Our Red Book: Intimate Conversations about Periods

Description

A Scottish MP celebrates making period products freely available. A father admits embarrassment at buying pads for his daughter. A Jewish grandmother describes getting her first period in front of Nazi soldiers. A trans woman, a trans man and a non-binary person share their stories. And a marathon runner makes crimson waves. From the first red flag to the last goodbye, from Indigenous rites to medical frontiers, from miscarriages to menopause, from pain to pride, from 'free bleeding' in public to bleeding behind bars - the underwear, the oversight, period poverty and protests - Our Red Book takes us to every corner of the globe and every voice yet unheard. Featuring contributions from Gloria Steinem, Judy Blume, Madame Gandhi, and Florence Given, Our Red Book is a collection of oral histories, written and visual testimonies from extraordinary people around the world, gathered especially by the New York Times bestselling editor of My Little Red Book.

Rachel Kauder Nalebuff is a writer working often in performance and oral history. She is the author of Stages: on Dying, Working, and Feeling; co-editor of The Feminist Utopia Project; and the editor of the New York Times best-selling My Little Red Book. She teaches drama at senior centers and writing at Yale University.

'Nalebuff interjects frequently with commentary and anecdotes, artfully linking stories together . . . Bold and candid, these missives go a long way in breaking through what one contributor calls "the taboo of bleeding"' * Publishers Weekly (starred review) * A vibrant collection of stories evoking joy, dread, loss, and celebration that will resonate with many -- Rebekah Kati * Library Journal * Eye-opening, provocative, and emotionally resonant...The factors that shroud menstruation in secrecy, and give rise to shame and embarrassment, are deconstructed, making Our Red Book instructive as a primer for young people. What's more, trans narratives and narratives from non-western writers enhance and expand readers' understanding of the ways periods are treated and experienced. This diversity is part of what makes Our Red Book so important. It goes beyond horror stories to envision a freer, more accepting society * Progressive *