{"title":"Books by Roxane Gay","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"9781472153791","title":"Hunger","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e'I ate and ate and ate in the hopes that if I made myself big, my body would be safe. I buried the girl I was because she ran into all kinds of trouble. I tried to erase every memory of her, but she is still there, somewhere. . . . I was trapped in my body, one that I barely recognized or understood, but at least I was safe.'\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author Roxane Gay has written with intimacy and sensitivity about food and bodies, using her own emotional and psychological struggles as a means of exploring our shared anxieties over pleasure, consumption, appearance, and health. As a woman who describes her own body as \"wildly undisciplined,\" Roxane understands the tension between desire and denial, between self-comfort and self-care. In \u003ci\u003eHunger,\u003c\/i\u003e she casts an insightful and critical eye on her childhood, teens, and twenties-including the devastating act of violence that acted as a turning point in her young life-and brings readers into the present and the realities, pains, and joys of her daily life.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWith the bracing candor, vulnerability, and authority that have made her one of the most admired voices of her generation, Roxane explores what it means to be overweight in a time when the bigger you are, the less you are seen. \u003ci\u003eHunger\u003c\/i\u003e is a deeply personal memoir from one of our finest writers, and tells a story that hasn't yet been told but needs to be.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43204408836274,"sku":"9781472153791","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781472153791.jpg?v=1786020404"},{"product_id":"9781472119735","title":"Bad Feminist","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e'Pink is my favourite colour. I used to say my favourite colour was black to be cool, but it is pink –  all shades of pink. If I have an accessory, it is probably pink. I read \u003ci\u003eVogue\u003c\/i\u003e, and I’m not doing it ironically, though it might seem that way. I once live-tweeted the September issue.'\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn these funny and insightful essays, Roxane Gay takes us through the journey of her evolution as a woman (\u003ci\u003eSweet Valley High\u003c\/i\u003e) of colour (\u003ci\u003eThe Help\u003c\/i\u003e) while also taking readers on a ride through culture of the last few years (\u003ci\u003eGirls\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eDjango in Chains\u003c\/i\u003e) and commenting on the state of feminism today (abortion, Chris Brown). The portrait that emerges is not only one of an incredibly insightful woman continually growing to understand herself and our society, but also one of our culture.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eBad Feminist\u003c\/i\u003e is a sharp, funny and sincere look at the ways in which the culture we consume becomes who we are, and an inspiring call-to-arms of all the ways we still need to do better.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43204455760050,"sku":"9781472119735","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781472119735_c77342b8-11d5-408f-a41d-76917b1a3a2e.jpg?v=1786021109"},{"product_id":"9781911630111","title":"Not That Bad","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eEdited and with an introduction by Roxane Gay, the \u003ci\u003eNew York Times \u003c\/i\u003ebestselling and deeply beloved author of \u003ci\u003eBad Feminist \u003c\/i\u003eand \u003ci\u003eHunger, this\u003c\/i\u003e anthology of first-person essays tackles rape, assault, and harassment head-on.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eVogue, \u003c\/i\u003e10 of the Most Anticipated Books of Spring 2018 \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eHarper's Bazaar,\u003c\/i\u003e 10 New Books to Add to Your Reading List in 2018\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eElle, \u003c\/i\u003e21 Books We're Most Excited to Read in 2018\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBoston \u003ci\u003eGlobe,\u003c\/i\u003e 25 books we can't wait to read in 2018\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eHuffington Post, 60 Books We Can't Wait to Read in 2018\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBuzzfeed, 33 Most Exciting New Books of 2018\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn this valuable and timely anthology, cultural critic and bestselling author Roxane Gay collects original and previously published pieces that address what it means to live in a world where women have to measure the harassment, violence and aggression they face, and where sexual-abuse survivors are 'routinely second-guessed, blown off, discredited, denigrated, besmirched, belittled, patronized, mocked, shamed, gaslit, insulted, bullied' for speaking out.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHighlighting the stories of well-known actors, writers and experts, as well as new voices being published for the first time, \u003ci\u003eNot That Bad\u003c\/i\u003e covers a wide range of topics and experiences, from an exploration of the rape epidemic embedded in the refugee crisis to first-person accounts of child molestation and street harrassment.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOften deeply personal and always unflinchingly honest, this provocative collection both reflects the world we live in and offers a call to arms insisting that 'not that bad' must no longer be good enough.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43205891719346,"sku":"9781911630111","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781911630111_741afed8-a0ff-47dc-8028-f387966d7227.jpg?v=1786029623"},{"product_id":"9780711268968","title":"Do The Work","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eChallenge your biases and broaden your understanding of power and how we wield it with this essential guide.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003ePower is complex. But \u003ci\u003eDo The Work \u003c\/i\u003eis a guide to navigating those complexities. From ancient theories of power to contemporary examples, from cultural patterns to personal insights, this guide provides a foundation for examining hierarchies and inequalities and establishes a framework for understanding power and how it shapes our lives and communities.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eBetween these pages, theory, commentary, and analysis create an engaging, creative, and mindful reading experience. This guide features approachable overviews of complex topics, thought-provoking questions, evocative illustrations, pages for your reflections, and steps we can all take to reframe our relationship to power and reinvigorate our desire to empower the people around us.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eThanks to the work of writer and scholar Megan Pillow, educator and \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author Roxane Gay, and \u003ci\u003eNew York Times \u003c\/i\u003ebestselling illustrator Aurélia Durand, \u003ci\u003eDo The Work \u003c\/i\u003eis a must-read for a more just future—and a more equitable now.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eDo The Work\u003c\/i\u003e asks:\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWhat can we learn about power from history and from our current moment?\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWho are the powerful, and who are the people denied power?\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWhere are our own sources of power?\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHow do we recognize our mistakes and become more self-aware?\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWhat does it mean to reclaim our power and to build community?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eDo The Work \u003c\/i\u003eexplains:\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHow theorists from Aristotle to Hannah Arendt have shaped our understanding of power\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWhy Kimberlé Crenshaw’s theory of intersectionality is at the heart of power discussions\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWhat Laura Mulvey and Audre Lorde can teach us about power and gender\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHow poverty, redlining, and The Voting Rights Act all illustrate power imbalances\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWhat the Stonewall Riots showed us about resistance and community\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHow to train ourselves in collective thinking, and what it means to “choose the margins”\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44581191942322,"sku":"9780711268968","price":14.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780711268968_239dfda8-73e6-44d1-8b65-ad7a990e3428.jpg?v=1786014782"},{"product_id":"9781472154187","title":"Ayiti","description":"'These early stories showcase Gay's prowess as one of the voices of our age' National Post, CanadaFrom New York Times-bestselling powerhouse Roxane Gay, Ayiti is a powerful collection exploring the Haitian diaspora experience.   In Ayiti, a married couple seeking boat passage to America prepares to leave their homeland. A young woman procures a voodoo love potion to ensnare a childhood classmate. A mother takes a foreign soldier into her home as a boarder, and into her bed. And a woman conceives a daughter on the bank of a river while fleeing a horrific massacre, a daughter who later moves to America for a new life but is perpetually haunted by the mysterious scent of blood.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44581803950258,"sku":"9781472154187","price":9.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781472154187_e3e9a5ac-daad-41b0-8a14-8cbc99d96c40.jpg?v=1786020410"},{"product_id":"9781472158635","title":"Opinions","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e'Gay has an ability to blend the personal and political in a way that feels simultaneously gentle and brutal . . . you look at a cultural moment through Gay's eyes and, by the end, you see the world differently' Arwa Mahdawi, \u003ci\u003eGuardian\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSince the publication of the groundbreaking \u003ci\u003eBad Feminist \u003c\/i\u003eand \u003ci\u003eHunger\u003c\/i\u003e, Roxane Gay has continued to tackle the big issues embroiling society - state-sponsored violence and mass shootings, women's rights post-\u003ci\u003eDobbs\u003c\/i\u003e, online disinformation, and the limits of empathy - alongside more individual matters: Can I tell my coworker her perfume makes me sneeze? Is it acceptable to schedule a daily eight a.m. meeting? In her role as a \u003ci\u003eNew York Times \u003c\/i\u003econtributing opinion writer and the publication's \"Work Friend\" columnist, she reaches millions of readers with her wise voice and sharp insights. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWith an introduction in which Gay provides the connective tissues that link her groundbreaking writing, \u003ci\u003eOpinions \u003c\/i\u003eis a collection of Roxane Gay's best nonfiction pieces from the past ten years, addressing a wide range of topics - politics, the culture wars, civil rights, celebrities, and much more. Offering nuanced analysis that never shies away from difficult topics, this sharp, thought-provoking anthology will delight Gay's devotees and draw new readers to this inimitable talent.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Hardback","offer_id":56300023447925,"sku":"9781472158635","price":25.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781472158642.jpg?v=1792599034"},{"product_id":"9781472119827","title":"An Untamed State","description":"\u003cp\u003eMireille Duval Jameson is living a fairy tale. The strong-willed youngest daughter of one of Haiti’s richest sons, she has an adoring husband, a precocious infant son, by all appearances a perfect life. The fairy tale ends one day when Mireille is kidnapped in broad daylight by a gang of heavily armed men, in front of her father’s Port au Prince estate. Held captive by a man who calls himself The Commander, Mireille waits for her father to pay her ransom. As it becomes clear her father intends to resist the kidnappers, Mireille must endure the torments of a man who resents everything she represents.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003eAn Untamed State\u003c\/i\u003e is a novel of privilege in the face of crushing poverty, and of the lawless anger that corrupt governments produce. 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A pair of sisters, grown now, have been inseparable ever since they were abducted together as children, and must negotiate the elder sister's marriage. A woman married to a twin pretends not to realize when her husband and his brother impersonate each other. A stripper putting herself through college fends off the advances of an overzealous customer. A black engineer moves to Upper Michigan for a job and faces the malign curiosity of her colleagues and the difficulty of leaving her past behind. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFrom a girls' fight club to a wealthy subdivision in Florida where neighbors conform, compete, and spy on each other, Gay delivers a wry, beautiful, haunting vision of modern America.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e'Gay brings the powerful voice that flows through her work as a novelist and cultural critic to the 21 short stories in her first collection . . . 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Nevertheless, she kept trying. Over the years she came to realize that no one is a bad gardener—a garden is a journey that develops over time, through space, and evolves along with our hearts. In \u003ci\u003eLove Letter to a Garden\u003c\/i\u003e, Debbie Millman shares her journey to make and grow a garden—and the plants she has collected along the way—a process that started with handed-down houseplants from beloved friends and a lone peony. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Spread throughout are simple recipes using the garden's ingredients from Millman’s wife, bestselling author Roxane Gay. \u003ci\u003eLove Letter to a Garden\u003c\/i\u003e is a little gem of a book—an inspiring, impulse-friendly story that can be read in one setting, then shared, experienced, pollinated, and perpetuated.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56305052647797,"sku":"9781643264981","price":18.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781643264981_6be90288-741d-4d7e-8eba-c3fb578e25e6.jpg?v=1786024421"},{"product_id":"how-to-be-heard","title":"How to Be Heard","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRoxane Gay, the prominent novelist, \u003cem\u003eNew York Times \u003c\/em\u003ebestselling author of \u003cem\u003eHunger\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eBad Feminist\u003c\/em\u003e, cultural critic, and columnist provides practical guidance for everyone who wants to use their voice to write powerful work to share with the world.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAll writing advice is terrible, Roxane Gay states early in \u003cem\u003eHow to Be Heard\u003c\/em\u003e. And still, with her latest book, she steps forward with practical writing advice for aspiring and established writers alike. Roxane is often asked questions that can be boiled down to, “Will you please read my work and tell me if I have the talent to pursue writing?” What these hopeful wordsmiths all seek is encouragement and validation in a culture that is eager to reject creativity and those who pursue it, especially artists from underrepresented communities. These fans are desperate for someone to say, “Yes, you are good enough.” They are looking for permission to use their voice.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn this invaluable guide, Gay provides realistic, frank, and humorous advice for inexperienced writers and those who aspire to the writing life, giving readers the confidence and practical tools they need to find their voice, use it, and be heard. In short chapters, Gay covers topics like “How to write a short story,” “How to write sex,” “How to revise your writing,” “How to handle criticism,” and “How to write about the world we live in,” with irreverence, warmth, and practicality. She also writes, about the business of writing, a topic all too often neglected in writing instruction.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eHow to Be Heard\u003c\/em\u003e will give writers the tools, guidance, and inspiration that will ultimately add their work to the rich tapestry of American and world culture—widening readers’ perspectives and deepening their understanding of how to be heard.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57495577264501,"sku":"9780062845931","price":26.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780062845931.jpg?v=1786618257"}],"url":"https:\/\/backstory.london\/collections\/author-roxane-gay.oembed","provider":"Backstory","version":"1.0","type":"link"}