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I Am an Emotional Creature
In this daring, provocative, and insightful book, bestselling author and internationally acclaimed playwright Eve Ensler writes fictional monologues and stories inspired by girls around the globe. Moving through a world of topics and emotions, these voices are fierce, alive, tender, complicated, imaginative, and smart. Girls today often find themselves in a struggle between remaining strong and true to themselves and conforming to society’s expectations in an attempt to please. They are taught not to be too intense, too passionate, too smart, too caring, too open. They are encouraged to shut down their instincts, their outrage, their desires and their dreams, to be polite, to obey the rules. I Am an Emotional Creature is a celebration of the authentic voice inside every girl and an inspiring call to action for girls everywhere to speak up, follow their dreams, and become the women they were always meant to be.
Among the girls Ensler creates are an American who struggles with peer pressure in a suburban high school; an anorexic blogging as she eats less and less; a Masai girl from Kenya unwilling to endure female genital mutilation; a Bulgarian sex slave, no more than fifteen, a Chinese factory worker making Barbies; an Iranian student who is tricked into a nose job; a pregnant girl trying to decide if she should keep her baby.
Through rants, poetry, questions, and facts, we come to understand the universality of girls their resiliency, their wildness, their pain, their fears, their secrets, and their triumphs. I Am an Emotional Creature is a call, a reckoning, an education, an act of empowerment for girls, and an illumination for parents and for us all.
Among the girls Ensler creates are an American who struggles with peer pressure in a suburban high school; an anorexic blogging as she eats less and less; a Masai girl from Kenya unwilling to endure female genital mutilation; a Bulgarian sex slave, no more than fifteen, a Chinese factory worker making Barbies; an Iranian student who is tricked into a nose job; a pregnant girl trying to decide if she should keep her baby.
Through rants, poetry, questions, and facts, we come to understand the universality of girls their resiliency, their wildness, their pain, their fears, their secrets, and their triumphs. I Am an Emotional Creature is a call, a reckoning, an education, an act of empowerment for girls, and an illumination for parents and for us all.
176 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2010
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4731 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 411 reviews
April 1, 2015
This is a book I will cherish for many years to come. In it, Eve Ensler creates dialogues for girls, each inspired "by an article, an experience, a memory, a dream, a wish, an image, or a moment of grief and rage. Many "Girl Facts" are given before topics. One such fact was, "Barbie was based on a German doll named Lilli that was sold as a sexy novelty for men." I adored each and every monologue, sometimes written as prose, poetry, or story. All touched my heart in profound ways, as they each evoked an awareness, a recognition, and heartfelt truths.
Ensler talks about the energy girls possess to change the world, the way they make us question ourselves, often to "wake up!" She shows how girls are under tremendous pressure to please, to fit in, to push themselves to do what boys want, to be pretty and skinny. Many of these monologues left me on tears, or screaming that nothing ever changes. I wish I had this book when I was a girl. Every story, no matter how it is written, often took me back to my own childhood. Yet this book is not one merely for girls, it is written for everyone. The insights are far-reaching as Ensler travels around the world. The main aim of this book is for us all to question rather than to please. Highly recommended.
Ensler talks about the energy girls possess to change the world, the way they make us question ourselves, often to "wake up!" She shows how girls are under tremendous pressure to please, to fit in, to push themselves to do what boys want, to be pretty and skinny. Many of these monologues left me on tears, or screaming that nothing ever changes. I wish I had this book when I was a girl. Every story, no matter how it is written, often took me back to my own childhood. Yet this book is not one merely for girls, it is written for everyone. The insights are far-reaching as Ensler travels around the world. The main aim of this book is for us all to question rather than to please. Highly recommended.
January 9, 2015
Wow! A powerful, thought-provoking book all about girls. This small collection has a big impact. As other reviewers say, this book should be required reading for high school girls. It will get girls thinking about the way they act and the way they are treated; about what society allows, expects, and forbids. Reading these stories might help girls gain confidence and independence. The book will no doubt offer solace and insight for those who are right in the middle of the fucked-up girl and boy and parent stuff that freaks out teenage girls.
I did have a few problems with the book, which I’ll talk about later. For now, I’ll talk about all the good stuff.
Each story is fictional and is told by a girl, and the first-person voice makes each of the girls sound authentic and plaintive, innocent yet wise. The voices are so real, it’s hard to remember that these stories are made up by the author. If I had to choose one adjective to describe these stories, it would be “haunting.” The stories of girls in the third-world countries are the most disturbing. Girls deal with genital mutilation, the sex trade, slave labor, and war. Their voices are strong, their stories heart-breaking.
The book contains both poems and stories. Each chapter starts with a “girl fact” that tells you some disturbing truth about what happens to girls because of society’s mores. One horrifying girl fact: “When a group of children who were interviewed on 20/20 were asked if they’d rather be fat or lose an arm, they unanimously answered that they’d rather lose an arm.” Beyond frightening.
The poems and stories are short and easy to read. Poetry is often like jazz to me—I sometimes like listening to it but I don’t understand a thing about it. Often when I read a poem, I’m thinking WTF? I must not have enough brain cells, or the right ones, because I just don’t get it. In this book, the poems are accessible. I get them, and what I’m getting is smart and insightful, sometimes sad or scary. They all pack a wallop. The language is beautiful, the rhythm and cadence wonderful, the sentences profound.
Four stories stand out in my mind: a girl creating Barbie heads in a Chinese factory, a diary of an anorexic, a girl who has to get a nose job, and a girl whose father plans to give her to a one-eyed old man in exchange for a couple of cows. I will re-read these stories many times, even though they are all unforgettable from the first read.
Okay, now for the bad stuff. Even though these stories are smart and haunting, the book seemed lightweight in some way. I can’t quite put my finger on it. Even as I say it, I want to take it back. I think my objection is not that it’s shallow, but it’s sophomoric. It’s Feminism 101, and I was in that class ages ago. And the book sort of seems anti-male (there’s not one man who is okay; they are all dogs).
I guess part of it is I’m not a politico, and to steal Roxane Gay’s words, I’m probably a bad feminist. I belong to the girl club, but I’m first and foremost a human being, struggling as all humans, females and males, to get by in this world. Of course I hate and ache over violence against women. And of course I think women should get equal pay and equal everything. But I also don’t think women should wear their feminism. The strong women I know and read about were all born strong. They don’t let people label them. They don’t need a group of women routing for them. They don’t feel like the victim. They know they are equal to men. I don’t think weaker women (or weaker people, for that matter) are capable of having an epiphany one day and becoming super strong people. I can see the trouble I’m getting myself into. It’s just my opinion. However, I will for sure admit that education does equal knowledge equal growth, and if the book changes the way girls think, even if it’s in small doses, this is good. This is great, in fact.
There were several things that bothered me about the poem “I Am an Emotional Creature.”
I hate these lines:
“I am an emotional creature
Things do not come to me
As intellectual theories or hard-shaped ideas.
They pulse through my organs and legs
And burn up my ears.”
The author sounds like she is dissing those damn women intellectuals! Be emotional, don’t be a smarty-pants! What??? Yes, it’s great to be emotional. I am super emotional and hate being put down because of it, but I am also intellectual. It sounds like the author is forsaking thinking for feeling.
And I don’t like these lines either:
“I know when a storm is coming.
I can feel the invisible stirrings in the air.”
And:
“I know when the coconut’s about to fall.”
Let’s not get all woo-woo and new age-y, folks. Girls know when a storm is coming? Come on! We women are super intuitive (and I’m proud of it), but we are not psychic! No matter how much we feel “at one” with nature, we are not hippy earth mommas who just know when a coconut’s about to fall from the tree and clobber you. We do not have superpowers, really we don’t.
Then there’s the issue of girl safety. The book promotes, in the name of independence, three things that I think are dangerous.
Alone in the dark. The manifesta at the end of the book tells girls to go places alone. I disagree, no doubt partly because I’m a mother of girls. Girls have to be careful. Yes, it’s nice not to let yourself be scared, but it’s also smart to be safe. The crazy rapists out there ready to inflict torture and death don’t give a shit about you standing up for your rights and independence. They are there to harm you. Of course I don’t think girls should be holed up at home out of fear, but what about using the good old buddy system?
Wearing short skirts. There’s a powerful poem called “My Short Skirt.” Here are a couple of lines: “My short skirt is my defiance. I will not let you make me afraid.” I have trouble with this. Yes, it’s your right to wear a short skirt and express your individuality, but most men think about sex a lot, and according to men, I do mean A LOT. The more skin they see, the more turned on they get (or so a man has told me). Why give men this chance to get turned on? The sexually violent ones might not be able to or want to control their urges, and then we have ugly and devastating rape. Again, there isn’t a good solution. But what’s wrong with wearing unisex clothes that cover up your body so that men are less likely to leer? In Vietnam, for example, women working on the docks can be seen wearing t-shirts and jeans; maybe it’s easier for men to work beside them without thinking nonstop about sex. Why not express your individuality by dying your hair green, doing funky nails, wearing far-out jewelry, or for the more adventurous, getting body piercings or tattoos?
Fighting back. Another line in the manifesta says to always fight back. Of course I think girls should fight back against unjust and ignorant ideas about females. But trying to physically fight off a crazy person? Seriously, is it really a good idea to piss off a murderer, just to assert yourself? Do you want to get dead?
Okay, I’m done complaining. I know I bitched a lot, but it’s just one of those books that gets you thinking. Besides, I don’t think a girl reading this book is going to say, “Oh goodie, now I can put on my shortest skirt, stroll through the ghetto alone tonight, and fight back if a guy grabs me.” The truth is, there is way more good than bad in this book. The author has brilliantly created unique girl voices, and the stories are so well drawn, I feel like the girls are real and that I know and understand them. And the book feels surprisingly uplifting—because even though the stories show despair, they also show strength and hope. It’s great to discover a book that applauds women for being emotional, especially since we usually get in such deep shit for it. I will keep this book lying around so I can pick it up and take little sips whenever I want.
I did have a few problems with the book, which I’ll talk about later. For now, I’ll talk about all the good stuff.
Each story is fictional and is told by a girl, and the first-person voice makes each of the girls sound authentic and plaintive, innocent yet wise. The voices are so real, it’s hard to remember that these stories are made up by the author. If I had to choose one adjective to describe these stories, it would be “haunting.” The stories of girls in the third-world countries are the most disturbing. Girls deal with genital mutilation, the sex trade, slave labor, and war. Their voices are strong, their stories heart-breaking.
The book contains both poems and stories. Each chapter starts with a “girl fact” that tells you some disturbing truth about what happens to girls because of society’s mores. One horrifying girl fact: “When a group of children who were interviewed on 20/20 were asked if they’d rather be fat or lose an arm, they unanimously answered that they’d rather lose an arm.” Beyond frightening.
The poems and stories are short and easy to read. Poetry is often like jazz to me—I sometimes like listening to it but I don’t understand a thing about it. Often when I read a poem, I’m thinking WTF? I must not have enough brain cells, or the right ones, because I just don’t get it. In this book, the poems are accessible. I get them, and what I’m getting is smart and insightful, sometimes sad or scary. They all pack a wallop. The language is beautiful, the rhythm and cadence wonderful, the sentences profound.
Four stories stand out in my mind: a girl creating Barbie heads in a Chinese factory, a diary of an anorexic, a girl who has to get a nose job, and a girl whose father plans to give her to a one-eyed old man in exchange for a couple of cows. I will re-read these stories many times, even though they are all unforgettable from the first read.
Okay, now for the bad stuff. Even though these stories are smart and haunting, the book seemed lightweight in some way. I can’t quite put my finger on it. Even as I say it, I want to take it back. I think my objection is not that it’s shallow, but it’s sophomoric. It’s Feminism 101, and I was in that class ages ago. And the book sort of seems anti-male (there’s not one man who is okay; they are all dogs).
I guess part of it is I’m not a politico, and to steal Roxane Gay’s words, I’m probably a bad feminist. I belong to the girl club, but I’m first and foremost a human being, struggling as all humans, females and males, to get by in this world. Of course I hate and ache over violence against women. And of course I think women should get equal pay and equal everything. But I also don’t think women should wear their feminism. The strong women I know and read about were all born strong. They don’t let people label them. They don’t need a group of women routing for them. They don’t feel like the victim. They know they are equal to men. I don’t think weaker women (or weaker people, for that matter) are capable of having an epiphany one day and becoming super strong people. I can see the trouble I’m getting myself into. It’s just my opinion. However, I will for sure admit that education does equal knowledge equal growth, and if the book changes the way girls think, even if it’s in small doses, this is good. This is great, in fact.
There were several things that bothered me about the poem “I Am an Emotional Creature.”
I hate these lines:
“I am an emotional creature
Things do not come to me
As intellectual theories or hard-shaped ideas.
They pulse through my organs and legs
And burn up my ears.”
The author sounds like she is dissing those damn women intellectuals! Be emotional, don’t be a smarty-pants! What??? Yes, it’s great to be emotional. I am super emotional and hate being put down because of it, but I am also intellectual. It sounds like the author is forsaking thinking for feeling.
And I don’t like these lines either:
“I know when a storm is coming.
I can feel the invisible stirrings in the air.”
And:
“I know when the coconut’s about to fall.”
Let’s not get all woo-woo and new age-y, folks. Girls know when a storm is coming? Come on! We women are super intuitive (and I’m proud of it), but we are not psychic! No matter how much we feel “at one” with nature, we are not hippy earth mommas who just know when a coconut’s about to fall from the tree and clobber you. We do not have superpowers, really we don’t.
Then there’s the issue of girl safety. The book promotes, in the name of independence, three things that I think are dangerous.
Alone in the dark. The manifesta at the end of the book tells girls to go places alone. I disagree, no doubt partly because I’m a mother of girls. Girls have to be careful. Yes, it’s nice not to let yourself be scared, but it’s also smart to be safe. The crazy rapists out there ready to inflict torture and death don’t give a shit about you standing up for your rights and independence. They are there to harm you. Of course I don’t think girls should be holed up at home out of fear, but what about using the good old buddy system?
Wearing short skirts. There’s a powerful poem called “My Short Skirt.” Here are a couple of lines: “My short skirt is my defiance. I will not let you make me afraid.” I have trouble with this. Yes, it’s your right to wear a short skirt and express your individuality, but most men think about sex a lot, and according to men, I do mean A LOT. The more skin they see, the more turned on they get (or so a man has told me). Why give men this chance to get turned on? The sexually violent ones might not be able to or want to control their urges, and then we have ugly and devastating rape. Again, there isn’t a good solution. But what’s wrong with wearing unisex clothes that cover up your body so that men are less likely to leer? In Vietnam, for example, women working on the docks can be seen wearing t-shirts and jeans; maybe it’s easier for men to work beside them without thinking nonstop about sex. Why not express your individuality by dying your hair green, doing funky nails, wearing far-out jewelry, or for the more adventurous, getting body piercings or tattoos?
Fighting back. Another line in the manifesta says to always fight back. Of course I think girls should fight back against unjust and ignorant ideas about females. But trying to physically fight off a crazy person? Seriously, is it really a good idea to piss off a murderer, just to assert yourself? Do you want to get dead?
Okay, I’m done complaining. I know I bitched a lot, but it’s just one of those books that gets you thinking. Besides, I don’t think a girl reading this book is going to say, “Oh goodie, now I can put on my shortest skirt, stroll through the ghetto alone tonight, and fight back if a guy grabs me.” The truth is, there is way more good than bad in this book. The author has brilliantly created unique girl voices, and the stories are so well drawn, I feel like the girls are real and that I know and understand them. And the book feels surprisingly uplifting—because even though the stories show despair, they also show strength and hope. It’s great to discover a book that applauds women for being emotional, especially since we usually get in such deep shit for it. I will keep this book lying around so I can pick it up and take little sips whenever I want.
January 8, 2024
This is a difficult book for me to review, mainly because I've read Eve Ensler's works a couple of times before and I've enjoyed them, and secondly, because I have a lot of respect for her as an individual. This particular book I failed to resonate with, and the main reason for that is how it was executed and the lack of content.
While some of the information contained here was ultimately true, it wasn't written in a way that I think would be very accessible for young girls. It's easy to throw words on to a page, but elaborating on them is what girls might need. Maybe an interview here and there would have been beneficial to this book, instead of attempting to fictionalise what a female Chinese factory worker might feel.
'The Vagina Monologues' was written to eradicate the stigma associated with using the word vagina, and it was aimed at women everywhere, from all walks of life. This book is said to be aimed at young girls, but personally I wouldn't give this to a girl below 15/16 years of age. I found some of the content highly stigmatised, especially in regards to men,so in a way, I thought this was quite damaging for girls to be reading.
Ensler wrote all of these poems and stories about young girls all over the world from her perspective, so they all unfortunately sounded very similar. Not all girls feel exactly the same way about everything that happens to them in life.
Also, the structure of this was rather irritating and somewhat depressing;
when a book
is
laid out
like this
I begin to
climb the walls
This book could have been so much more than it was, and if Ensler had included more voices from around the world, different and hopefully valuable perspectives for us to read, I would probably have been able to recommend it to people.
While some of the information contained here was ultimately true, it wasn't written in a way that I think would be very accessible for young girls. It's easy to throw words on to a page, but elaborating on them is what girls might need. Maybe an interview here and there would have been beneficial to this book, instead of attempting to fictionalise what a female Chinese factory worker might feel.
'The Vagina Monologues' was written to eradicate the stigma associated with using the word vagina, and it was aimed at women everywhere, from all walks of life. This book is said to be aimed at young girls, but personally I wouldn't give this to a girl below 15/16 years of age. I found some of the content highly stigmatised, especially in regards to men,so in a way, I thought this was quite damaging for girls to be reading.
Ensler wrote all of these poems and stories about young girls all over the world from her perspective, so they all unfortunately sounded very similar. Not all girls feel exactly the same way about everything that happens to them in life.
Also, the structure of this was rather irritating and somewhat depressing;
when a book
is
laid out
like this
I begin to
climb the walls
This book could have been so much more than it was, and if Ensler had included more voices from around the world, different and hopefully valuable perspectives for us to read, I would probably have been able to recommend it to people.
August 4, 2011
Manifesta to Young Women and Girls
HERE'S WHAT YOU WILL BE TOLD:
Find a man
Seek protection
The world is scary
Don't go out
You are weak
Don't care so much
They're only animals
Don't be so intense
Don't cry so much
You can't trust anyone
Don't talk to strangers
People will take advantage of you
Close your legs
Girls aren't good with:
Numbers
Facts
Making difficult decisions
Lifting things
Putting things together
International news
Flying planes
Being in charge.
If he rapes you, surrender,
you will get killed trying to defend yourself
Don't travel alone
You are nothing without a man
Don't make the first move,
wait for him to notice you
Don't be too loud
Follow the crowd
Obey the laws
Don't know too much
Tone it down
Find someone rich
It's how you look that matters,
not what you think.
HERE'S WHAT I'M TELLING YOU:
Everyone's making everything up
There is no one in charge except for those
who pretend to be
No one is coming
No one is going to
Rescue you
Mind-read your needs
Know your body better than you
Always fight back
Ask for it
Say you want it
Cherish your solitude
Take trains by yourself to places
you have never been
Sleep out alone under the stars
Learn how to drive a stick shift
Go so far away that you stop being afraid of
not coming back
Say no when you don't want to do something
Say yes if your instincts are strong
even if everyone around you disagrees
Decide whether you want to be liked or admired
Decide if fitting in is more important than finding out
what you're doing here
Believe in kissing
Fight for tenderness
Care as much as you do
Cry as much as you want
Insist the world be theater
and love the drama
Take your time
Move as fast as you do
as long as it's your speed.
Ask yourself these questions:
Why am I whispering when I have something to say?
Why am I adding a question mark at the end
of all my sentences?
Why am I apologizing every time I express my needs?
Why am I hunching over?
Starving myself when I love food?
Pretending it doesn't mean that much to me?
Hurting myself when I mean to scream?
Why am I waiting
Whining
Pining
Fitting in?
You know the truth:
Sometimes it does hurt that much
Horses can feel love
Your mother wanted more than that
It's easier to be mean than smart
But that isn't who you are.
HERE'S WHAT YOU WILL BE TOLD:
Find a man
Seek protection
The world is scary
Don't go out
You are weak
Don't care so much
They're only animals
Don't be so intense
Don't cry so much
You can't trust anyone
Don't talk to strangers
People will take advantage of you
Close your legs
Girls aren't good with:
Numbers
Facts
Making difficult decisions
Lifting things
Putting things together
International news
Flying planes
Being in charge.
If he rapes you, surrender,
you will get killed trying to defend yourself
Don't travel alone
You are nothing without a man
Don't make the first move,
wait for him to notice you
Don't be too loud
Follow the crowd
Obey the laws
Don't know too much
Tone it down
Find someone rich
It's how you look that matters,
not what you think.
HERE'S WHAT I'M TELLING YOU:
Everyone's making everything up
There is no one in charge except for those
who pretend to be
No one is coming
No one is going to
Rescue you
Mind-read your needs
Know your body better than you
Always fight back
Ask for it
Say you want it
Cherish your solitude
Take trains by yourself to places
you have never been
Sleep out alone under the stars
Learn how to drive a stick shift
Go so far away that you stop being afraid of
not coming back
Say no when you don't want to do something
Say yes if your instincts are strong
even if everyone around you disagrees
Decide whether you want to be liked or admired
Decide if fitting in is more important than finding out
what you're doing here
Believe in kissing
Fight for tenderness
Care as much as you do
Cry as much as you want
Insist the world be theater
and love the drama
Take your time
Move as fast as you do
as long as it's your speed.
Ask yourself these questions:
Why am I whispering when I have something to say?
Why am I adding a question mark at the end
of all my sentences?
Why am I apologizing every time I express my needs?
Why am I hunching over?
Starving myself when I love food?
Pretending it doesn't mean that much to me?
Hurting myself when I mean to scream?
Why am I waiting
Whining
Pining
Fitting in?
You know the truth:
Sometimes it does hurt that much
Horses can feel love
Your mother wanted more than that
It's easier to be mean than smart
But that isn't who you are.
January 21, 2024
Review to come.
June 16, 2010
I'll tell you why I bothered picking up this book: (1) I loved the graffiti-like cover, which reminded me of the doodling I used to pen over my books in high school, and (2) I really respect and enjoy Eve Ensler's writing. I saw a performance of The Vagina Monologues and loved the subversive way she used humor and fictional stories to tackle real women's issues around the world. So, when I saw that she had released a similar collection, but targeted for girls and teens, I instantly had to pick it up.
I think this book is so important. I think today's young girls are growing up so quickly and there are less outlets for them to discuss important issues, like abusive relationships and safe sex, or at least, it isn't coming from a source that is from "their generation." Peppered throughout the collection are statistics called "Girl Facts" with shocking numbers on prostitution, sex slavery, eating disorders, and other girl-related issues. Apart from the Girl Facts, though, I loved how these ideas and issues are tackled through the voices of other young women and girls around the world. This collection of monologues, poems, and short stories creates a sisterhood, almost, of females who share similar bonds, despite background, interests, language, etc. That kind of unity is so great and empowering, especially during that awkward period where young girls feel like no one else feels this awkward emotions or that no one "gets" them. I think with so much real suffering happening in other parts of the world, it's difficult to remember that girls in first-world countries have their own voices and stories needing to be told, and just because it isn't anything news-worthy, doesn't mean it isn't a problem or question or anxiety worth addressing...
That being said, my favorite pieces in the collection were the fictionalized accounts of the young women in other parts of the world (as in, not America/UK). There is a great story called "Free Barbie," about a young Chinese girl working in an assembly-line doll factory, and probably my favorite piece is an epistolary poem/letter about a young female suicide bomber. In all of these stories, esp. the ones from girls in developing or Third-world countries, there is such strength and resilience in their voices, that even someone past puberty can feel their empowerment and be proud to be a girl. All of the stories (it is so hard to select a choice few) are so moving, but there was one story, about a young girl who was upset that her parents got her a nose job, that I thought was so quirky and wonderful that I had to share an excerpt with you:
I really love what this collection does. It doesn't aim to make men the enemy. It's message is, You know, it's okay to like boys -- if that's what you like-- and nothing's wrong with that, but you know, make sure you like and respect yourself too. And I love how it celebrates girls like that. I think, considering the target audience, this book is definitely 5 stars in terms of relevance and importance, but even as an older reader, I still got a lot out of it. Some stories about sex trafficking or dealing with being a "masculine" girl were so amazing, but some of the more experimental free verse passages didn't always do it for me. (Also, I think I might have benefited more if I had read this about 5 years ago, when the insecurity and all that was more intense.) This does reference some graphic sexual and adult themes, which are important to read about (in my opinion), but some more conservative families or younger readers should be aware of that. Regardless, I loved it and will definitely keep it around to flip through and read a couple more times throughout my lifetime.
I think this book is so important. I think today's young girls are growing up so quickly and there are less outlets for them to discuss important issues, like abusive relationships and safe sex, or at least, it isn't coming from a source that is from "their generation." Peppered throughout the collection are statistics called "Girl Facts" with shocking numbers on prostitution, sex slavery, eating disorders, and other girl-related issues. Apart from the Girl Facts, though, I loved how these ideas and issues are tackled through the voices of other young women and girls around the world. This collection of monologues, poems, and short stories creates a sisterhood, almost, of females who share similar bonds, despite background, interests, language, etc. That kind of unity is so great and empowering, especially during that awkward period where young girls feel like no one else feels this awkward emotions or that no one "gets" them. I think with so much real suffering happening in other parts of the world, it's difficult to remember that girls in first-world countries have their own voices and stories needing to be told, and just because it isn't anything news-worthy, doesn't mean it isn't a problem or question or anxiety worth addressing...
That being said, my favorite pieces in the collection were the fictionalized accounts of the young women in other parts of the world (as in, not America/UK). There is a great story called "Free Barbie," about a young Chinese girl working in an assembly-line doll factory, and probably my favorite piece is an epistolary poem/letter about a young female suicide bomber. In all of these stories, esp. the ones from girls in developing or Third-world countries, there is such strength and resilience in their voices, that even someone past puberty can feel their empowerment and be proud to be a girl. All of the stories (it is so hard to select a choice few) are so moving, but there was one story, about a young girl who was upset that her parents got her a nose job, that I thought was so quirky and wonderful that I had to share an excerpt with you:
"I miss my nose. Every day I rub it and dream of telling lies like Pinocchio so it will grow back. I went on this secret date with a boy who told me I was pretty. [...:] I'm fake pretty. He didn't understand and so he kissed me 'cause that's what boys do when they don't know something and don't want to look stupid/ When he kissed me there was nothing in the way. It was too easy. I didn't even have to make a joke about it. And that was sad 'cause the joke about my nose always made the guy laugh and then we both relaxed and kissing was always so much better then."
I really love what this collection does. It doesn't aim to make men the enemy. It's message is, You know, it's okay to like boys -- if that's what you like-- and nothing's wrong with that, but you know, make sure you like and respect yourself too. And I love how it celebrates girls like that. I think, considering the target audience, this book is definitely 5 stars in terms of relevance and importance, but even as an older reader, I still got a lot out of it. Some stories about sex trafficking or dealing with being a "masculine" girl were so amazing, but some of the more experimental free verse passages didn't always do it for me. (Also, I think I might have benefited more if I had read this about 5 years ago, when the insecurity and all that was more intense.) This does reference some graphic sexual and adult themes, which are important to read about (in my opinion), but some more conservative families or younger readers should be aware of that. Regardless, I loved it and will definitely keep it around to flip through and read a couple more times throughout my lifetime.
December 25, 2012
Although well-intentioned, Eve Ensler's collection of stories/poems/monologues I Am An Emotional Creature definitely did not sit well with me. She attempts to write an authentic account of teenage girls around the world, however her language and writing style does not succeed that goal. There's no real "connection" in her book and most of the pieces come off as inauthentic. The pieces play into stereotypes of girls in third world countries, which makes me warry and wonder if Ms. Ensler's book is more from the perspective of a white privileged woman who heard about genital mutilation on the six o'clock news. Ensler also ignores the stuggles of trans* young women. While that does not bode well for me, I can understand that for her intent maybe it was not the best choice. Just don't market your book as "the secret life of girls around the world" if you're not going to include all girls.
October 21, 2016
Wow.
This book deserves far more than 5 stars. I want to call attention to every young lady and every young woman reading this review right now. You need to read this book. It will change your life. It will make you feel like you're not alone in the struggles of being a girl in this big blue world. PICK THIS BOOK UP NOW AND READ IT! I am an emotional creature touched me, healed me, and spoke to me in ways I didn't think was possible. Wow. Wow. Wow.
I am an emotional creature, and there's nothing wrong with that.
"I am an emotional creature.
Why would you want to shut me down
or turn me off?
I am your remaining memory.
I am connecting you to your source.
Nothing's been diluted.
Nothing's leaked out.
I can take you back."
I LOVE THIS BOOK!!!!!! <3
xo,
Rach
This book deserves far more than 5 stars. I want to call attention to every young lady and every young woman reading this review right now. You need to read this book. It will change your life. It will make you feel like you're not alone in the struggles of being a girl in this big blue world. PICK THIS BOOK UP NOW AND READ IT! I am an emotional creature touched me, healed me, and spoke to me in ways I didn't think was possible. Wow. Wow. Wow.
I am an emotional creature, and there's nothing wrong with that.
"I am an emotional creature.
Why would you want to shut me down
or turn me off?
I am your remaining memory.
I am connecting you to your source.
Nothing's been diluted.
Nothing's leaked out.
I can take you back."
I LOVE THIS BOOK!!!!!! <3
xo,
Rach
April 5, 2011
In this provocative and poignant compilation of imaginary stories and monologues, internationally bestselling author/playwright Eve Ensler (of The Vagina Monologues fame) provided a literary subwoofer for every girl’s muted voice and timid stance in a world where they are forced to remain true to themselves or to conform to society’s expectations in an attempt to please.
I Am An Emotional Creature: The Secret Life of Girls around the World is a must-read for all teenage girls, especially those that can feel the extremely suffocating pressure of the society where they belong. Page by page, Ensler treats the readers to a globetrotting not for the eyes but for the heart—from New York to Tehran, from China to Palestine, from the Democratic Republic of the Congo to Cairo, and many more. With an accepting mind and a few hours of reading time as your passport, you’ll definitely enjoy “travelling” in this collection. The book serves as a conduit for each girl’s kept emotions, in effect encouraging the female readers to speak up and fight back whenever they need to.
Every voice is unique: in A Teenage Girl’s Guide to Surviving Sex Slavery, a young sex slave in Congo shares how she attempts to brave her way to freedom from her soldier rapist; in hunger blog, an anorexic posts entries regarding her experience in avoiding to gain weight; in Free Barbie, a teenage Chinese worker in an abusive factory communicates through “head send” to Barbie heads, filling them with her screaming subconscious about being free; in I Have 35 Minutes Before He Comes Looking for Me, a girl of about fifteen tells her story as victim of sex trafficking. There are many other stories that are able to pull my heartstrings, like the one featuring an African girl refusing a genital mutilation, or that of a lesbian who refuses to be labeled. There are survey facts and trivia too, along with poetries and short dialogues. All of them will attempt to reach into the readers and trigger the emotional creature in them—as it did with me. :)
Tales of wanting to be famous or pretty, of wanting to fit in, and of wanting to be safe while expressing themselves freely…each story is a gem, and this is a treasure box that can inspire millions of girls and turn them into hordes of brave, strong women. Ensler said that this book is a “call to question rather than to please…this book is a call to listen to the voice inside you that might want something different, that hears, that knows, the only way you can hear and know.” You’re going to realize how right her words are when you finish reading the book.
I don’t usually read books like this, but I actually liked it. Emotional Creature may be intended for the girls, but parents can read it too, as well as boys that are curious about what’s going on in a girl’s head and what the circumstances—unusual or ordinary—are surrounding a female life. All in all, a great read. Thumb up!
April 29, 2015
I am an Emotional Creature is a collection of fictional short stories written in verse. From the description, I'll admit, I assumed there were multiple authors. Instead Eve Ensler takes on the challenges of girlhood around the world by writing from the perspective of different girls experiencing a wide range of circumstances.
This book packs a lot of big ideas into very few words, but like any anthology it has some limitations. The more I read I am an Emotional Creature the more I enjoyed it. It took me a few tries to get into the rhythm of the verse.
I think it goes without saying that books like I am an Emotional Creature are important. That's just a fact. Girlhood is something that needs to be written about and challenged. This is a book about being a girl aimed toward girls that takes the subject matter of being a girl very seriously, which resulted in some very dark, but very real stories.
One of my favourite parts of the book is actually in the Forward written by Carol Gilligan where she talks about an experience she had with a girl named Emma who when asked how women were portrayed in a museum, responded "Naked".
There are plenty of short stories/poems in this book that were fantastic. More than enough for me to recommend this book. However, it is difficult for me to say that I am an Emotional Creature didn't have some writing issues. I had trouble separating the author's distinct voice from the characters she was trying to embody. Even through each girl is experiencing something unique to them, the author's voice always came through a little too strongly, especially when she reused specific words/phrases for different characters. Due to this the book as a whole felt more like one female voice, with a specific leaning, rather than a group of distinct female voices.
There was also a lack of range in the emotions covered in I am an Emotional Creature. A lot of it focused on the more difficult aspects of girlhood, like fear and conformity, but didn't explore other emotions like, laughter, family, sisterhood, etc that are very much a part of being a young girl. This meant that there was a lot of undeveloped potential.
Overall, I was impressed by this book. Even when I didn't connect with the individual stories I still felt this rush of inspiration. It made me want to reach out to my fellow females rather than withdraw from the world of girls. It felt gratifying to read. I really enjoyed being able to continue to engage with these important issues, even as I get older, growing up and moving away from being a teenager. I think I am an Emotional Creature is a good reminder of how the world compresses young girls at the time in there lives when they are trying to grow as people.
Engagement is always the first step to involvement and change for the better.
This book packs a lot of big ideas into very few words, but like any anthology it has some limitations. The more I read I am an Emotional Creature the more I enjoyed it. It took me a few tries to get into the rhythm of the verse.
I think it goes without saying that books like I am an Emotional Creature are important. That's just a fact. Girlhood is something that needs to be written about and challenged. This is a book about being a girl aimed toward girls that takes the subject matter of being a girl very seriously, which resulted in some very dark, but very real stories.
One of my favourite parts of the book is actually in the Forward written by Carol Gilligan where she talks about an experience she had with a girl named Emma who when asked how women were portrayed in a museum, responded "Naked".
There are plenty of short stories/poems in this book that were fantastic. More than enough for me to recommend this book. However, it is difficult for me to say that I am an Emotional Creature didn't have some writing issues. I had trouble separating the author's distinct voice from the characters she was trying to embody. Even through each girl is experiencing something unique to them, the author's voice always came through a little too strongly, especially when she reused specific words/phrases for different characters. Due to this the book as a whole felt more like one female voice, with a specific leaning, rather than a group of distinct female voices.
There was also a lack of range in the emotions covered in I am an Emotional Creature. A lot of it focused on the more difficult aspects of girlhood, like fear and conformity, but didn't explore other emotions like, laughter, family, sisterhood, etc that are very much a part of being a young girl. This meant that there was a lot of undeveloped potential.
Overall, I was impressed by this book. Even when I didn't connect with the individual stories I still felt this rush of inspiration. It made me want to reach out to my fellow females rather than withdraw from the world of girls. It felt gratifying to read. I really enjoyed being able to continue to engage with these important issues, even as I get older, growing up and moving away from being a teenager. I think I am an Emotional Creature is a good reminder of how the world compresses young girls at the time in there lives when they are trying to grow as people.
Engagement is always the first step to involvement and change for the better.
June 16, 2014
I don't know much about who Eve Ensler is except through the three books I've read from her, but I do know I love her books, her ideas, her heart and her spirit. So many people, especially the poor and the women of the world, are exploited to no means and have very little resources to escape their shitty fate. So many of these vulnerable people don't have a voice. So many are harmed or killed before change comes. And when change does come, it's ALWAYS a small few brave people who decide to rise and fight. Eve Ensler is one of those brave people. she writes for those vulnerable women. Those women who have had no voice or say and she fights for the ones who have a little say as well. She fights for all women. She writes it like it is and she writes because it needs to be read and it needs to be known and the destruction, pain and killing needs to stop. She writes against the status quo.
I live in Las Vegas and I see what a man's world wants the status quo to be. Those that have it all and those that don't. Who cares if the housing market crashed and you lost your security of a home or a job. And women? All who have visited this place know what the status quo for women is. Just be sexy and make me more money. Bars, dancing on top of card playing tables, strip clubs, advertising, scantily dressed card dealers, and whatever else that can bring in more money with the lure of women being sexually objectified. But it's this city, shoukd I really expect more from it? Of course not.
But to the women who fight for more, who fight to be bigger than the status quo, to fight to prove they're usually smarter than most men, to the single moms who fight for their children because they have been abandon by false promises and initially fell for it--I love you all. Please don't stop. To Eve Ensler and people like her, thank you.
I live in Las Vegas and I see what a man's world wants the status quo to be. Those that have it all and those that don't. Who cares if the housing market crashed and you lost your security of a home or a job. And women? All who have visited this place know what the status quo for women is. Just be sexy and make me more money. Bars, dancing on top of card playing tables, strip clubs, advertising, scantily dressed card dealers, and whatever else that can bring in more money with the lure of women being sexually objectified. But it's this city, shoukd I really expect more from it? Of course not.
But to the women who fight for more, who fight to be bigger than the status quo, to fight to prove they're usually smarter than most men, to the single moms who fight for their children because they have been abandon by false promises and initially fell for it--I love you all. Please don't stop. To Eve Ensler and people like her, thank you.
December 29, 2017
Inspiring, relatable, and, at times, really heartbreakingly sad. I've been wanting to read this book for years after falling in love with the epilogue poem 'Manifesta to Young Women and Girls' when I was 21, so I'm happy that I finally read this beautiful book.
May 12, 2016
Loved it. Review to come.
November 24, 2015
Everything you need and more.
August 6, 2013
This book was a three-star rating up to the last few pages when I decided "I really like this book!!!"
First off, I picked this book based on its amazing book cover and catchy title. Shallow? I know.
I love loved the fictional stories which were based on international characters, especially the one about the Iranian little girl who was forced into a nose job.
Coming from an Arab background, I respected the fact that Eve did not connect feminist hardships to religion. For example, in her story of the Kenyan girl who escaped getting sold (forced into a marriage) by her father, the girl wasn't even Muslim!!! And her father's actions were linked to the lack of education not to religious beliefs.
One more thing, the girl-facts ,found in the book, were so sad and true.
One thing I didn't personally enjoy as much were the poems ( rumbling words from my prospective in some cases).
First off, I picked this book based on its amazing book cover and catchy title. Shallow? I know.
I love loved the fictional stories which were based on international characters, especially the one about the Iranian little girl who was forced into a nose job.
Coming from an Arab background, I respected the fact that Eve did not connect feminist hardships to religion. For example, in her story of the Kenyan girl who escaped getting sold (forced into a marriage) by her father, the girl wasn't even Muslim!!! And her father's actions were linked to the lack of education not to religious beliefs.
One more thing, the girl-facts ,found in the book, were so sad and true.
One thing I didn't personally enjoy as much were the poems ( rumbling words from my prospective in some cases).
October 7, 2019
Qué buena onda un libro que ayude a las jovenzuelas a estar conscientes desde el principio el lado oscuro que significa ser mujer. Es el lado claro del que siempre hablamos, el que se destaca, el que uno quiere soñar... es el lado oscuro el que tratamos de reprimir porque "es lo que hay" y "no hay nada que podamos hacer". Ojalá yo hubiera tenido uno a la mano en mis propios primeros años mozos. Habría tenido más clara la cuestión como es.
Esta colección de ensayos, poesías y otras cosas, lo escribió la misma que hizo "Monólogos de la vagina", y se nota. Se ponen nombres y apellidos a situaciones y sensaciones que algunas mujeres estamos acostumbradas desde siempre a vivir desde el tintero.
Me gustó, sí, algunos escritos mucho más que otros.... pero es un texto ligero, aun tratando temas peliagudos, y creo que puede ser gran ayuda no solo para estas niñas, sino que también para las que somos adultas y también los hombres, que algunas veces no saben cosas en parte porque no se las contamos.
Recomendado, no sé. No es un manifiesto ni un estatuto, pero igual es interesante y además cortito. Supongo que a las adolescentes sí, y al resto depende de a quién.
POESÍA QUE SUBRAYÉ. Tiene algunas partes con las que me sentí muy identificada, buáh. Eso sí, la puntuación es curiosa y además sospecho que se perdió mucho en la traducción.
LES DIRÁN ESTO:
Busca un hombre
Busca protección
El mundo es horrible
No salgas
Eres débil
No te preocupes tanto
Sólo son animales
No seas tan intensa
No llores tanto
No puedes confiar en nadie
No hables con extraños
La gente se aprovechará de ti
Cierra las piernas
Las mujeres no son buenas para:
Números
Datos
Cargar cosas
Armas cosas
Noticias internacionales
Volar aviones
Estar al mando.
Si te violan, déjate,
te matarán si intentas defenderte.
No viajes sola
No eres nada sin un hombre
No des el primer paso,
espero a que él se fije en ti.
No seas tan escandalosa
Sigue a la masa
Obedece las leyes
No sepas demasiado
Bájale
Pesca a un rico
Lo que importa es cómo te ves,
no lo que piensas.
YO LES DIGO ESTO:
Todos inventamos todo.
No hay nadie al mando salvo para
quienes pretenden estar.
Nadie viene
Nadie va a
Rescatarte
Leerte la mente para saber cuáles son tus necesidades
Conocer tu cuerpo mejor que tú
Defiéndete siempre
Exige lo tuyo
Di que lo quieres
Valora tu soledad
Tomar sola trenes a lugares
donde nunca has estado
Duerme sola bajo las estrellas
Aprende a manejar la palanca de velocidades
Llega tan lejos que ya no tengas miedo de
no regresar
Di no cuando no quieras hacer algo
Di sí si tienes el impulso
aun si todos los que te rodean no están de acuerdo
Decide si quieres ser querida o admirada
Decide si encajar es más importante que descubrir
qué haces aquí.
Cree en los besos
Lucha por la ternura
Preocúpate tanto como lo haces
Llora cuanto quieras
Insiste en que el mundo sea un teatro
y ama el drama
Avanza tan rápido como lo haces
mientras sea tu ritmo.
Hazte estas preguntas:
¿Por qué murmuro cuando tengo algo que decir?
¿Por qué pongo un signo de interrogación al final de todas
mis frases?
¿Por qué me disculpo cada vez que expreso mis necesidades?
¿Por qué me agacho?
¿Por qué paso hambre cuando comer me gusta tanto?
¿Por qué finjo que eso no significa mucho para mí?
¿Por qué me lastimo cuando quiero gritar?
¿Por qué espero
Gimoteo
Sufro
Me adapto?
Tú sabes la verdad:
A veces duele tanto
Los caballos pueden sentir amor
Tu madre quería más que eso
Es más fácil ser mala que lista
Pero eso no eres tú.
Esta colección de ensayos, poesías y otras cosas, lo escribió la misma que hizo "Monólogos de la vagina", y se nota. Se ponen nombres y apellidos a situaciones y sensaciones que algunas mujeres estamos acostumbradas desde siempre a vivir desde el tintero.
Me gustó, sí, algunos escritos mucho más que otros.... pero es un texto ligero, aun tratando temas peliagudos, y creo que puede ser gran ayuda no solo para estas niñas, sino que también para las que somos adultas y también los hombres, que algunas veces no saben cosas en parte porque no se las contamos.
Recomendado, no sé. No es un manifiesto ni un estatuto, pero igual es interesante y además cortito. Supongo que a las adolescentes sí, y al resto depende de a quién.
POESÍA QUE SUBRAYÉ. Tiene algunas partes con las que me sentí muy identificada, buáh. Eso sí, la puntuación es curiosa y además sospecho que se perdió mucho en la traducción.
LES DIRÁN ESTO:
Busca un hombre
Busca protección
El mundo es horrible
No salgas
Eres débil
No te preocupes tanto
Sólo son animales
No seas tan intensa
No llores tanto
No puedes confiar en nadie
No hables con extraños
La gente se aprovechará de ti
Cierra las piernas
Las mujeres no son buenas para:
Números
Datos
Cargar cosas
Armas cosas
Noticias internacionales
Volar aviones
Estar al mando.
Si te violan, déjate,
te matarán si intentas defenderte.
No viajes sola
No eres nada sin un hombre
No des el primer paso,
espero a que él se fije en ti.
No seas tan escandalosa
Sigue a la masa
Obedece las leyes
No sepas demasiado
Bájale
Pesca a un rico
Lo que importa es cómo te ves,
no lo que piensas.
YO LES DIGO ESTO:
Todos inventamos todo.
No hay nadie al mando salvo para
quienes pretenden estar.
Nadie viene
Nadie va a
Rescatarte
Leerte la mente para saber cuáles son tus necesidades
Conocer tu cuerpo mejor que tú
Defiéndete siempre
Exige lo tuyo
Di que lo quieres
Valora tu soledad
Tomar sola trenes a lugares
donde nunca has estado
Duerme sola bajo las estrellas
Aprende a manejar la palanca de velocidades
Llega tan lejos que ya no tengas miedo de
no regresar
Di no cuando no quieras hacer algo
Di sí si tienes el impulso
aun si todos los que te rodean no están de acuerdo
Decide si quieres ser querida o admirada
Decide si encajar es más importante que descubrir
qué haces aquí.
Cree en los besos
Lucha por la ternura
Preocúpate tanto como lo haces
Llora cuanto quieras
Insiste en que el mundo sea un teatro
y ama el drama
Avanza tan rápido como lo haces
mientras sea tu ritmo.
Hazte estas preguntas:
¿Por qué murmuro cuando tengo algo que decir?
¿Por qué pongo un signo de interrogación al final de todas
mis frases?
¿Por qué me disculpo cada vez que expreso mis necesidades?
¿Por qué me agacho?
¿Por qué paso hambre cuando comer me gusta tanto?
¿Por qué finjo que eso no significa mucho para mí?
¿Por qué me lastimo cuando quiero gritar?
¿Por qué espero
Gimoteo
Sufro
Me adapto?
Tú sabes la verdad:
A veces duele tanto
Los caballos pueden sentir amor
Tu madre quería más que eso
Es más fácil ser mala que lista
Pero eso no eres tú.
November 1, 2016
The book I chose, I am an Emotional Creature consisted of authentic stories based off of girls around the world that were comfortable with sharing their stories to the author, Eve Ensler who then fictionalized their words into monologues. Stories of girls from all corners of the globe struggling with eating disorders, genital mutilation, slavery, plastic surgery, contradictions with sex, pregnancy, and peer pressure all powerfully written into one book. This book represents all waves of feminism, third world countries struggling with women’s rights (first wave), equal pay for women (second and third wave), and conforming to societies idea of perfection (third wave). I am an Emotional Creature does support feminism because it is a book focused in on adolescent girls who feel pressure from all angles of society and how they take life on trying to inform others on how diverse their lives are based on where they live, religion, and physical appearances. Ensler’s work is also supported by Bust magazines which is a feminist based magazine that empowers women.
The stories in this book are both touching and extremely eye opening. The situations these young girls have been forced into are horrifying. The story that really got me was about a little girl who was working in a factory making barbies. She would write small messages and put them in the barbie’s head hoping the message would be discovered. There were many interviews and questions asked, like; What do you like about your body? What don’t you like about your body? Who is your celebrity idol? And many more questions. There are guides on how to survive sex slavery and a story about how a young girl was tricked into getting a nose job by her parents. There is so much diversity in this book it is amazing, Ensler states, "I believe in your authenticity, your uniqueness, your intensity, your wildness," in the introduction of the book...I learned that every culture, every age, and everyone’s lives all have complex problems, even if it might not seem like it. I believe that Ensler’s goal was to spread the word that girls everywhere are suffering.
The connection to feminism represented in the book unfolds with the stories told by girls and how the overcame their struggles. That includes the girls who had the strength to change their fates. A story of a girl who escaped sex slavery, the girl who runs away from being sold, and a girl who spoke up and asked her partner to wear a condom. Some are unlucky and can’t change their fates, the girl working in a factory to feed her family and a child prostitute. The feminist subject in this book is just spreading awareness of basic human rights. I recommend this book to everyone 14 and up because the stories/poems written are based off of very real and disturbing things.
The stories in this book are both touching and extremely eye opening. The situations these young girls have been forced into are horrifying. The story that really got me was about a little girl who was working in a factory making barbies. She would write small messages and put them in the barbie’s head hoping the message would be discovered. There were many interviews and questions asked, like; What do you like about your body? What don’t you like about your body? Who is your celebrity idol? And many more questions. There are guides on how to survive sex slavery and a story about how a young girl was tricked into getting a nose job by her parents. There is so much diversity in this book it is amazing, Ensler states, "I believe in your authenticity, your uniqueness, your intensity, your wildness," in the introduction of the book...I learned that every culture, every age, and everyone’s lives all have complex problems, even if it might not seem like it. I believe that Ensler’s goal was to spread the word that girls everywhere are suffering.
The connection to feminism represented in the book unfolds with the stories told by girls and how the overcame their struggles. That includes the girls who had the strength to change their fates. A story of a girl who escaped sex slavery, the girl who runs away from being sold, and a girl who spoke up and asked her partner to wear a condom. Some are unlucky and can’t change their fates, the girl working in a factory to feed her family and a child prostitute. The feminist subject in this book is just spreading awareness of basic human rights. I recommend this book to everyone 14 and up because the stories/poems written are based off of very real and disturbing things.
March 27, 2014
EMPOWERING........I absolutely loved this book, it literally just opened me up. I am 19 years and I thought Okay this book is going to be for younger girls ,but it wasnt. This book really made me think about the possitive side of being a girl and inspired me. this book will have you so wrapped up in it ,in the midst of reading this book I immediately started praying for the girls all over the world who have been sex slaves ,sold into slavery,who have contracted diseases from the men raping them, and for the girls working for pocket change. I lieterally could not put this book down it was so moving and reminded me that I trully am blessed. I recommend this book to any woman even ifthey have already gone through puberty or whatever. Its a great read!!!
April 23, 2014
I am not the audience for this book-it is written for teenage girls, not a 35 year old mother of three. But, I began crying as soon as I cracked the introduction because it was as if Eve Ensler knew the deepest, darkest parts of me. So, I read on. And the adult me disappeared more and more with each word until I was whispering the pieces to the awkward teenage girl that is still inside me. And, I heard her cry out in understanding. The book was like a balm to the soul of that 16 year old girl that was awkward and prone to tears and carried around a tome of Sylvia Plath poetry because it seemed that she was the only one that had ever understood the depths of emotion that she lived in. Thank you, Eve Ensler for writing straight out of your soul so that others can heal. Thank you.
July 28, 2013
This book was remarkable. My heart was filled with love, kindness, pride, and a desire to dig in and live my life to the fullest. This book also put things in perspective.. Women around the world face challenges that are so horrid - anything we (in the US) can help. The power of women is amazing.
Want to read
June 30, 2025i love eve ensler
June 22, 2010
I am an Emotional Creature is a collection of writings – including monologues, dialogues, poems, and stories – that paint a picture of what it is like to be a teenage girl in contemporary society. Ensler writes from the perspective of a wide variety of girls dealing with vastly different issues from the girl living in an American suburb suffering from Anorexia to a Chinese factory worker who works twelve-hour days to make the heads of Barbie dolls. The common thread amongst all of these characters is the unique balancing act of pleasing others and pleasing one’s self that is characteristic of being a teenage girl.
The writings in this collection are all true to the book’s title, exhibiting the strong and often conflicting emotions that are experienced by teenage girls. The author’s background as a playwright is evident; many of the pieces would probably be more effective performed on stage than they are as words on the page. The most successful pieces such as “The Joke about my Nose” are memorable because the author creates a very unique character who comes to life on the page. This book will be appealing to teenage girls who will relate to the characters’ voices and stories and may be eye-opening to adults who live and work with teenage girls.
The writings in this collection are all true to the book’s title, exhibiting the strong and often conflicting emotions that are experienced by teenage girls. The author’s background as a playwright is evident; many of the pieces would probably be more effective performed on stage than they are as words on the page. The most successful pieces such as “The Joke about my Nose” are memorable because the author creates a very unique character who comes to life on the page. This book will be appealing to teenage girls who will relate to the characters’ voices and stories and may be eye-opening to adults who live and work with teenage girls.
December 17, 2014
Book blurb: Through rants, poetry, questions, and facts, we come to understand the universality of girls everywhere: their resiliency, their wildness, their pain, their fears, their secrets, and their triumphs. I Am an Emotional Creature is a call, a reckoning, an education, an act of empowerment for girls, and an illumination for parents and for us all.
I am a huge fan of Eve Ensler's work, and but this one did not work as well for me as her previous works. This book is a collection of prose, poetry, and lists that captures the varied issues that girls and women face around the world.
While I appreciated the attempt to catalog, educate, and shed light on many of these issues, there was something missing. It felt like there was a thick glass window I was looking through that created a sense of disconnection that was distracting given the subject matter. And while some of the pieces are wonderful, overall I did not love this collection.
That said, this would still be an important read for older teens and the adults who love them.
I am a huge fan of Eve Ensler's work, and but this one did not work as well for me as her previous works. This book is a collection of prose, poetry, and lists that captures the varied issues that girls and women face around the world.
While I appreciated the attempt to catalog, educate, and shed light on many of these issues, there was something missing. It felt like there was a thick glass window I was looking through that created a sense of disconnection that was distracting given the subject matter. And while some of the pieces are wonderful, overall I did not love this collection.
That said, this would still be an important read for older teens and the adults who love them.
September 26, 2012
I have great respect for Ensler, her writing, and her beliefs, but I simply do not have the heart or mind for this type of writing. I dislike poetry and prefer my narratives to the point with the least amount of flowery language possible. This book was the exact opposite. I’m sure there are many who will adore it, but I just couldn’t get into it.
The last piece, Manifesta To Young Women and Girls, seemed to do exactly the opposite of what Ensler was going for in the beginning. She laments the fact that young women and girls have so many people to answer to, and so many people whose expectations they must meet. Then she goes and adds yet another list of qualities, values, and attributes! Who says hers are any better? In the end, isn’t it about allowing young women and girls to make their own lists of what is important to them? That last bit really ruined it for me.
The last piece, Manifesta To Young Women and Girls, seemed to do exactly the opposite of what Ensler was going for in the beginning. She laments the fact that young women and girls have so many people to answer to, and so many people whose expectations they must meet. Then she goes and adds yet another list of qualities, values, and attributes! Who says hers are any better? In the end, isn’t it about allowing young women and girls to make their own lists of what is important to them? That last bit really ruined it for me.
May 25, 2016
“I want to read
so I can read the Koran
read the signs in the street
know the number of the bus
I'm supposed to take
when I one day leave this house.”
This is collection of thoughts, beautiful thoughts about girls and women around the world. Sometimes we forget what girls in some countries (or in our own countries) have to go through.
“If you are trying to please, how do you take responsibility for your own needs? How do you even know what your own needs are? What do you have to cut off in yourself in order to please others? I think the act of pleasing makes everything murky. We lose track of ourselves. We stop uttering declaratory sentences. We stop directing our lives. We wait to be rescued. We forget what we know. We make everything okay rather than real.”
4,3/5
so I can read the Koran
read the signs in the street
know the number of the bus
I'm supposed to take
when I one day leave this house.”
This is collection of thoughts, beautiful thoughts about girls and women around the world. Sometimes we forget what girls in some countries (or in our own countries) have to go through.
“If you are trying to please, how do you take responsibility for your own needs? How do you even know what your own needs are? What do you have to cut off in yourself in order to please others? I think the act of pleasing makes everything murky. We lose track of ourselves. We stop uttering declaratory sentences. We stop directing our lives. We wait to be rescued. We forget what we know. We make everything okay rather than real.”
4,3/5
June 15, 2012
This book does not consist of interviews. It's a collection that is "inspired" by real events.
I really doubt Eve Ensler knows what a Chinese girl working in a factory feels, so why write from her perspective? I thought feminism was about letting girls be heard? Well this is just putting Ensler's voice into all these girls' mouths. All the stories sounded the same because they are written by the same person, from the same perspective.
I don't see the point of this at all. If anything, girls are overly portrayed as "emotional". I suppose I don't understand Eve Ensler's brand of feminism.
I really doubt Eve Ensler knows what a Chinese girl working in a factory feels, so why write from her perspective? I thought feminism was about letting girls be heard? Well this is just putting Ensler's voice into all these girls' mouths. All the stories sounded the same because they are written by the same person, from the same perspective.
I don't see the point of this at all. If anything, girls are overly portrayed as "emotional". I suppose I don't understand Eve Ensler's brand of feminism.
January 31, 2011
While I like the premise of sharing the plight of girls worldwide, I have a problem with the provocative nature of this book. There are probably some girls whose lives are gritty enough to appreciate this book. However, I think this is too raw for the majority of young girls. The important message could have been conveyed without exposing girls to unnecessary sensationalism.
March 22, 2017
This is a must-read book for young girls and women. No library should be without it. The stories are heart-breaking, poignant, and inspiring. Even in the smallest sense, any girl could relate.
December 31, 2017
Between 2.5-3 stars. It doesn't feel authentic.
July 4, 2010
"The monologues in this book are scripts for girls' resistance." (xv)
Having attended Douglas, the women's college of Rutgers University, I, of course, have seen several productions of The Vagina Monologues, and have read plenty of feminist works...And as the soon-to-be ELA teacher at the Santa Fe Girls' School and a fierce advocate for teen girls, the words of Eve Ensler and other "sisters" of this cause do resonate with me on many levels, though I do get infuriated when the "feminist" message becomes confused with or wrapped up in the "anti-men" battle cry...I think, as do many of my peers [strong, brillant women all!:] that these two agendas are entirely different...
I picked up this book after I was told about Eve Ensler's project by two of my former students from Santa Fe-- these talented young ladies were a part of one of the pilot stage productions of this collection of monologues earlier this year, and had nothing but glowingly positive things to say both about the experience of performing in the show (meeting many like-minded, strong girls and women) and about the pieces themselves...I had to check it out. It took almost no time to fly through it...The monologues are all written by Ensler herself but in the voices of teenage girls from all walks of life all over the world. Ensler brings variety into her tapestry of the experience of being a girl in this modern world while at the same time highighting the universality of this experience, of shared girlhood...I wasn't incredibly impressed with some of the writing-- I thought that the language could have been brighter, rawer (in places), more lyrical...though a great deal of it WAS beautiful...I'm certain that the whole series of monologues would be much more powerful too when performed on stage as opposed to living on the page. I'm glad to know already what a couple of teenage girls felt about the text and its project because I really am curious, perhaps even a little skeptical, about how this target population might respond to Ensler's message and the way in which it is conveyed. I've been trying to imagine how I, for instance, as my teenage self might have reacted...I don't know how, or if, it would have registered...But as a woman in my early twenties, I lovelovelove the wisdom this book espouses and the confidence it seeks to instill and amplify in girls at this critical age: not an "anti-male" agenda at all-- thank goodness (because I think this might be the initial impression, as usual, of such a "feminist" work)-- but one that advocates AUTHENTICITY, ACCEPTANCE, WILDNESS, CURIOSITY, FEROCITY, COMPASSION, LOVE...Right from the first "Girl Fact" (the factoids with which Ensler accents her piece) which is this: "Your left lung is smaller than your right lung to make room for your heart"-- she makes this exceedingly and beautifully clear. I guess I'm at an interesting juncture at which to consider the questions of girlhood-- of the differences and similarities between being a teenage female versus being a twenty-something woman...The women who have written (Ensler) and supported (Carol Gilligan) this project articulate emphatically their own epiphanies that they themselves lost something incredibly potent and powerful as they moved from being teenage girls into womanhood, some EMOTIONALITY that is unknown, unappreciated, even FEARED strength with no equal...They find themselves, through their work with girls around the world, able to recognize and reconnect with that piece of themselves ...Gillian writes: "The research with girls was taking me back into what had been a lost time, a moment of freedom before womanhood set in. The sound of girls' voices, at once familiar and surprising brought home the extent to which I and other women have rewritten our histories to conform to a story I now recognize as untrue." (xiv) Later, Ensler writes to her female teenage reader: "I know we make you feel stupid, as if being a teenager meant you were temporarily deranged. We have become accustomed to muting you, judging you, discounting you, asking you-- sometimes even forcing you-- to betray what you see and know and feel. YOU SCARE US. You remind us of what we have been forced to shut down and abandon in ourselves in order to fit in. You ask us by your being to question, to wake up, to reperceive. Sometimes we think we are protecting you when really we are protecting ourselves from our own feelings of self-betrayal and loss." (xxiv)
These two women see it as their responsibility, our responsibility, to help girls to see and celebrate their own unique power-- both for themselves and for the greater good of humankind and the planet (not even exaggerating here!) Gillian, for instance, says in the book's introduction: "Like a woman claiming her body, a girl claiming her emotions breaks a silence and unleashes a vast resource of clean energy, an energy that can inspire all of us to transform and heal the world." (xiii).....To understand the extent to which we are held captive to a false story about ourselves, a story about manhood and womanhood that belies the fact that, as humans, we are all emotional creatures." (xvii) And I love this!
The monologues in the text, the "girl facts," and Eve's letters to her hypothetical teenage readers-- all of these serve to reinforce this purpose of illumination, of celebration... One of my favorite pieces in the whole text is at the start of Part I: "You Tell Me How To Be A Girl In 2010"-- which really could be recast, on many levels, as "You Tell Me How To Be A Human In 2010." I also appreciate the fact that the situations of the various fictional girls in the narrative are considered on a scale of relativity-- each voice...whether she is facing pregnancy or being a soldier, anorexia or sexual slavery-- is acknowledged and legitimized and honored...The voices are full of humor, fear, honesty, courage..."The Joke About My Nose" is at once giggle-worthy and heartbreaking..."Dear Rhianna" could have been written by one of my Banana Kelly students in the 11th Grade..."Free Barbie" looks at the many levels at which cultural constructions have broken our bodies and our hearts...from a unique perspective...And many stories, in spite of their horror, are hopeful... "Five Cows and a Calf" is a triumphant song..."Asking the Question" is a warm reminder that we are all scared, and an ode to physical love and the respect that needs to, and absolutely can coexist with it. The reader comes away, at least I as reader came away, loving all of these girls..
The final "I Am An Emotional Creature" poem encapsulates the whole point and purpose of this book, this project in perhaps my favorite form...so with this excerpt, I end:
" I am an emotional creature.
I am connected to everything and everyone.
I was born like that.
Don't you dare say all negative that it's a teenage thing
or it's only only because I'm a girl.
These feelings make me better.
They make me ready.
They make me present.
They make me strong." (135)
Having attended Douglas, the women's college of Rutgers University, I, of course, have seen several productions of The Vagina Monologues, and have read plenty of feminist works...And as the soon-to-be ELA teacher at the Santa Fe Girls' School and a fierce advocate for teen girls, the words of Eve Ensler and other "sisters" of this cause do resonate with me on many levels, though I do get infuriated when the "feminist" message becomes confused with or wrapped up in the "anti-men" battle cry...I think, as do many of my peers [strong, brillant women all!:] that these two agendas are entirely different...
I picked up this book after I was told about Eve Ensler's project by two of my former students from Santa Fe-- these talented young ladies were a part of one of the pilot stage productions of this collection of monologues earlier this year, and had nothing but glowingly positive things to say both about the experience of performing in the show (meeting many like-minded, strong girls and women) and about the pieces themselves...I had to check it out. It took almost no time to fly through it...The monologues are all written by Ensler herself but in the voices of teenage girls from all walks of life all over the world. Ensler brings variety into her tapestry of the experience of being a girl in this modern world while at the same time highighting the universality of this experience, of shared girlhood...I wasn't incredibly impressed with some of the writing-- I thought that the language could have been brighter, rawer (in places), more lyrical...though a great deal of it WAS beautiful...I'm certain that the whole series of monologues would be much more powerful too when performed on stage as opposed to living on the page. I'm glad to know already what a couple of teenage girls felt about the text and its project because I really am curious, perhaps even a little skeptical, about how this target population might respond to Ensler's message and the way in which it is conveyed. I've been trying to imagine how I, for instance, as my teenage self might have reacted...I don't know how, or if, it would have registered...But as a woman in my early twenties, I lovelovelove the wisdom this book espouses and the confidence it seeks to instill and amplify in girls at this critical age: not an "anti-male" agenda at all-- thank goodness (because I think this might be the initial impression, as usual, of such a "feminist" work)-- but one that advocates AUTHENTICITY, ACCEPTANCE, WILDNESS, CURIOSITY, FEROCITY, COMPASSION, LOVE...Right from the first "Girl Fact" (the factoids with which Ensler accents her piece) which is this: "Your left lung is smaller than your right lung to make room for your heart"-- she makes this exceedingly and beautifully clear. I guess I'm at an interesting juncture at which to consider the questions of girlhood-- of the differences and similarities between being a teenage female versus being a twenty-something woman...The women who have written (Ensler) and supported (Carol Gilligan) this project articulate emphatically their own epiphanies that they themselves lost something incredibly potent and powerful as they moved from being teenage girls into womanhood, some EMOTIONALITY that is unknown, unappreciated, even FEARED strength with no equal...They find themselves, through their work with girls around the world, able to recognize and reconnect with that piece of themselves ...Gillian writes: "The research with girls was taking me back into what had been a lost time, a moment of freedom before womanhood set in. The sound of girls' voices, at once familiar and surprising brought home the extent to which I and other women have rewritten our histories to conform to a story I now recognize as untrue." (xiv) Later, Ensler writes to her female teenage reader: "I know we make you feel stupid, as if being a teenager meant you were temporarily deranged. We have become accustomed to muting you, judging you, discounting you, asking you-- sometimes even forcing you-- to betray what you see and know and feel. YOU SCARE US. You remind us of what we have been forced to shut down and abandon in ourselves in order to fit in. You ask us by your being to question, to wake up, to reperceive. Sometimes we think we are protecting you when really we are protecting ourselves from our own feelings of self-betrayal and loss." (xxiv)
These two women see it as their responsibility, our responsibility, to help girls to see and celebrate their own unique power-- both for themselves and for the greater good of humankind and the planet (not even exaggerating here!) Gillian, for instance, says in the book's introduction: "Like a woman claiming her body, a girl claiming her emotions breaks a silence and unleashes a vast resource of clean energy, an energy that can inspire all of us to transform and heal the world." (xiii).....To understand the extent to which we are held captive to a false story about ourselves, a story about manhood and womanhood that belies the fact that, as humans, we are all emotional creatures." (xvii) And I love this!
The monologues in the text, the "girl facts," and Eve's letters to her hypothetical teenage readers-- all of these serve to reinforce this purpose of illumination, of celebration... One of my favorite pieces in the whole text is at the start of Part I: "You Tell Me How To Be A Girl In 2010"-- which really could be recast, on many levels, as "You Tell Me How To Be A Human In 2010." I also appreciate the fact that the situations of the various fictional girls in the narrative are considered on a scale of relativity-- each voice...whether she is facing pregnancy or being a soldier, anorexia or sexual slavery-- is acknowledged and legitimized and honored...The voices are full of humor, fear, honesty, courage..."The Joke About My Nose" is at once giggle-worthy and heartbreaking..."Dear Rhianna" could have been written by one of my Banana Kelly students in the 11th Grade..."Free Barbie" looks at the many levels at which cultural constructions have broken our bodies and our hearts...from a unique perspective...And many stories, in spite of their horror, are hopeful... "Five Cows and a Calf" is a triumphant song..."Asking the Question" is a warm reminder that we are all scared, and an ode to physical love and the respect that needs to, and absolutely can coexist with it. The reader comes away, at least I as reader came away, loving all of these girls..
The final "I Am An Emotional Creature" poem encapsulates the whole point and purpose of this book, this project in perhaps my favorite form...so with this excerpt, I end:
" I am an emotional creature.
I am connected to everything and everyone.
I was born like that.
Don't you dare say all negative that it's a teenage thing
or it's only only because I'm a girl.
These feelings make me better.
They make me ready.
They make me present.
They make me strong." (135)
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