The University of Nebraska–Lincoln reads Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body by Roxane Gay author, essayist and English–Creative Writing alumna
Sponsored by the Creative Writing Program of the Department of English
The Department of English offers an English major concentration, M.A., and Ph.D. as part of its Creative Writing Program. Every year program hosts readings and discussions by acclaimed poets, novelists, and memoirists as part of its Creative Writing Month celebration, National Poetry Month festivities, and the new Reading Series (which kicks off in fall 2018 with Roxane Gay's visit).
About Roxane Gay
Roxane Gay is an author, cultural critic, and University of Nebraska–Lincoln English alumna whose writing is unmatched and widely revered. Her work garners international acclaim for its reflective, no-holds-barred exploration of feminism and social criticism. With a deft eye on modern culture, she brilliantly critiques its ebb and flow with both wit and ferocity.
Words like “courage,” “humor,” and “smart” are frequently deployed when describing Roxane. Her collection of essays, Bad Feminist, is universally considered the quintessential exploration of modern feminism. NPR named it one of the best books of the year and SALON declared the book “trailblazing.” Her powerful debut novel, An Untamed State, was long listed for the Flaherty-Dunnan First Novel Prize. In 2017, Roxane released her highly anticipated memoir, Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body, as well as a collection of short stories titled Difficult Women.
Roxane is a contributing op-ed writer for The New York Times, was the co-editor of PANK, and formerly was the non-fiction editor at The Rumpus. Her writing has also appeared in McSweeney's, The Nation and many other publications. She recently became the first black woman to ever write for Marvel, writing a comic series in the Black Panther universe called World of Wakanda. Roxane fronts a small army of avid fans on social media and when she finds the time, she dominates the occasional Scrabble tournament.
About the book
New York Times bestselling author Roxane Gay has written with intimacy and sensitivity about food and bodies, using her own emotional and psychological struggles as a means of exploring our shared anxieties over pleasure, consumption, appearance, and health. As a woman who describes her own body as “wildly undisciplined,” Roxane understands the tension between desire and denial, between self-comfort and self-care. In Hunger, she casts an insightful and critical eye on her childhood, teens, and twenties—including the devastating act of violence that acted as a turning point in her young life—and brings readers into the present and the realities, pains, and joys of her daily life.
With the bracing candor, vulnerability, and authority that have made her one of the most admired voices of her generation, Roxane explores what it means to be overweight in a time when the bigger you are, the less you are seen. Hunger is a deeply personal memoir from one of our finest writers, and tells a story that hasn't yet been told but needs to be.
Book Discussions
These are open discussions that are open to all. Show up for any or all of them, no RSVP required. Come talk about the book or just listen to the conversation!
Wednesday, September 26
4:00 - 5:00 p.m.
Women's Center
338 Nebraska Union
Thursday, September 27
10:30 - 11:30 a.m.
LGBTQA+ Resource Center
346 Nebraska Union
Juice and bagels provided!
Friday, September 28
2:30 - 3:30 p.m.
Department of English
117 Andrews Hall
Panel Discussion
Women in Art & Pop: On Bad Feminist and representation
Panel discussion with Kwakiutl Dreher, Brigitte McQueen Shew, and Hope Wabuke; moderated by Adrienne Christian.
