Joy Eden

“We have all manner of music glorifying the degradation of women, and damnit, that music is catchy so I often find myself singing along as my very being is diminished. Singers like Robin Thicke know “we want it.” Rappers like Jay-Z use the word “bitch” like punctuation. Movies, more often than not, tell the stories of men as if men’s stories are the only stories that matter. When women are involved, they are sidekicks, the romantic interests, the afterthoughts. Rarely do women get to be the center of attention. Rarely do our stories get to matter.”
― Roxane Gay, Bad Feminist: Essays

“In the New York Times Book Review Chloë Schama writes, “A plague of women’s backs is upon us in the book cover world.”
― Roxane Gay, Bad Feminist: Essays

“If you’re reading to find friends, you’re in deep trouble. We read to find life, in all its possibilities. The relevant question isn’t “Is this a potential friend for me?” but “Is this character alive?”
― Roxane Gay, Bad Feminist: Essays

“Writing bridges many differences. Kindness bridges many differences too, and so does a love of One Tree Hill or Lost or beautiful books or terrible movies.”
― Roxane Gay, Bad Feminist: Essays