In the book we get to know Roxane Gay, a bisexual Haitian American woman who having survived academia to achieve her PhD is now an Associate Professor of English at Purdue University. This summer Gay’s book of essays, Bad Feminist (Harper Perennial, 2014)-culled largely from her prodigious online archive-was released, becoming a touchstone text for those who understand that life is (to borrow a word from the interview below) messy. Holly Bass of The New York Times wrote, “In this fable, the princess and a wicked witch relate to each other as real women do, and ultimately rescue each other.” This year saw the release of her first novel, An Untamed State (Grove Atlantic, 2014) which garnered strong reviews. Her work appears everywhere, including The Guardian, Twelve Stories, XO Jane, Salon, and The Rumpus (where she is also the essays editor).

Gay has said that she does not plan to write another memoir, but “never say never,” she said Tuesday, adding that she would like to edit another anthology - this time about fatness.Roxane Gay: On Messiness, Not Belonging, and What Being Queer Taught Her About Being a (Bad) Feministįrom covering pop culture, to writing beautifully crafted short stories Roxane Gay has long been a prolific online presence. But, she added, “When I am tokenized or when I don’t get opportunities, my instinct is actually to work harder.” In response to an audience question about how she handles marginalization as a black woman - in true “Bad Feminist” fashion - Gay said “pettiness” is her go-to in situations where publications have turned her away. “It was exciting to finally see a fat … queer woman of color on a stage tonight, being heard.” “Body issues, trauma and disorders don’t fade with age,” Reyes said. Reyes, 23, said the City Winery audience was diverse in age because her message speaks to all women. Yerika Reyes, a college counselor from Ravenswood, says she was shocked when she first heard Gay on the NPR’s “This American Life,” talking about fatness - a term popularized by Gay’s work. “Roxane helps women dig through another perspective, she helped me to have a better understanding of myself and the world around me.” “I enjoy her honesty and vulnerability when she writes about herself,” Statton, 54, said about Gay’s book “Hunger” and dealing with size acceptance as a woman.

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