Roar Softly and Carry a Great Lipstick: 28 Women Writers on Life, Sex, and Survival [Paperback]

Autumn Stephens (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 12, 2004

The title of this anthology riffs on Teddy Roosevelt's phallocentric motto, "Speak softly, and carry a big stick." Few American women today are interested in cultivating a Teddyesque machismo — but in Roar Softly, women writers recount witty and poignant tales of modern-day survival, from finding love (and sex) as a single mom to overcoming anorexia to adopting a child. Not only do their stories offer reassurance that no woman is alone in her struggles, but they also suggest better battle strategies — more womanly battle strategies, if you will — for those who shrink from the "muscle your way through" approach. As each essay demonstrates, women can overcome the challenges of their lives not only with strength, but also with grace. Contributors include Anne Lamott, Edwidge Danticat, Mary Roach, Elizabeth Fishel, Laura Fraser, and Anneli Rufus.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In contrast to the derring-do of man vs. mountain stories, this collection (whose title riffs on Theodore Roosevelt’s macho injunction to "carry a big stick") lauds the feats of women who have battled personal demons like marriage, divorce, pregnancy, motherhood, lesbianism, anorexia and breast cancer. But there’s more to this anthology than struggle and strife. The 28 contributors chronicle their own soul-searching with an equally diverse range of tones, from incisive wit to spare elegance to unabashed frankness. Several selections address the rift between domestic bliss and free-spirited singledom. In "Without Me, I’m Nothing," Bonnie Wach wrestles with postpartum depression, admitting her anger at her body’s "failure to deliver the euphoria that’s promised... to every mother at childbirth." And Cynthia Kaplan’s wry yet forthcoming essay, "Foreign Correspondent," describes the mixed blessing of being ensconced in a "snow globe," living with the husband and children she has always wanted yet passively observing the adventures of her friends. Other essays share the joy of reaping blessing from calamity, like Autumn Stephens’s tale of how her mastectomy rekindled her faith in her marriage, and some, like Mary Roach’s comic riff on aging, simply point out the humor in the unavoidable (On having dark under-eye circles, she writes: "Many athletes apply black grease-paint to this area to reduce glare and improve their game. You don’t ever have to do this. That’s a savings right there"). Though several authors address serious issues with this sort of lighthearted pluck, readers will sense the emotion that lies beneath. Both reflective and unflinching, these accounts will resonate with women from all walks of life.
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From the Publisher

Twenty-eight women writers on the ups and downs of life--from finding love (and sex) as a single mom to overcoming alcoholism to adopting a child--edited by the author of the Wild Women series. Poignant and witty, contributors include Anne Lamott, Edwidge Danticat, Louise Rafkin, Ariel Gore, Beth Kephart, Anneli Rufus, Mary Roach, and others.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: New World Library; 1st PB Edition edition (October 12, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1930722389
• ISBN-13: 978-1930722385
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,463,311 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Like a locomotive., December 1, 2004

By 

Keasley Jones - See all my reviews

This review is from: Roar Softly and Carry a Great Lipstick: 28 Women Writers on Life, Sex, and Survival (Paperback)

This book is not an ice cream sandwich.
This book is not a pair of jeans.
This book is not the last ten minutes of your commute to work.

This book is your mother crying when her mother died.
This book is that day with your best friend 22 years ago that still makes you smile and breath hard when you think of it.
This book is that time you laughed so hard your knees buckled.
This book is that time you were nearly killed.

And it takes you there like three feet from a thundering locomotive.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Remarkably enjoyable, October 27, 2004

By 

L. Gutierrez (NJ) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Roar Softly and Carry a Great Lipstick: 28 Women Writers on Life, Sex, and Survival (Paperback)

Finally, intelligent essays about being a woman- minus the PC garbage, minus the feel-good, typical "I emerged stronger than ever" glazed mentality. Life is not perfect, and these women show that their experiences are exactly their own. Loved it.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Intense!, October 22, 2004

By 

Dianna Grundhauser (Maui, Hawaii, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Roar Softly and Carry a Great Lipstick: 28 Women Writers on Life, Sex, and Survival (Paperback)

This book is a window on the lives of some very incredible women. As I read through the book I found myself cringing, laughing, and sometimes nearly crying at the ordeals through which each of these women emerged and found themselves transformed. Sometimes light, sometimes dark and intense, but all of it immensely readable. I couldn't put it down.