Not That Bad

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.



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In this valuable and timely 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 sexual-abuse survivors are 'routinely second-guessed, blown off, discredited, denigrated, besmirched, belittled, patronized, mocked, shamed, gaslit, insulted, bullied' for speaking out.

Highlighting the stories of well-known actors, writers and experts, as well as new voices being published for the first time, Not That Bad covers 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 and street harrassment.

Often deeply personal and always unflinchingly honest, 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.



Roxane Gay is the author of the

New York Times bestsellers

Bad Feminist and

Hunger, the novel

An Untamed State, and the short story collections

Difficult Women and

Ayiti. A contributing opinion writer to the

New York Times, she has also written for

Time, the

Los Angeles Times,

The Nation,

The Rumpus and

Salon, amongst others. She is the author of

World of Wakanda for Marvel. She lives in Los Angeles.



an important book...observationally sharp, the writing often as vivid as bruises...the voices here are clear and compelling and crushing.



The diversity is striking - not only of perspectives, but approach, too. This is a book of testimonies, indignations, reproaches, meditations, written with poignancy and skill.



Gay's introduction moved me to tears, as did many of the pieces contributed by household names-Gabrielle Union, Ally Sheedy-but accounts from "regular" women moved me even more. Perhaps that's the lesson we're meant to take away from

Not that Bad: we're all "regular." Shocking as they are, many of these stories will be familiar to us all-and we all deserve better



The lauded social critic and provocateur curates a diverse and unvarnished collection of personal essays reckoning with the experiences and systemic dysfunction that produced #MeToo.



an unflinching look at the world and the way in which women are treated...In this potent book, these are the stories that need to be heard; these are the stories that will make change happen.



Full of spectacular writing from both established and emerging voices.