A passionate and deeply personal exploration of feminism during divisive times from one of the founders of Time’s Up: actor, filmmaker, and activist Amber Tamblyn. “A work of personal upheaval and political reckoning.”—Rebecca Traister, New York Times bestselling author of Good and Mad Amber Tamblyn has emerged as an outspoken advocate for women’s rights. But she wasn’t always so bold and self-possessed. In her late twenties, after a particularly low period fueled by rejection and disillusionment, she grabbed hold of her own destiny and entered into what she calls an Era of Ignition—a time of self-reflection that follows in the wake of personal upheaval and leads us to challenge the status quo. In the process of undergoing this metamorphosis, she realized that our country is going through an Era of Ignition of its own, and she set about agitating for change by initiating a dialogue about gender inequality. In this deeply personal exploration of modern feminism, she addresses misogyny and discrimination, reproductive rights and sexual assault, white feminism and pay parity—all through the lens of her own experiences as well as those of her Sisters in Solidarity. At once an intimate meditation and a public reckoning, Era of Ignition is a galvanizing feminist manifesto that is required reading for anyone who wants to help change the world for the better.
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What makes this book so compelling is that not only is the subject matter both culturally relevant and personally accessible, but that Tamblyn is a gifted writer. Her literary ability elevates the typical memoir/social dissertation to the level of art.
Ok! I'm feeling both encouraged and depressed!
So - I had no idea who Amber Tamblyn was when I borrowed this, I haven't seen any of her work. The beginning bits on Hilary Clintons campaigns, or her first producing/directorial role did not catch me so well (I'm Canadian, and wasn't that invested) But! Then we got into the #Metoo movement and the anonymous Black woman** in one of the first closed door discussions of industry women who said /paraphrasing/ “well, how are you going to make sure to include black women? Usually we are ignored.”
And then we get fucking intersectional.
Of course reading this 2019 publication during ongoing blacklivesmatters protests just highlights how much of a marathon the work for justice really is.
**Because Tamblyn is very explicit about naming nearly all the people in her text, that the woman is anonymous here feels weird. If it was the speaker's preference I wish Tamblyn had noted that.