We are very proud to present two wonderful authors with new, hard-hitting nonfiction books that speak, powerfully and directly, to crucial issues of gender and equity. This will be a compelling and critical discussion that you won’t want to miss.
This will be a free Zoom event. Click here to register.
THE BOOKS:
Is Rape A Crime?
Michelle Bowdler’s debut tells the story of her rape and recovery while interrogating why one of society's most serious crimes goes largely uninvestigated. The memoir indicts how sexual violence has been addressed for decades in our society, asking whether rape is a crime given that it is the least reported major felony, least successfully prosecuted, and fewer than 3% of reported rapes result in conviction. Cases are closed before they are investigated and DNA evidence sits for years untested and disregarded. Rape in this country is not treated as a crime of brutal violence but as a parlor game of he said / she said. Given all this, it seems fair to ask whether rape is actually a crime. In 1984, the Boston Sexual Assault Unit was formed as a result of a series of break-ins and rapes that terrorized the city, of which Michelle’s own horrific rape was the last. Twenty years later, after a career of working with victims like herself, Michelle decides to find out what happened to her case and why she never heard from the police again after one brief interview. Is Rape a Crime? is an expert blend of memoir and cultural investigation, and Michelle's story is a rallying cry to reclaim our power and right our world.
"Urgent...an indictment of one of the most glaring contradictions of the US criminal justice system." —The Boston Globe
"A brilliant study of how society views rape."—Publishers Weekly, starred review
"Provocative and illuminating...Bowdler’s memoir is a thought-provoking, personal account of violence and its long-lasting ripples." —Laura Chanoux, Booklist
Being Lolita
A dark romance evolves between a high schooler and her English teacher in this breathtakingly powerful memoir about a young woman who must learn to rewrite her own story. A lonely and vulnerable high school senior, Alisson Wood finds solace only in her writing—and in a young, charismatic English teacher, Mr. North. He gives her a copy of Lolita to read, telling her it is a beautiful story about love. The book soon becomes the backdrop to a connection that blooms from a simple crush into a forbidden romance. But as Mr. North’s hold on her tightens, Alisson is forced to evaluate how much of their narrative is actually a disturbing fiction. In the wake of what becomes a deeply abusive relationship, Alisson is faced again and again with the story of her past, from rereading Lolita in college to working with teenage girls to becoming a professor of creative writing. It is only with that distance and perspective that she understands the ultimate power language has had on her—and how to harness that power to tell her own true story. Being Lolita is a stunning coming-of-age memoir that shines a bright light on our shifting perceptions of consent, vulnerability, and power. This is the story of what happens when a young woman realizes her entire narrative must be rewritten—and then takes back the pen to rewrite it.
"A chilling and propulsive debut about the danger of being captive inside someone else's story, and the power of choosing your own." — Melissa Febos, author of Whip Smart and Abandon Me
"Wood’s debut is a celebration of survival, teaching us that in the end, we are the most reliable narrators of all." - — T Kira Madden, author of Long Live the Tribe of Fatherless Girls
"Being Lolita is a book of deep insight and bravery—and ultimately one of power." — Darin Strauss, bestselling author of Half a Life and The Queen of Tuesday
THE AUTHORS:
Michelle Bowdler is the Executive Director of Health & Wellness at Tufts University and, after graduating from the Harvard School of Public Health, has worked on social justice issues related to rape for over a decade. Is Rape a Crime? is her first book. She is a recipient of a 2017 Barbara Deming Memorial Award and has been a Fellow at Ragdale and the MacDowell Colony. Michelle’s writing has been published in the New York Times and her essays “Eventually You Tell Your Kids” and “Babelogue” were nominated for Pushcart Prizes.
Alisson Wood is an award-winning writer whose essays have been published in the New York Times, Catapult, and Epiphany. She holds an M.F.A. in fiction from New York University. Alisson teaches creative writing at her alma mater and at Sackett Street Writers’ Workshop. She is the founder and editor in chief of Pigeon Pages, a New York City literary journal and reading series. Alisson was a winner of the inaugural Breakout 8 Award from the Author’s Guild and Epiphany. Being Lolita is her first book.
