Kathleen Hanna

I'm not very familiar from Hanna's music from either Bikini Kill or Le Tigre (I believe I was listening to Barney and Elmo when BK was in their heyday) but I was still fascinated by her raw and honest memoir. "Each song felt held together with Scotch tape and was somehow minimal and complex at the same time." That's Kathleen Hanna describing the music of another band, the Raincoats, but it is also an apt description of this book: short, choppy, episodic chapters that together build a show more portrait of a woman who experienced numerous traumas but used them to create groundbreaking feminist music and support other women with similar experiences. That's true Girrrl Power. The Spice Girls can kiss Hanna's ass. show less

I'm pretty sure this is the best memoir I've ever read. Great stories, well told. It covers so much, from her family, to her band, to her fame, her illness, her transitioning through different parts of her life. It gives real insight into the worlds of both punk rock and feminism, and does a great job of showing me all the awful shit women have to put up with. And Hanna didn't just survive it all, she thrived. Great book, highly recommended.

“I opened my mouth and said, “Because no one has listened to me my whole life and I really want to be heard.”

-5 stars-

WOW!
Honestly, I didn't think I could like Kathleen Hanna more than I already do, but evidently I stand corrected. Amazing amazing book!
In all honestly, I was a bit reserved to listen to a 12 hour book about a punk feminist, but I could not be more wrong. I'm literally so happy I read this.
I really appreciate this book, because I think it shows that Kathleen Hanna is show more also human. I feel like often we build up these singers/authors/artists in our heads so much that we expect them to be perfect and never make mistakes. We idolize them so much that we put so much pressure on these people that are people just like you and me.
That being said, this book is so inspiring and empowering. Not only her, but Bikini Kill and Le Tigre, band members also. The book made me so mad at men, and the way they treat women. It made me so mad, but I also really appreciate the book shined light on it.
The writing is A+, and although the book deals with some heavy topics (rape, childhood abuse, death) I like the snipets of humor and comedy Kathleen Hanna includes to make this book a little lighter. (While still dealing with the topics seriously.)
It's official, I want EVERYONE to read this book. It's awesome! Highly recommend!

“Is a woman a building you enter? Is a woman a wall you can paint your name on?” show less

When you review a memoir as open and frank as this, you're at risk of reviewing the person, which I don't want to do. There is a great deal to admire about Hanna that I hope even non-fans can appreciate. There's also a lot that troubles and saddens me: in particular, the incomplete progress she's made overcoming the terrible abuse she suffered as a child. In my view, she repeatedly set herself up to be retraumatized, especially as a young woman, and it's not clear that in her late 50s she's show more come to understand that dynamic. What's clear is that she's always done, and is doing, the best she can. No doubt having a supportive life partner has done wonders.

As an Evergreen graduate and resident of Olympia in the late '80s - about three to five years before Hanna's heyday there - I can testify that her portrait of the Olympia scene is a hundred percent accurate. What may not come across is how small a town Olympia is. It's not a university city like Seattle or Ann Arbor. Everybody bumps into everybody else. I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if I knew some of the people who appear under disguised names in Hanna's book.

Needless to say, fans of Bikini Kill, Julie Ruin, or Le Tigre are going to love this book, and it's a must-read for them. show less