New Releases by Roxane Gay

Korean edition of [Opinions: A Decade of Arguments, Criticism, and Minding Other People's Business] by Roxane Gay. From beloved and bestselling author Roxane Gay, a strikingly fresh cultural critic comes an exhilarating collection of her essays on culture, politics, and everything in between. Korean edition translated by Ri Oi Choi.

Halb so schlimm darf nicht mehr gut genug sein! - 29 Essays und Geschichten über Vergewaltigung und sexuelle Belästigung - tief persönlich und schonungslos ehrlich. »Alles daran war schrecklich, aber es war halb so schlimm.« 29 Beitragende schreiben über eine Welt, in der man als Betroffene*r von sexueller Gewalt und Aggression die Folgen oft allein ertragen muss und sich einredet, dass es ganz so schlimm nicht gewesen sein kann. Eine Welt, in der Überlebende von Missbrauch – falls sie sich doch trauen, ihre Stimme zu erheben – routinemäßig diskreditiert, verunglimpft, verleumdet, herablassend behandelt, verspottet, beschämt, beleidigt und schikaniert werden. Eine Welt, in der es normal zu sein scheint, in einer Rape Culture zu leben, Kindesmissbrauch zu dulden und auf der Straße belästigt zu werden. »Halb so schlimm« versammelt Essays, die sich oft sehr persönlich und immer unerschrocken ehrlich zeigen, die unsere Welt spiegeln, wie sie ist, und gleichzeitig endlich klarstellen wollen, dass halb so schlimm nicht mehr gut genug sein darf. Ausgewählt von Kulturkritikerin und Bestsellerautorin Roxane Gay. Mit Beiträgen von: Aubrey Hirsch, Jill Christman, Claire Schwartz, Lynn Melnick, Brandon Taylor, Emma Smith-Stevens, AJ McKenna, Lisa Mecham, Vanessa Mártir, Ally Sheedy, xTx, So mayer, Nora Salem, Lyz Lenz, Amy Jo Burns, V.L. Seek, Michelle Chen, Gabrielle Union, Liz Rosema, Anthony Frame, Samitha Mukhopadhyay, Miriam Zoila Pérez, Zoë Medeiros, Sharisse Tracey, Stacey May Fowles, Elisabeth Fairfield Stokes, Meredith Talusan, Nicole Boyce, Elissa Bassist

Challenge your biases and broaden your understanding of power and how we wield it with this essential guide. Power is complex. But Do The Work is 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. Between 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. Thanks to the work of writer and scholar Megan Pillow, educator and New York Times bestselling author Roxane Gay, and New York Times bestselling illustrator Aurélia Durand, Do The Work is a must-read for a more just future—and a more equitable now. Do The Work asks: What can we learn about power from history and from our current moment? Who are the powerful, and who are the people denied power? Where are our own sources of power? How do we recognize our mistakes and become more self-aware? What does it mean to reclaim our power and to build community? Do The Work explains: How theorists from Aristotle to Hannah Arendt have shaped our understanding of power Why Kimberlé Crenshaw’s theory of intersectionality is at the heart of power discussions What Laura Mulvey and Audre Lorde can teach us about power and gender How poverty, redlining, and The Voting Rights Act all illustrate power imbalances What the Stonewall Riots showed us about resistance and community How to train ourselves in collective thinking, and what it means to “choose the margins”

Kurze, herbe Stories der New-York-Times-Bestsellerautorin: Ein aufregendes und radikal neues Kapitel in der haitianisch-amerikanischen Literatur. Voll emotionaler Wucht und in feinfühliger Sprache ergründen diese Stories die Komplexität haitianischer Identität. Sie erzählen von Erschütterndem und Schönem, von Humor und Härte, von Illusion und Realität. Ein Ehepaar, das mit dem Schiff in die USA entkommen will, bereitet sich darauf vor, Haiti für immer zu verlassen. Eine junge Frau umgarnt mithilfe eines Voodoo-Liebestranks einen Klassenkameraden aus Kindertagen. Eine Mutter nimmt einen Soldaten als Untermieter in ihrem Haus und in ihrem Bett auf. Und eine Frau wird auf der Flucht vor einem schrecklichen Massaker schwanger mit einer Tochter, die ihr Leben lang den Geruch von Blut in der Nase tragen soll. »Mein Wissen über meine Familiengeschichte ist lückenhaft. Wir sind die Hüterinnen von Geheimnissen. Wir sind selbst ein Geheimnis.«

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. 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.

Nesta autobiografia escrita com sinceridade impressionante, a autora best-seller Roxane Gay fala sobre como, após sofrer um abuso sexual aos doze anos, passou a utilizar seu próprio corpo como um esconderijo contra os seus piores medos. Ao comer compulsivamente para afastar os olhares alheios, por anos Roxane guardou sua história apenas para si. Até conceber este livro. Esta não é uma narrativa bem-sucedida de perda de peso. E este também não é um livro que Roxane gostaria de escrever. Entretanto, é uma história que precisa ser contada, e ela o faz com seu estilo contundente e impetuoso, ainda que dotado de um humor mordaz, características que a tornaram uma das vozes mais marcantes de sua geração. "Fome" é um relato ousado, doloroso e arrebatador.

Roxane Gay reúne grandes nomes do feminismo do século XXI em uma antologia extremamente necessária Roxane Gay coloca nesta obra reflexões, relatos, memórias, quadrinhos, contos, autoficção e ensaios escritos por mulheres das mais diferentes origens, raças e áreas de formação sobre o que significa viver em um mundo onde desde crianças precisam conviver com ameaças constantes de assédio, violência e agressões dos mais diferentes tipos simplesmente por serem mulheres. Com apresentação da jornalista Ana Paula Araújo, o livro possui textos de uma honestidade impressionante. São assinados por escritoras, acadêmicas, ativistas, atrizes e artistas plásticas e tratam de uma série de diferentes experiências que são compartilhadas por mulheres em praticamente todas as partes do mundo, incluindo ainda relatos de homens sobre como a cultura do estupro afeta a todos, ou seja, é uma luta que vai muito além de questões de gênero.

New York Times bestselling author Roxane Gay (World of Wakanda, Difficult Women) adapts her short story “We Are the Sacrifice of Darkness” as a full-length graphic novel with writer Tracy Lynne Oliver (This Weekend), and artist Rebecca Kirby (Biopsy.) Expanding an unforgettable world where a tragic event forever bathes the world in darkness, The Sacrifice of Darkness follows one woman’s powerful journey through this new landscape as she discovers love, family, and the true light in a world seemingly robbed of any. This young adult drama challenges notions of identity, guilt, and survival in a graphic novel for fans of On A Sunbeam and Are You Listening?

"Follow the journey of two young adults, Joshua and Claire, each individually shaped by the day the sky went dark, but drawn to each other because of it. Coming of age in this new landscape, they will be forced to confront and challenge notions of identity, guilt, and survival as the darkness grows around them. When fear threatens to envelop all hope they have left, the two discover that love, family, and finding the true light in a world seemingly robbed of any, will guide their way forward."--Provided by publisher.

En esta valiosa y reveladora antología, la crítica cultural y exitosa autora Roxane Gay recoge piezas originales y publicadas anteriormente que abordan lo que significa vivir en un mundo donde las mujeres deben medir el acoso, la violencia y la agresión que enfrentan. Abarcando una amplia gama de temas y experiencias, desde una exploración de la epidemia de violación integrada en la crisis de refugiados hasta relatos en primera persona de abuso sexual infantil, esta colección es a menudo profundamente personal y siempre es decididamente honesta. Al igual que 'Los hombres me explican las cosas' de Rebecca Solnit, , "No es para tanto' resonará en cada lector, diciendo "algo en totalidad que no podemos decir solos".

A high-stakes heist thriller about the most daring and successful thieves in Chicago: three generations of women from the Banks family. For fifty years the women of the Banks family have been the most successful thieves in Chicago by following one simple rule: never get greedy. But when the youngest Banks stumbles upon the heist of a lifetime, the potential windfall may be enough to bring three generations of thieves together for one incredible score and the chance to avenge a loved one taken too soon. From NY Times bestselling writer Roxane Gay (Hunger; Black Panther) and artist Ming Doyle (The Kitchen). "The Banks is the best kind of heist story: a sharp, tight robbery with escalating tensions and threats coming from every direction." - The A.V. Club "It will leave most readers smiling at the end of their journeys with the Banks family." - The Beat

Roxane Gay, the prominent cultural influencer, novelist, and New York Times bestselling author of Hunger and Bad Feminist, provides the tools necessary for everyone who wants to make their voices heard. Roxane Gay receives numerous requests from fans looking for encouragement: “Will you please read my work and tell me if I have the talent to pursue writing?” What these aspiring writers seek is 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. In this invaluable guide, Gay provides realistic, frank, and sometimes humorous advice for inexperienced writers and those who aspire to the writing life. From the beginning she makes clear that anyone can be a writer—so long as you actually write. She also offers insight on what’s really required to succeed at virtually every endeavor: creativity, ambition, and perseverance. Gay covers a range of topics to help you define the kind of writing life you want, making clear that writing is an art—but it’s also a profession. She gives you the inspiration and practical tools you need to find your voice, use it, and be heard. If your dream is to become a published author, Gay walks you through the publishing process, letting you know what to expect.

I racconti che hanno consacrato Roxane Gay come una delle voci piú innovative dell'America di oggi. Storie di donne che lottano, soffrono e spesso cadono, ma sanno sempre rimettersi in piedi.

Descubre los relatos de la autora de "Mala feminista" y "Hambre" Las mujeres de estos relatos llevan vidas de privilegio y de pobreza, viven matrimonios tiernos pero también atormentados por crímenes o chantajes emocionales del pasado. Dos hermanas, ya adultas, han sido uña y carne desde que las secuestraron siendo unas niñas, y deben negociar el matrimonio de la hermana más joven. Una mujer casada con un hombre que tiene un gemelo finge no darse cuenta cuando marido y hermano se intercambian los roles. Una estríper que consigue sacarse el título de bachillerato repele las insinuaciones de un cliente ultraceloso. Una ingeniera negra se traslada por trabajo a la península superior de Michigan y se enfrenta a la curiosidad maliciosa de sus colegas y a la dificultad de dejar atrás su pasado. Bien sea en un club de lucha de chicas, bien en un opulento complejo urbanístico de Florida, con vecinos que se amoldan, compiten y espían entre sí, Gay ofrece al lector una visión sardónica, hermosa e inquietante de la América moderna.

I denna råa och rättframma antologi har Roxane Gay samlat 30 röster om övergrepp, våldtäkt och sexuella trakasserier. Hur är det att leva i en kultur där frågan tycks handla om när, inte om, en kvinna ska utsättas för någon form av sexuellt våld? Och hur är det för män att navigera i våldtäktskulturen, antingen de är likgiltiga inför den, arbetar för att få slut på den, eller bidrar till den i stort eller smått.

Best-selling, award-winning, pop culture powerhouse Roxane Gay guest edits this year’s Best American Short Stories, the premier annual showcase for the country’s finest short fiction. “I am looking for the artful way any given story is conveyed,” writes Roxane Gay in her introduction to The Best American Short Stories 2018, “but I also love when a story has a powerful message, when a story teaches me something about the world.” The artful, profound, and sometimes funny stories Gay chose for the collection transport readers from a fraught family reunion to an immigration detention center, from a psychiatric hospital to a coed class sleepover in a natural history museum. We meet a rebellious summer camper, a Twitter addict, and an Appalachian preacher—all characters and circumstances that show us what we “need to know about the lives of others.”

From the New York Times–bestselling author of Hunger and Bad Feminist, a powerful short story 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. Roxane Gay is an award-winning literary voice praised for her fearless and vivid prose, and her debut collection Ayiti exemplifies the raw talent that made her "one of the voices of our age" ( National Post, Canada). Praise for Ayiti "Highly dimensioned characters and unforgettable moments. . . . Dismantling the glib misconceptions of her complex ancestral home, Gay cuts and thrills. Readers will find her powerful first book difficult to put down." — Booklist "The themes explored in Gay's nonfiction, such as the transactional nature of violence and the ways in which stereotypes of poverty add another layer of dehumanization, are just as potent here. Even her more lyrical mode is filtered through a keen sense of the lost promise of one country and the blinkered privilege of the other. It's Gay's unflinching directness—the sense that her characters are in the room with you, telling it like it is—that makes her irresistible." — Vogue "A set of brief, tart stories mostly set amid the Haitian-American community and circling around themes of violation, abuse, and heartbreak . . . This book set the tone that still characterizes much of Gay's writing: clean, unaffected, allowing the (often furious) emotions to rise naturally out of calm, declarative sentences. That gives her briefest stories a punch even when they come in at two pages or fewer, sketching out the challenges of assimilation in terms of accents, meals, or 'What You Need to Know About a Haitian Woman'. . . . This debut amply contains the righteous energy that drives all her work." — Kirkus Reviews

New York Times Bestseller Edited and with an introduction by Roxane Gay, the New York Times bestselling and deeply beloved author of Bad Feminist and Hunger, this anthology of first-person essays tackles rape, assault, and harassment head-on. Vogue, “10 of the Most Anticipated Books of Spring 2018” * Harper’s Bazaar, “10 New Books to Add to Your Reading List in 2018” * Elle, “21 Books We’re Most Excited to Read in 2018” * Boston Globe, “25 books we can’t wait to read in 2018” * Huffington Post, “60 Books We Can’t Wait to Read in 2018” * Hello Giggles, “19 Books We Can’t Wait to Read in 2018” * Buzzfeed, “33 Most Exciting New Books of 2018” In this valuable and revealing 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 they are “routinely second-guessed, blown off, discredited, denigrated, besmirched, belittled, patronized, mocked, shamed, gaslit, insulted, bullied” for speaking out. Contributions include essays from established and up-and-coming writers, performers, and critics, including actors Ally Sheedy and Gabrielle Union and writers Amy Jo Burns, Lyz Lenz, Claire Schwartz, and Bob Shacochis. Covering 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, this collection is often deeply personal and is always unflinchingly honest. Like Rebecca Solnit’s Men Explain Things to Me, Not That Bad will resonate with every reader, saying “something in totality that we cannot say alone.” Searing and heartbreakingly candid, 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.

Bad Feminist. Derrière ce titre ironique, Roxane Gay développe une réflexion révolutionnaire et bienvenue sur l’état actuel du féminisme. Lassée des prises de position parfois trop clivantes de certaines organisations féministes, et fatiguée d’entendre des femmes dire qu’elles ne sont pas féministes, elle rappelle que la défense de l’égalité des sexes ne dispense pas d’assumer ses contradictions : on peut aimer la télé-réalité, se peindre les ongles en rose et revendiquer le fait d’être féministe. Bad Feminist regroupe ses chroniques initialement publiées dans The Guardian et sur le site The Rumpus. Roxane Gay y parle de culture, de race, de sexe et de genres, de stéréotypes sur l’amitié féminine, en se fondant sur sa propre histoire de femme noire dans l’Amérique contemporaine. Le portrait qui émerge en filigrane est celui d’une femme au regard d’une incroyable justesse, aussi bien sur elle-même que sur notre société. Une société dans laquelle les produits culturels que nous consommons entretiennent bon nombre de stéréotypes qui finissent par nous définir. Après avoir lu Bad Feminist, vous ne verrez plus les femmes, ni le monde, de la même façon. "Roxane Gay est incroyable pour tisser l'intime et le personnel avec ce qui est le plus déconcertant et perturbant en ce moment dans la culture. Elle est toujours en quête, toujours en réflexion, toujours passionnée, toujours attentive, toujours là." — Sheila Heti, auteure de How Should a Person Be? Un best-seller du New York Times Meilleur livre de l'année : NPR • Boston Globe • Newsweek • Time Out New York • Oprah.com • Miami Herald • Book Riot • BuzzFeed • Globe and Mail (Toronto) • The Root • Shelf Awareness Une collection d'essais couvrant la politique, la critique et le féminisme par l'une des observatrices culturelles les plus suivies de sa génération.

«Vivo in questo corpo ribelle da oltre vent'anni. Ho tentato di farci la pace. Ho tentato di amarlo o almeno tollerarlo in un mondo che lo disprezza e basta. Ho taciuto la mia storia in un mondo che presume di conoscere il perché del mio corpo, o di qualsiasi corpo grasso. Ora ho scelto di non tacere piú».

”Det finns inget triumferande i berättelsen om min kropp. Min historia är ingen framgångssaga. Det är, helt enkelt, en sann historia.” Roxane Gay skriver med brutal ärlighet och stort mod om sin kropp och sin hunger, om det trauma som drabbade henne som ung flicka och som förändrade allt. Hur ska man kunna tycka om sin kropp när omvärlden bara visar förakt för den?

"New York Times 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 Hunger, 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. With 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. Hunger 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"--Publisher's description.

Fille de l'un des hommes les plus riches d'Haïti, Mireille Duval Jameson mène une vie confortable aux Etats-Unis. Mais alors qu'elle est en vacances à Port-au-Prince avec son mari Michael et leur bébé Christophe, Mireille est kidnappée. Ses ravisseurs réclament un million de dollars à son père. Pourtant, ce dernier refuse de payer la rançon, convaincu que toutes les femmes de sa famille seraient alors enlevées les unes après les autres. Pendant treize jours, Mireille vit un cauchemar. Son ravisseur, dit le commandant, est d'une cruauté sans nom. Comment survivre dans de telles conditions et, une fois libérée, comment surmonter le traumatisme, pardonner à son père et recréer une intimité avec son mari ? Mireille et les siens vont pourtant réussir à reprendre pied et découvrir que la rédemption peut revêtir les formes les plus inattendues.

Fille de l’un des hommes les plus riches d’Haïti, Mireille Duval Jameson mène une vie confortable aux États-Unis. Mais alors qu’elle est en vacances à Port-au-Prince avec son mari Michael et leur bébé Christophe, Mireille est kidnappée. Ses ravisseurs réclament un million de dollars à son père. Pourtant, ce dernier refuse de payer la rançon, convaincu que toutes les femmes de sa famille seraient alors enlevées les unes après les autres. Pendant treize jours, Mireille vit un cauchemar. Son ravisseur, dit le commandant, est d’une cruauté sans nom. Comment survivre dans de telles conditions et, une fois libérée, comment surmonter le traumatisme, pardonner à son père et recréer une intimité avec son mari ? Mireille et les siens vont pourtant réussir à reprendre pied et découvrir que la rédemption peut revêtir les formes les plus inattendues.

New York Times 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 Hunger, 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. With 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. Hunger 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. Freshman Common Read: California State University: Channel Islands

La lucha por los derechos de las mujeres ha tomado el mundo por asalto, pero �por qu� muchas de sus simpatizantes caen en tantas contradicciones? �Por qu� parece haber tantas malas feministas? Roxane Gay, profesora universitaria, colaboradora de The New York Times, ensayista y novelista con m�s de un mill�n de visitas en su charla TED sobre feminismo, tiene algunas respuestas a esas preguntas. La pluma de Gay, filosa como una catana, explora la cultura pop para extraer verdades inc�modas acerca de c�mo somos representados en el cine, la televisi�n y la literatura. Con un estilo a veces �cido y corrosivo, otras �ntimo y personal, pero siempre potente y cr�tico, Roxane atraviesa el entretenimiento masivo: desde Cincuenta sombras de Grey hasta Los juegos del hambre; sin olvidar a Quentin Tarantino y Orange is The New Black, para rescatar valiosas lecciones e inc�modas verdades sobre la discriminaci�n, el privilegio y la frustraci�n de querer un mundo m�s justo. Sus ensayos no exigen la credencial de �feminista� para ser le�dos. Son una invitaci�n abierta a analizar el entorno en el que estamos inmersos bajo la promesa de que, despu�s de leerlos, creer�s firmemente que, como dice la propia Roxane, �tenemos el derecho al mismo respeto�. �Es incompatible querer ser independiente y a la vez ansiar que cuiden de ti, que te gusta la m�sica reggaeton pero te revuelva por dentro lo machista de algunas de sus letras?

Roxane Gay (@rgay) is one of the most-listened to young cultural observers. She has become an important voice for a generation, writing about the urgent issues of the day, from feminism and modern marriage, to television and police brutality. No matter the topic, her voice is clear, powerful and always honest. How to Be Heard is full of advice that anyone pursuing a creative life will find fascinating and useful: *You can be a writer if you want to (as long as you actually write). *If you're a woman, gay or a person of colour, there are probably more barriers. Know this. Be relentless any way. Strive for excellence. Learn how to kick the shit out of those barriers but don't assume every failure is about your identity because it isn't. *Accept that sometimes cream does rise to the top and hard work will eventually get noticed. *Learn to deal with rejection. You don't have to like it. The creative life involves rejection far more than acceptance. It's easier if you can accept that early on. After delving into the writing life, Gay looks at what is required to succeed in any creative endeavour. Woven throughout are her personal anecdotes and insights on using your voice, being heard and knowing how to listen. How to Be Heard is about finding a voice that is uniquely yours and making sure you are heard when it truly matters.

The New York Times–bestselling author of Bad Feminist shares a collection of stories about hardscrabble lives, passionate loves and vexed human connection. The women in these stories live lives of privilege and of poverty, are in marriages both loving and haunted by past crimes or emotional blackmail. 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. From a girls' fight club to a wealthy subdivision in Florida where neighbors conform, compete, and spy on each other, Roxanne Gay delivers a wry, beautiful, haunting vision of modern America with her "signature wry wit and piercing psychological depth" ( Harper's Bazaar).