Books
3 Books That Explain How Women's Anger Can Become A Political Force
It is no secret that women are mad, now more than ever, and honestly, how could we not be? Over the last two years, there has been a bright spotlight on the inequality, discrimination, harassment, and violence we have endured our entire lives, so the question now isn't why women are so angry, but what we can and should do with that anger. Despite generations of cultural conditioning that tell girls to ignore, suppress, and control their rage, three new books about women's anger offer a different perspective for readers who are ready to learn how to harness, not deny, one of the most powerful emotions.
You don't have to look hard to find evidence of women's anger. Watch any news program, scroll through Twitter, talk to your loved ones and you will feel the rage that is reverberating across the country. Whether it be online or amongst friends, at protests or political rallies, women are starting to speak up about how mad they are about everything from America's rape culture and the prevalence of sexual violence, to the constant attack on women's body autonomy and the dangerous discrimination women of color are subjected to on a daily basis. That anger has been showing up in pop culture, too. Shows like Good Girls and Big Little Lies, movies like Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri and I, Tonya have embraced the character of the angry women and using it to explore inequality, violence, power, and more.
One thing is clear: women's anger is here. It is powerful, but it doesn't come without a cost — at least in our current social and political environment. If you want to learn more about it, then check out these three powerful books about women's anger:
'Eloquent Rage: A Black Feminist Discovers Her Superpower' by Brittney Cooper
Black women are often criticized, maligned, and even punished for expressing their anger, but in this penetrating and provocative book, Brittney Cooper makes an impassioned argument for how powerful that anger can actually be. Through its exploration of everything from love, sex, and family to feminism, violence, and race, Eloquent Rage shows readers the many ways anger can be an effective tool — or, as Cooper puts it, a superpower — in the fight for change.
'Rage Becomes Her: The Power of Women's Anger' by Soraya Chemaly
Instead of ignoring, stifling, or repressing it, women should embrace their anger and learn to use it as a force for positive change, argues Soraya Chemaly in her thought-provoking new book. Throughout history, women have been taught that being mad and expressing that emotion is wrong, dangerous, and perhaps even forbidden. With the help of personal anecdotes and scientific, cultural, and historical evidence, Rage Becomes Her makes a case for the absolute opposite: expressing anger isn't only important for individual well-being, but crucial for enacting serious societal change.
'Good and Mad: The Revolutionary Power of Women's Anger' by Rebecca Traister (Oct. 2)
In her highly anticipated new book, New York Times bestselling author Rebecca Traister explores female rage, its historical costs, and its potential to become a cornerstone of a political movement. An essential addition to any feminist's library, Good and Mad is an insightful, inspiring, and razor-sharp look at just how important collective female anger has been and is in enacting change and impacting culture, politics, and the world.
