From beloved and bestselling author Roxane Gay, “a strikingly fresh cultural critic” (Washington Post) comes an exhilarating collection of her essays on culture, politics, and everything in between.

Product Code: 9218
ISBN: 9780063341463
Format: Hardback
Publisher: Harper
Pages: 320
Published Date: 10/10/2023
Availability:In stock
N/A
Price: $30.00

Since the publication of the groundbreaking Bad Feminist and Hunger, Roxane Gay has continued to tackle big issues embroiling society—state-sponsored violence and mass shootings, women’s rights post-Dobbs, online disinformation, and the limits of empathy—alongside more individually personalized matters: can I tell my co-worker her perfume makes me sneeze? Is it acceptable to schedule a daily 8 am meeting? In her role as a New York Times opinion section contributor and the publication’s “Work Friend” columnist, she reaches millions of readers with her wise voice and sharp insights.

Opinions is a collection of Roxane Gay’s best nonfiction pieces from the past ten years. Covering a wide range of topics—politics, feminism, the culture wars, civil rights, and much more—with an all-new introduction in which she reflects on the past decade in America, this sharp, thought-provoking anthology will delight Roxane Gay’s devotees and draw new readers to this inimitable talent.


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Contents

Introduction

Identity/Politics
Tragedy Plays on an Infinite Loop
Am I a Bad Person If Je Ne Suis Pas Charlie?
The Seduction of Safety, on Campus and Beyond
White Crime
The Case Against Hope
Cops Don’t Belong at Pride
Why People Are So Awful Online
Why I’ve Decided to Take My Podcast Off Spotify
It’s Time to Rage
Don’t Talk to Me About Civility. On Tuesday Morning, Those Children Were Alive.

The Matter of Black Lives
Why I Can’t Forgive Dylann Roof
On the Death of Sandra Bland and Our Vulnerable Bodies
Of Lions and Men: Mourning Samuel DuBose and Cecil the Lion
Where Are Black Children Safe?
Alton Sterling and When Black Lives Stop Mattering
How to Build a Monument
The World Expects Black Men to Make Themselves Smaller. My Brother Never Did.
Making People Uncomfortable Can Get You Killed

Civic Responsibilities
Who Gets to Be Angry
Voting with My Head and Heart
Hate That Doesn’t Hide (on Trump’s Presidency)
No One Is Coming to Save Us from Trump’s Racism
You’re Disillusioned. That’s Fine. Vote Anyway.
Remember, No One Is Coming to Save Us
How We Save Ourselves
I Am Shattered but Ready to Fight

For the Culture
So Fast, So Damn Furious
Nickel and Dimed (Mitchell Jackson’s The Residue Years)
Why the Beach Is a Bummer
Discomfort Zone (The Unspeakable by Meghan Daum)
Bridled Vows (Jenny Offill’s Dept. of Speculation)
Food TV’s Sadistic Glee
The Marriage Plot
Warning Signs (The Sacrifice by Joyce Carol Oates)
Wise Crack (Delicious Foods by James Hannaham)
The Oscars and Hollywood’s Race Problem
Black Lives Imagined (Jodi Picoult’s Small Great Things)
I Don’t Want to Watch Slavery Fan Fiction
Mockingbird Reconsidered
Can I Enjoy Art but Denounce the Artist?
The Roseanne Reboot Is Funny. I’m Not Going to Keep Watching
Roseanne Is Gone, but the Culture That Gave Her a Show Isn’t
Insatiable Is Lazy, Insulting from Start to Finish
The Legacy of Toni Morrison
After Chadwick Boseman’s Iconic Black Panther, Should King T’Challa Be Recast?
How to Collect Art

Man Problems
Why Are Most Father’s Day Gifts So Terrible?
Nate Parker and the Limits of Empathy
Dear Men: It’s You Too
Louis C.K. and the Men Who Think Justice Takes as Long as They Want It To
I Thought Men Might Do Better Than This
Dave Chappelle’s Brittle Ego
Jada Pinkett Smith Shouldn’t Have to Take a Joke. Neither Should You

Minding Other Folks’ Business
Madonna’s Spring Awakening
Charlie, Come In
Nicki Minaj, Always in Control
Melina Matsoukas’s Fearless Vision
Janelle Monáe’s Afrofuture
Sarah Paulson Has No Fear
The Talented Tessa Thompson
Where Jordan Casteel Sees Herself Going
This Is Pamela, Finally

Solicited Advice
Yes, Your Job Is Important. But It’s Not All Important
Ask Roxane: Is It Too Late to Follow My Dreams?
Ask Roxane: I’m Outraged but Failing at Activism. Why?
Ask Roxane: Where the Hell Is the Love of My Life?

Acknowledgements
About the Author

“Gay’s essays are brilliant and incisive. . . . Each piece on its own is worthy of attention. Taken collectively, this title is not to be missed.” — Library Journal (starred review)

'This is a must-read for not only fans of Gay’s work, but for everyone interested in reading intellectual, accessible, and important takes on timely topics.' — Booklist (starred review)

'Essays, op-eds, and pop-culture pieces from the acclaimed novelist and memoirist. . . . [Gay] has a gift for clean, well-ordered prose, and strong feelings on matters of race, gender, and sexuality. Most important, she possesses a fearlessness essential to doing the job right; though she can observe an issue from various angles, she never wrings her hands or delivers milquetoast commentaries. . . . she comes to her opinions more out of empathy than ideology. . . . Fierce and informed riffs on current events and enduring challenges.' — Kirkus Reviews

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