rating 2 out of 5]

The problem with anthologies like this, stories with a message, is that the people who need convincing will never read it and those who don't, but read it anyway, wish they'd spent their time on something less messy. This collection is a BIG MESS. And I only enjoyed two stories out of the entire thing.

Let's Just Be Normal and Have a Baby by Alison Espach
Steel Womb by Carrie Bornstein

I'm not going to mince words, I am extremely pro-abortion, but so long as the same people who want reproductive freedom as much as I do are using "intersectionality" to divide everyone, we're never going to get it. This anthology is an example of it. I feel very certain that every single one of the contributors lives a more "privileged" life than I do. Yet, many wear specific identities that mark them as particularly disadvantaged. Well, I've got more than a few boxes on that oppression bingo card covered too, but none of those things have made as much an impact on my life as simply being born and socialized as a girl. When it comes to getting what they want, the opposition is united. Until we do the same and stop competing for imaginary victimhood points, we'll continue to lose.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such an intense read, but a very well done anthology! You’d think it would get repetitive or boring to read reproductive justice stories for 455 pages, but there’s so much variety in genre, form, style, and life experiences that it truly doesn’t. It’s certainly heavy though, so I’d recommend taking breaks or interspersing it with something lighter. I really appreciated the way this anthology mixes fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction—it helps with pacing and makes it much more engaging as a text.

Some of my favorites were:
-Let’s Just Be Normal and Have a Baby by Alison Espach (fiction) — husband who never wanted kids and is dying of cancer suddenly starts demanding they have a baby
-Maheov by Tommy Orange (fiction) — features a native character talking about how his mom was sterilized and somehow, he was born, a miracle
-Not Anyone’s Hero by Khadijah Queen (creative nonfic) — about a woman in the military who got pregnant and kept the baby, and how she was treated for doing so
-The Babies by Kristen Arnett (fiction) — love Arnett’s work. This was about a queer couple getting pregnant and losing the baby (there’s a heart-stabbing twisty moment in the final pages).

[Katie ratherbereadinggg]

DNF ~ 20%

[Evelyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a good idea and well intentioned book. Unfortunately it falters in its execution. It presents an anthology of nonfiction and fiction including autobiographical essays, opinion pieces, plays, poetry, short stories and a novella on the subject of reproductive freedom in an effort to raise funds to support freedom of choice. The material is not curated, or organized by subject matter. Instead it is thrown together in a pell-mell fashion.

There are a few good pieces among the jumble of mediocre and bad ones.

The collection seems slanted in its viewpoint. Reproductive freedom encompasses both abortion, and the decision to give birth. Yet, the former is the norm in the selections, while the decision to become a mother is one clouded by complications threatening the mother’s life, adversely impacting her health, or forcing her to have a child she doesn’t want and changing her life for the worse in the pieces in the book. None truly convey the joy of motherhood for some individuals, which should be a consideration, when discussing the freedom to chose and women’s rights.

[Meghan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a unique anthology of short stories, poems, comics, nonfiction, photography, and more discussing women’s health issues and reproductive freedom. Definitely a relevant, if not urgent read. It was dense and some stories definitely resonated more than others, but that’s to be expected! The upside to having such a wide array of stories approaching the same topic is that there’s something here for everyone. Some of my favorites were Women Like Me, The Fig Queen, and Scarlett Letter. Also, it’s in collaboration with the Brigid Alliance, a nationwide service that arranges and funds confidential and personal travel support to those seeking abortion care, so a portion of proceeds goes to the Brigid Alliance :-)

[Lesley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shelly Oria strikes again. Not as much of a punch in the gut as Indelible was but still an entirely worthy collection of fiction, non fiction, poetry and art that is wonderfully compiled.

[Maddie · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️. Found this book randomly at the library and it did not disappoint. Really good story telling both fictional and nonfictional.

[Sarah Rowan · Rating 2 out of 5]

A few great stories in there but felt a bit disorganized as one book.

[Haley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lots of trigger warnings, but a very necessary read.

[Olivia U. ☺]

Don’t feel good giving a book with so many different contributors a rating. I liked some more than others, but what I disliked was the editor. She put two of her own pieces in there, and they were not very good. I don’t trust anybody who is a “life and creativity coach” (from her bio in the back of the book) My favorites were: Christians in the Catacombs, My Nieces, Divorcedly, The Fig Queen, Maheov, Women Like Me, and Let’s Just Be Normal and Have a Baby.

[Jessica White · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was in Atlanta with my sister shortly after Roe v. Wade was overturned.

We stumbled around Ponce City Market and found Posman Books. I wasn't looking for anything in particular but I kept going back to this book. I kept picking it up. I had finished reading You're the Only One I've Told by Dr. Meera Shah just a few weeks earlier. Finally, one of the employees said she was currently reading this book. I told her about Meera's book and finally decided to buy a copy.

I Know What's Best for You was written during the height of the pandemic. Shelly Oria reached out to people all over to hear their reproduction stories...the good, the bad, and the ugly. This book includes 29 different stories of reproductive freedom or lack thereof. No two stories are the same. It has a mix of fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, plays, a comic, and even a photography collection.

I don't have to tell you guys what it means to be a woman in today's society. I have no doubt in my mind that my choices will be different from every single one of you. That's what this book is about. It's about how each of us have a different story to tell. Each of us have different life experiences that may influence our choices. But it's okay.

I would love a follow up collection now that Roe v. Wade has been overturned.

More reviews at A Reader's Diary

[Craven · Rating 5 out of 5]

"One could put together a powerful book - ten powerful books - filled with stories of abortion or the lack of access to one in today's America. But I felt drawn to a broader approach and invited writers and artists to respond to any aspect of reproductive freedom with which they connected: miscarriages, fertility, contraception, surrogacy, childfreeness... and, of course, abortion." (p. 11)

This is a moving compilation, one that expanded my compassion and understanding of the breadth of what women experience in their reproductive journeys. There were pieces that moved me to tears, like the poem on 199, and ones that stopped me in my tracks, like the photography halfway through the book. There were also pieces I didn't quite "get" like the scene on page 151. I never quite knew what to expect with the chapter coming next and honestly loved the surprises.

This book is an unbelievable contribution to 2022 readers - highly recommend!

[Beverly Diehl · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you want/need to read something, and you are too upset with the current state of reproductive freedom, or lack thereof, in the USA, for your usual favorites, this hit the spot for me.

This is a collection of: non-fiction and fiction stories, poetry, photos, plays, and essays, all about reproductive freedom. The 28 contributors are of various genders, ethnicities, sexual orientation, and include disabled as well non-disabled folks. Some of the contents made me sad, angry, thoughtful, and even laugh a time or two.

It wasn't cheap (books with color photos never are), but it ALSO sends some of the proceeds to The Brigid Alliance, a long-standing organization that helps get women abortion care, travel funds, and more, in underserved areas. I suspect they're going to be much, much busier in many states, for a while.

[Jan Lynch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really well done. The quality of the selections is consistently strong, and the collection offers diverse genres, perspectives, and views. Here is a sampling of my fav's:

*"Anti-Fairy Tales from the Feminine Book of F* This," by Kate Tarker--if the title doesn't grab you, you probably shouldn't read this one

*"Curse of the Spider Woman," by Riva Lehrer--born in 1958, the narrator explores how spina bifida affected her experiences, specifically her self-image, autonomy, and fertility

*"The Fig Queen," by Sally Wen Mao--interesting tale of magical realism

*"Women Like Me," by Erin Williams with Kate Novotny--thought-provoking graphic entry; examines race and privilege as it relates to pregnancy

*"We Bled All Winter," by Shelly Oria--narrative that would benefit from more than one reading; different, inter-related perspectives make this story very interesting

[Jennilee Autry · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a really cool book. I‘ve never read a book in this format and I‘m a fan. It was a collection of different types of writing (poetry, short stories, non-fiction, illustrations, etc.) by different authors. I found it very interesting. It gave many viewpoints on a range of topics regarding women‘s health. My only critiques are that several of the pieces (especially the poetry pieces) were totally lost on me. Maybe I‘m not a deep enough thinker :) And the other is that I wish they‘d collected stories from more, broader perspectives. This really had an opportunity to present a vast array of stories and I feel like they only really captured half the story. All in all, this one is definitely worth the read.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Decided to buy this in light of SCOTUS's Roe v. Wade overturning. Powerful collection of fiction and nonfiction in various formats regarding women's reproductive rights. As with most collections, some worked for me more than others. My favorites were "Let's Just Be Normal and Have a Baby," "Anti-Fairy Tales," "Compliance: A Guide," and "Scarlet Letter." Glad that the proceeds from this go towards helping abortion access.

[Alicia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can only hope for a time when this will be will be read as a reminder of how far we’ve come and not how far we’ve yet to go.

An important collection of works across genres that puts a mirror to your own preconceived ideas of what reproductive rights mean. An exercise in non-linear paths to understanding and empathizing with just how important choice is- quite literally, life saving.

[kate howton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of those collections of short stories/other art forms all rolled into one book. Picked this up right at the turn of Roe v Wade so it felt super relevant. Sat reading for a longggg time one night. I ended up dnfing it because I didn’t like the last few forms of art (intense lyrical poetry) and wanted to reach for something else instead. Still REALLY great!!

[Erin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to love this but I just didn't. I found some of the first person accounts impactful but there was a lot that didn't resonate with me. I think the disconnect was a case of not getting what I wanted from the collection vs it being not good, and it's an important enough topic that I'd still recommend it.

[Meg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent collection. If you’re wondering how you’ll stay engaged with 10+ contributions on the same topic… you’ll quickly realize how wide-ranging and multidimensional this topic really is. Highly recommend.

[Katie Dayer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very unique anthology with different stories both in style and point of view. The subject matter (especially in todays climate) felt very important but very heavy. I could only handle a few stories a day without feeling overwhelmed emotionally.

[Kristina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I appreciate the message as it is a powerful one that deeply resonates with me. However, since this is a collection of work - it just comes down to some of it was unbearably boring, incredibly messy, and a pain to get through. Some of it was outstanding. That’s really it.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

An important anthology surrounding women’s reproductive freedom in the US. Published just a month before Roe v Wade was overturned, it would be interesting to compare a second volume of stories as the reversal has drastically impacted (and sadly limited) women’s reproductive freedoms in the US.

[Cristina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful
In these recent times, this book is a must have for all women

[Rachelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I know what's best for you... a collection of short stories and poems by women of all types, in various stages of abortion: researching, considering, going through with the operation, on alive and dead fetuses, and the emotions experienced by families and doctors in the situations. Many of the stories are women with children who chose or were forced to carry to term. Inspiring stories and thoughtful writing.

[alyssa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nothing short of 5 stars for this fantastic anthology. A must-read in post-Roe America.

[jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting stories from a variety of women about bodily autonomy.

[Emelia Gapp · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was really interesting and we literally live in a society. Unsettling in a way that simultaneously makes you think and makes you angry. Fuck the patriarchy!

[Samantha Forsko · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of variety. Definitely a lot of heavy stories, which is to be expected, but a few lighter and funnier stories mixed in there too.