As seen by the sections of the book, Gay discusses a whole range of topics. While both her definition of bad feminist and her embracing the title can be assumed to be the thesis of the collection of essays, Gay seems to have seen it more of a theme that she occasionally writes about throughout the essays. I am just trying-trying to support what I believe in, trying to do some good in this world.” It is interesting to read this, with cancel culture a prominent fixture of 2020, making one wonder how this line of thinking would uphold today. I am not trying to say I have all the answers. Gay proclaims “I embrace the label of bad feminist because I am human. The Haitian-American author quickly shares what she considers to be a bad feminist: It’s about being a real, not a “professional feminist,” one that is “flawed and human.” Gay says that she has “interests and personality traits and opinions that may not fall in line with mainstream feminism, but I am still a feminist.” So she isn’t a perfect feminist-she’s a bad feminist-but one nonetheless.

Roxane Gay’s 2014 collection of essays in Bad Feminist, a New York Times bestseller, is full of essays that aren’t just concerned about feminism but deal with racial, gender, and personal topics as well. This review is part of our Goodreads Group, Love Yourshelf, and our ongoing Book Reviews project.