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Gift Guide--Memoir/Essays

Memoir/Essays

Gathering Blossoms Under Fire: The Journals of Alice Walker, 1965–2000 By Alice Walker, Valerie Boyd (Editor) Cover Image
By Alice Walker, Valerie Boyd (Editor)
$32.50
ISBN: 9781476773155
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Published: Simon & Schuster - April 12th, 2022

From National Book Award and Pulitzer Prize–winning author Alice Walker and edited by critic and writer Valerie Boyd, comes an unprecedented compilation of Walker’s fifty years of journals drawing an intimate portrait of her development over five decades as an artist, human rights and women’s activist, and intellectual.

For the first time, the edited journals of Ali


Lost & Found: A Memoir By Kathryn Schulz Cover Image
$27.00
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ISBN: 9780525512462
Published: Random House - January 11th, 2022

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • NEW YORK TIMES EDITORS’ CHOICE • A “profound and beautiful” (Marilynne Robinson) account of joy and sorrow from one of the great writers of our time, The New Yorker’s Kathryn Schulz, winner of the Pulitzer Prize


Year of the Tiger: An Activist's Life By Alice Wong Cover Image
$17.00
ISBN: 9780593315392
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Published: Vintage - September 6th, 2022

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • ONE OF USA TODAY'S MUST-READ BOOKS This groundbreaking memoir offers a glimpse into an activist's journey to finding and cultivating community and the continued fight for disability justice, from the founder and director of the Disability Visibility Project


Making Love with the Land: Essays By Joshua Whitehead Cover Image
$24.95
ISBN: 9781517914479
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Published: Univ Of Minnesota Press - November 15th, 2022

A moving and deeply personal excavation of Indigenous beauty and passion in a suffering world

The novel Jonny Appleseed established Joshua Whitehead as one of the most exciting and important new literary voices on Turtle Island, winning both a Lambda Literary Award and Canada Reads 2021.


Pathetic Literature By Eileen Myles Cover Image
$34.00
ISBN: 9780802157157
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Published: Grove Press - November 15th, 2022

An utterly unique collection composed by the award-winning poet and writer, a global anthology of pieces from lesser-known classics by luminaries like Franz Kafka, Samuel R.


Knocking Myself Up: A Memoir of My (In)Fertility By Michelle Tea Cover Image
$28.99
ISBN: 9780063210622
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Published: Dey Street Books - August 2nd, 2022

From PEN/America Award winner, 2021 Guggenheim fellow, and beloved literary and tarot icon Michelle Tea, the hilarious, powerfully written, taboo-breaking story of her journey to pregnancy and motherhood as a 40 year-old, queer, uninsured woman


Waiting in the Wings: Portrait of a Queer Motherhood By Cherríe Moraga Cover Image
$17.00
ISBN: 9781642598308
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Published: Haymarket Books - December 6th, 2022

In a series of journal entries--some original passages, others revisited and expanded in retrospect--Cherri Moraga details her experiences with pregnancy, birth, and the early years of lesbian parenting.


Burning Butch By Mertz Cover Image
By Mertz
$17.99
ISBN: 9781951213503
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Published: Unnamed Press - April 5th, 2022

"The Trans Memoir We've Always Needed." --Autostraddle


"This blistering memoir is the book I didn't know I needed... I'm so grateful they had the courage to share their experience in such a transparent, authentic way." --One of BuzzFeed's Most Anticipated Books of 2022



My First Popsicle: An Anthology of Food and Feelings By Zosia Mamet (Editor) Cover Image
By Zosia Mamet (Editor)
$26.00
ISBN: 9780143137290
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Published: Penguin Books - November 1st, 2022

A warm and relateable collection of essays exploring the memories we associate with different meals in our lives, from a spectrum of talented creators

What is your most poignant memory surrounding food? 


A Life in Light: Meditations on Impermanence By Mary Pipher Cover Image
$28.00
ISBN: 9781635577587
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Published: Bloomsbury Publishing - June 28th, 2022

From the bestselling author of Women Rowing North and Reviving Ophelia-a memoir in essays reflecting on radiance, resilience, and the constantly changing nature of reality.


A Book of Days By Patti Smith Cover Image
$28.99
ISBN: 9780593448540
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Published: Random House - November 15th, 2022

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A deeply moving and brilliantly idiosyncratic visual book of days by the National Book Award–winning author of Just Kids and M Train, featuring more than 365 images and reflections that chart Smith’s singular aesthetic—inspired by her wildly popular Instagram.


Fruit Punch: A Memoir By Kendra Allen Cover Image
$26.99
ISBN: 9780063048539
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Published: Ecco - August 9th, 2022

An arresting and one-of-a-kind memoir about the alternately exultant and harrowing trip growing up as a Black child desperate to create a clear reality for herself in this country


Body Language: Writers on Identity, Physicality, and Making Space for Ourselves By Nicole Chung (Editor), Matt Ortile (Editor) Cover Image
By Nicole Chung (Editor), Matt Ortile (Editor)
$16.95
ISBN: 9781646221318
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Published: Catapult - July 12th, 2022

A kaleidoscopic anthology of essays published by Catapult magazine about the stories our bodies tell, and how we move within—and against—expectations of race, gender, health, and ability


Home Bound: An Uprooted Daughter's Reflections on Belonging By Vanessa A. Bee Cover Image
$28.00
ISBN: 9781662601330
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Published: Astra House - October 11th, 2022

"This moving book is both an act of defiance — a way to construct a home outside of borders — and a timely manifesto on the need for more equitable housing policy in America, weaving her scholarship in economic justice together with her firsthand experience of the many places she’s lived. “Home Bound” is not just a resonant personal history, but also a thoroug


How to Read Now: Essays By Elaine Castillo Cover Image
$27.00
ISBN: 9780593489635
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Published: Viking - July 26th, 2022

How to Read Now explores the politics and ethics of reading, and insists that we are capable of something better: a more engaged relationship not just with our fiction and our art, but with our buried and entangled histories.”


The Family Outing: A Memoir By Jessi Hempel Cover Image
$27.99
ISBN: 9780063079014
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Published: HarperOne - October 4th, 2022

“Fascinating, funny, and wise, The Family Outing is an affirmation to all of us who know the pain and shame of hiding our truest self, and a stirring invitation into the courage, freedom, and joy of living our whole truth.”—Glennon Doyle, author of #1 New York Times bestseller Untamed, founder of Together Rising


Koshersoul: The Faith and Food Journey of an African American Jew By Michael W. Twitty Cover Image
$28.99
ISBN: 9780062891754
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Published: Amistad - August 9th, 2022

“Twitty makes the case that Blackness and Judaism coexist in beautiful harmony, and this is manifested in the foods and traditions from both cultures that Black Jews incorporate into their daily lives…Twitty wishes to start a conversation where people celebrate their differences and embrace commonalities.


Women Talk Money: Breaking the Taboo By Rebecca Walker (Editor) Cover Image
By Rebecca Walker (Editor)
$26.99
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ISBN: 9781501154324
Published: Simon & Schuster - March 15th, 2022

A searing and fearless anthology of essays exploring the profound impact of money on women’s lives, edited by prominent feminist and writer Rebecca Walker.

Women Talk Money is a groundbreaking collection that lifts the veil on what women talk about when they talk about money; it unflinchingly recounts the power of money to impact health, define relationships, and shape i


Crying in the Bathroom: A Memoir By Erika L. Sánchez Cover Image
$27.00
ISBN: 9780593296936
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Published: Viking - July 12th, 2022

“Equal parts pee-your-pants hilarity and break your heart poignancy- like the perfect brunch date you never want to end!"--America Ferrera, Emmy award-winning actress in Ugly Betty

From the New York Times bestselling author of I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter, an utterly original memoir-in-essays that is as deeply moving as it is disarmingly funny


The Crane Wife: A Memoir in Essays By CJ Hauser Cover Image
$28.00
ISBN: 9780385547079
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Published: Doubleday - July 12th, 2022

A memoir in essays that expands on the viral sensation “The Crane Wife” with a frank and funny look at love, intimacy, and self in the twenty-first century.


They Can't Kill Us Until They Kill Us By Hanif Abdurraqib, Eve L. Ewing (Introduction by), Jason Reynolds (Afterword by) Cover Image
By Hanif Abdurraqib, Eve L. Ewing (Introduction by), Jason Reynolds (Afterword by)
$26.00
ISBN: 9781953387271
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Published: Two Dollar Radio - November 15th, 2022

* 2018 "12 best books to give this holiday season" --TODAY (Elizabeth Acevedo)


Poet Warrior: A Memoir By Joy Harjo Cover Image
$16.95
ISBN: 9781324022015
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Published: W. W. Norton & Company - August 9th, 2022

National bestseller
An ALA Notable Book

Three-term poet laureate Joy Harjo offers a vivid, lyrical, and inspiring call for love and justice in this contemplation of her trailblazing life.


Angela Davis: An Autobiography By Angela Y. Davis Cover Image
$28.95
ISBN: 9781642595680
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Published: Haymarket Books - January 18th, 2022

"An activist. An author. A scholar. An abolitionist. A legend."
--Ibram X. Kendi

This beautiful new edition of Angela Davis's classic Autobiography features an expansive new introduction by the author.


Correctional By Ravi Shankar Cover Image
$26.95
ISBN: 9780299335304
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Published: University of Wisconsin Press - January 4th, 2022

The first time Ravi Shankar was arrested, he spoke out against racist policing on National Public Radio and successfully sued the city of New York. The second time, he was incarcerated when his promotion to full professor was finalized.


Somebody's Daughter: A Memoir By Ashley C. Ford Cover Image
$17.99
ISBN: 9781250203229
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Published: Flatiron Books: An Oprah Book - May 3rd, 2022

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
NBCC John Leonard Prize Finalist
Indie Bestseller

“This is a book people will be talking about forever.”
Glennon Doyle, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Untamed


I Know What's Best for You By Shelly Oria (Editor), Tommy Orange (Contribution by), R. O. Kwon (Contribution by) Cover Image
By Shelly Oria (Editor), Tommy Orange (Contribution by), R. O. Kwon (Contribution by)
$21.99
ISBN: 9781952119217
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Published: McSweeney's - June 7th, 2022

Edited by Shelly Oria--author and editor of Indelible in the Hippocampus--this explosive, intersectional collection of essays, fiction, poems, plays, and more, explores the universality of human reproductive experiences, as well as their distinct individuality.


I Want to Die but I Want to Eat Tteokbokki: A Memoir By Baek Sehee, Anton Hur (Translated by) Cover Image
By Baek Sehee, Anton Hur (Translated by)
$24.00
ISBN: 9781635579383
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Published: Bloomsbury Publishing - November 1st, 2022

The internationally bestselling therapy memoir translated by International Booker Prize shortlisted Anton Hur.

PSYCHIATRIST: So how can I help you?

ME: I don’t know, I’m – what’s the word – depressed? Do I have to go into detail?


README.txt: A Memoir By Chelsea Manning Cover Image
$28.00
ISBN: 9780374279271
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Published: Farrar, Straus and Giroux - October 18th, 2022

An intimate, revealing memoir from one of the most important activists of our time.


The Light We Carry: Overcoming in Uncertain Times By Michelle Obama Cover Image
$32.50
ISBN: 9780593237465
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Published: Crown - November 15th, 2022

#1 NEW YORK TIMES AND USA TODAY BESTSELLER • ONE OF TIME’S 100 MUST-READ BOOKS OF 2022 • In an inspiring follow-up to her critically acclaimed, #1 bestselling memoir Becoming, former First Lady Michelle Obama shares practical wisdom and powerful strategies for staying hopeful and balanced in today’s highly uncertain world.


The Book of Delights: Essays By Ross Gay Cover Image
$18.99
ISBN: 9781643753287
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Published: Algonquin Books - August 16th, 2022

As Heard on NPR's This American Life: The New York Times bestselling book that celebrates ordinary delights in the world around us by one of America's most original and observant writers and the author of Inciting Joy, award-winning poet Ross Gay.


Inciting Joy: Essays By Ross Gay Cover Image
$27.00
ISBN: 9781643753041
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Published: Algonquin Books - October 25th, 2022

From Ross Gay, the New York Times bestselling author of The Book of Delights, comes an intimate and electrifying collection of essays about the joy that comes from connection. “BRILLIANT.” —Ada Limón, U.S.


I'm Glad My Mom Died By Jennette McCurdy Cover Image
$27.99
ISBN: 9781982185824
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Published: Simon & Schuster - August 9th, 2022

* #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * #1 INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER * MORE THAN 2 MILLION COPIES SOLD!

A heartbreaking and hilarious memoir by iCarly and Sam & Cat star Jennette McCurdy about her struggles as a former child actor—including eating disorders, addiction, and a complicated relationship with her overbearing mother—and how she retook co


It Came from the Closet: Queer Reflections on Horror By Joe Vallese (Editor), Carmen Maria Machado (Contribution by), Bruce Owens Grimm (Contribution by) Cover Image
By Joe Vallese (Editor), Carmen Maria Machado (Contribution by), Bruce Owens Grimm (Contribution by)
$25.95
ISBN: 9781952177798
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Published: Feminist Press - October 4th, 2022

Through the lens of horror--from Halloween to Hereditary--queer and trans writers consider the films that deepened, amplified, and illuminated their own experiences.Horror movies hold a complicated space in the hearts of the queer community: historically misogynist, and often homo- and transphobic, the genre has also been inadvertently feminist and open to subversive readings.


Voice of the Fish: A Lyric Essay By Lars Horn Cover Image
$16.00
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ISBN: 9781644450895
Published: Graywolf Press - June 7th, 2022

Lars Horn’s Voice of the Fish, the latest Graywolf Press Nonfiction Prize winner, is an interwoven essay collection that explores the trans experience through themes of water, fish, and mythology, set against the backdrop of travels in Russia and a debilitating back injury that left Horn temporarily unable to speak.


Body Work: The Radical Power of Personal Narrative By Melissa Febos Cover Image
$16.95
ISBN: 9781646220854
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Published: Catapult - March 15th, 2022

AN INSTANT NATIONAL BESTSELLER

Memoir meets craft master class in this “daring, honest, psychologically insightful” exploration of how we think and write about intimate experiences—“a must read for anybody shoving a pen across paper or staring into a screen or a past" (Mary Karr)


Girlhood By Melissa Febos Cover Image
$18.00
ISBN: 9781635579314
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Published: Bloomsbury Publishing - May 24th, 2022

National Book Critics Circle Award Winner
National Bestseller
Lambda Literary Award Finalist


On Freedom: Four Songs of Care and Constraint By Maggie Nelson Cover Image
$17.00
ISBN: 9781644452028
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Published: Graywolf Press - September 6th, 2022

Named a Most Anticipated/Best Book of the Month by: NPR * USA Today * Time * Washington Post * Vulture * Women’s Wear Daily * Bustle * LitHub * The Millions * Vogue * Nylon * Shondaland * Chicago Review of Books * The Guardian * Los Angeles Times * Kirkus * Publishers Weekly


House of Sticks: A Memoir By Ly Tran Cover Image
By Ly Tran
$17.99
ISBN: 9781501118821
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Published: Scribner - May 10th, 2022

New York City Book Awards Hornblower Award Winner

One of Vogue and NPR’s Best Books of the Year

This beautifully written “masterclass in memoir” (Elle) recounts a young girls journey from war-torn Vietnam to Queens, New York, “showcas[ing] the tremendous power we have to alter the fates of others, step in


Bird Uncaged: An Abolitionist's Freedom Song By Marlon Peterson Cover Image
$18.99
ISBN: 9781645036524
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Published: Bold Type Books - December 6th, 2022

From a leading prison abolitionist, a moving memoir about coming of age in Brooklyn and surviving incarceration—and a call to break free from all the cages that confine us.
 
Marlon Peterson grew up in 1980s Crown Heights, raised by Trinidadian immigrants.


These Precious Days: Essays By Ann Patchett Cover Image
$19.00
ISBN: 9780063092792
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Published: Harper Perennial - November 1st, 2022

The beloved New York Times bestselling author reflects on home, family, friendships and writing in this deeply personal collection of essays.  


The Need to Be Whole: Patriotism and the History of Prejudice By Wendell Berry Cover Image
$24.00
ISBN: 9798985679809
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Published: Shoemaker + Company - October 4th, 2022

Wendell Berry has never been afraid to speak up for the dispossessed. The Need to Be Whole continues the work he began in The Hidden Wound (1970) and The Unsettling of America (1977), demanding a careful exploration of this hard, shared truth: The wealth of the mighty few governing this nation has been built on the unpaid labor of others.