Not That Bad is an anthology of thirty essays, edited by Roxane Gay. Each essay is written by a different person ranging from well known celebrities to people not well known by the public. Black people, white people, people from various cultures, men and women and people who identify as LGBTQIA2S+.
What all of these people have in common is that they have experienced sexual assault or rape.
The title Not That Bad, refers to the fact that most, if not all, of these survivors either felt themselves, or were told by people they shared their stories, that their experience was "not that bad" because it could have been so much worse. Perhaps, it was, "you were lucky you weren't killed" or in the case of sexual assault, "you weren't raped". How do we live in a world that compares people's trauma?
These stories all have examples of rape culture and the impact rape culture has on a society that allows it. Many of the stories are empowering. Some of them leave you in despair. All of them are raw, undaunted and imperative. These voices need to be heard. These stories need to be told.
Obviously, the content in this book is difficult. This is not an easy read. I took breaks every once in a while. It might not be a book you can read in one sitting cover to cover, but it is a book that I have not stopped thinking about and I think it should be required reading for all men and women.
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I talk about this book in the following video:
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