Essays
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Roxane Wins “Best Rant”
Electric Literature is embarking on a new ranking system that will most definitely change the way you reflect on the past month of online book reviews. It’s called the Critical Hit Awards, and only three reviews are picked per month.…
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Best Sex Writing 2012
The official Table of Contents won’t be released for a couple of weeks, but a little birdie whispered in our ears (okay, announced it on her Facebook page) that Roxane Gay’s piece “The Careless Language of Sexual Violence”, which we…
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Aimee Nezhukumatathil Interview
Over at HTML giant Roxane Gay interviews Aimee Nezhukumatathil, shedding light on the poet’s influences—from the natural world and family, to language, and more. The conversation turns to her third book, Lucky Fish, and the process of assembling a collection…
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Wendell Pierce on the Help
After we published Roxane Gay’s essay on the Help last week, it launched a major discussion not only about the shortcomings of the movie and the book, but on how pop culture negotiates and regenerates historical movements, tired slave narratives,…
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The Solace of Preparing Fried Foods and Other Quaint Remembrances from 1960s Mississippi: Thoughts on The Help
Writing across race (or gender, sexuality, and disability) is complicated. Sometimes, it is downright messy.
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Magazines Everywhere
The economics of publishing a literary magazine reveal some inauspicious stats. Magazine editors have to stay crafty and constantly reinvent what it means to be innovative, just to survive. Even offering digital options as an alternative to print doesn’t guarantee…
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Tragedy. Call. Compassion. Response.
Every day, terrible things happen in the world. Every damn day too many people die or suffer for reasons that defy comprehension.
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Vocabulary Primer
This is a vocabulary-based reference for Roxane Gay’s recently published “Still With the Scarlet Letters.”
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In all Seriousness
We’ve been seeing a lot from Roxane Gay lately, on The Rumpus as well as in other literary blog realms. Ever wondered about her writing process? See what she has to say about writing in general, as well as about writers…
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Rumpus on Feministing!
Feministing published an article on the backlash to the Mac McClelland piece on PTSD, commending her bravery, defending the art of the personal essay and citing yesterday’s Roxane Gay piece for its wise advice on how our diverse personal narratives…
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Still with the Scarlet Letters
Last week journalist Mac McClelland wrote a brutal, exceptional essay for Good where she plainly discussed her experience with PTSD and her desire for violent sex as one means of coping with the atrocities she had witnessed as a human rights…
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The Rumpus Books Sunday Supplement
Rumpus Books had one hell of a week this week, and today’s a good day as any to catch up.