The biggest challenge for any craft person or artist is to accept the constraints of their medium and make something beautiful despite them. That's kind of fun, actually.

With prodigious bravery and eviscerating humor, Roxane Gay takes on culture and politics in Bad Feminist-and gets it right, time and time again. We should all be lucky enough to be such a bad feminist.

Here are my Mommy Messages: Wear a condom and test your Molly.

I wrote three novels in six months, with a clarity of focus and attention to detail that I had never before experienced. This type of sublime creative energy is characteristic of the elevated and productive mood state known as hypomania.

In fact if I see you drinking I'll come down on you like a ton of bricks and call your mom.

Why is it that loving something provides such little protection from betrayal?

Nothing makes me roll my eyes faster than a "Coexist" bumper sticker.