FEMINIST GIANT is teaming up with Word Up Book Store in New York City for an evening with editor Mona Eltahawy and contributing author Abeer Y. Hoque to discuss Bloody Hell!: Adventures in Menopause from Around the World with Marjorie Korn, co-author of Menopause Bootcamp: Optimize Your Health, Empower Your Self, and Flourish as You Age. Featuring seventeen essays from people all around the world, Bloody Hell! is a collection of adventures in menopause from across the personal and political spectrum that aims to light a fire of shamelessness and break the boundaries surrounding this ‘taboo’ topic.
“Aiming to present an “antidote” to a type of taboo-busting feminist approach to the topic that mainly appeals to “white, wealthy, cisgender, heterosexual, able-bodied women,” Eltahawy gathers a variety of perspectives on both menopause and the transitional period before it.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)
This event is a $5 suggested donation ticket with 50 max attendees. Please register in advance.
In compliance with Word Up Community Safety guidelines, all attendees are encouraged to stay masked at all time.
Recirculation, a project of Word Up Community Bookshop, is located at 876 Riverside Drive (near 160th St.) in Washington Heights, NYC. You can take the 1 train to 157th St., A/C train to 163rd St., and the M4 and M5 to Broadway and 159/160th.
ABOUT THE BOOK
As a feminist of colour who often resorts to writing what she has long wanted to read, editor Mona Eltahawy has seen first-hand how when a movement takes a brave dive into the deep end of a taboo, representation can be limited. Bloody Hell is the antidote.
This is not a medical textbook, nor is it a guide on how to remedy or fix anything. Rather, it is a collection of menopausal individuals - women, transmasculine and non-binary people - with their own entry point into that transition who can share unique insights and anecdotes about menopause that are deeply intimate, highly informative and hugely relatable.
Menopause can be a confusing and anxiety-ridden time spent navigating the unknown. However, it can also be an opportunity for transformation, liberation and self-love. Bloody Hell is a chance for new beginnings, knowledge and power and these essays encourage us to embrace the messy and beautiful nature of change.
ABOUT THE SPEAKERS
image credit: Josh Steinbauer
Abeer Y. Hoque is a Nigerian-born Bangladeshi American writer and photographer. She likes deadlifts, dark chocolate, and dye jobs. Her books include a coffee table book (The Long Way Home), a linked collection of stories, poems, and photographs (The Lovers and the Leavers), and a memoir (Olive Witch). See more at olivewitch.com.
Marjorie Korn is a New York-based journalist and published author specializing in health and medicine. She has worked for the Associated Press, Sunday Times (UK), The Dallas Morning News, GQ, and Men’s Journal, among others. She is a book writer and editor, having worked on Menopause Bootcamp by Suzanne Gilberg-Lenz, M.D., and The Rabbit Effect by Kelli Harding, M.D. Currently, she serves as the communications lead for the Black Directors Health Equity Agenda. Marjorie is a graduate of American University and the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.
WORD UP COMMUNITY SAFETY GUIDELINES
CANCELLATION POLICY: Word Up Community Bookshop reserves the right to cancel events for any reason, including but not limited to safety concerns.
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ACCESSIBILITY: Recirculation is a wheelchair-accessible space with one ramp from the street level down to the store. Most of the shelves are on wheels and can be moved to provide additional access. The bathrooms are not yet ADA compliant and do not yet have a changing table but are gender neutral. The events are mic’d for sound and videos are captioned when possible. Free ASL interpretation is available for most programs upon request. Please email events@wordupbooks.com to request interpretation as early as possible. If you have specific questions about the space or how an event can be made more accessible to you, please do not hesitate to contact us at info@wordupbooks.com.
Mona Eltahawy is a feminist author, commentator and disruptor of patriarchy. Her latest book is an anthology on menopause she edited called Bloody Hell!: Adventures in Menopause from Around the World. Her first book Headscarves and Hymens: Why the Middle East Needs a Sexual Revolution (2015) targeted patriarchy in the Middle East and North Africa and her second The Seven Necessary Sins For Women and Girls (2019) took her disruption worldwide. It is now available in Ireland and the UK. Her commentary has appeared in media around the world and she makes video essays and writes a newsletter as FEMINIST GIANT.
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