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Rebel Girl
- My Life as a Feminist Punk
- Narrated by: Kathleen Hanna
- Length: 9 hrs and 47 mins
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Summary
'A roadmap for a new generation' VOGUE
'Radical, funny and fearless’ VANITY FAIR
‘Gripping’ NYLON
An electric, searing memoir by the original Riot Grrrl and legendary frontwoman of Bikini Kill and Le Tigre
Kathleen Hanna’s rallying cry to feminists echoed far and wide through the punk scene of the 1980s, ’90s, and beyond. Her band, Bikini Kill, embodies this iconic time, and today their gutsy, radical lyrics of anthems like ‘Rebel Girl’ and ‘Double Dare Ya’ are more powerful than ever. But where did this transformative voice come from?
In Rebel Girl, Hanna’s raw and insightful new memoir, she takes us from her tumultuous childhood home, to her formative college years in Olympia, Washington, and on to her first years on tour, fighting hard for gigs and for her band. As Hanna makes blindingly clear, being in a ‘girl band’, especially a punk girl band, in those years was not a simple or a safe prospect. Male violence and antagonism threatened at every turn, and surviving as a band took limitless amounts of grit and bravery.
But the relationships she developed during those years buoyed her – including with her bandmates Tobi Vail, Kathi Wilcox, and Billy Karren; her friendship with Kurt Cobain; and her introduction to Joan Jett – and they were a testament to how the true punk world nurtured and cared for its own.
Hanna opens up about falling in love with Ad-Rock of the Beastie Boys and her debilitating battle with Lyme disease, and she brings us behind the scenes of her later bands, Le Tigre and The Julie Ruin. She also writes candidly about the Riot Grrrl movement and its decline, documenting with love its grassroots origins but critiquing its later exclusivity.
In an uncut voice all her own, Hanna reveals the darkest, hardest times along with the most joyful – and how it all fuelled her revolutionary art, from the 1980s to today.
Critic reviews
‘In Rebel Girl, Hanna amasses an impressive arsenal. Every time another man diminishes her and her work, she sharpens a sword, carves out another space for herself and her friends and starts filling it with interesting material’ New York Times
‘Brutally honest’ Rolling Stone
‘A startlingly generous account of a life spent surviving worlds of male violence both personal and professional in order to build a better world for herself and the people she loves. It’s a riot’ Surface Magazine
'Honest, funny and raw’ LA Times
'Kathleen Hanna’s ability to flip – and flip off – expectations has made her one of the most riveting frontpeople in recent musical history … Her story, along with Bikini Kill’s upcoming tour, couldn’t feel more necessary' New York Times Book Review
'An unblinking, purple bruise of a memoir … stoic and empathetic in equal measure … The best parts of Rebel Girl detail Hanna’s difficulties navigating a world she and her peers had to make for themselves' Washington Post
'Hanna’s new memoir applies [her] caustic, introspective, politically astute and often mischievously playful voice to the ups and downs of her own life story … Candid and reflective, Rebel Girl tells the stories behind her best-known songs’ Time
‘Makes the case for hope and resilience in the face of hardship’ W Magazine
What listeners say about Rebel Girl
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- Rose
- 12-08-24
So inspiring! And educative. And funny!
Bloody brilliant. I had to listen on 1.2 speed as she talks quite slowly and there are some parts that are quite hard to listen to (dealing with assault etc), but so worth it. I cried multiple times with joy and pain! Kathleen Hanna is a fascinating inspiration, even if you don’t know or like her music.
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- Tara Fakhry
- 01-08-24
this is how you do feminism
I did not know enough about Kathleen Hanna and all her trials and tribulations. I was a Le Tigre fan and later a Bikini Kill fan. Kathleens story and how she tells it is so engaging, a difficult early life and a really challenging adult life too, working various jobs while in "famous" bands and maintaining creativity while also learning all the time is really impressive. Kathleens vulnerability when discussing all the lessons she learned about herself as a feminist over the years is really inspiring and for me is the essence of feminism - the need to listen to people's lives experiences, learn from them and lift their voices. At the age of 39 living in suburban Ireland, this makes me want to give up my public sector job, start producing zines and putting on DIY art shows, like I wanted to do when I was 19. I am about to commence a masters in gender and I know I'll be taking Kathleens words with me as I go... I just wish this came with a reference list so I could do tonnes of pre reading! I recommend this book for absolutely everyone from about the age of 15, there is something for everyone here!
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- Anonymous User
- 16-10-24
I could feel it under my own skin
The vulnerable stories opened up feelings and thoughts within myself that I want to write about too as I am reminded that my own story matters too.
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- Anonymous User
- 10-06-24
loved it
was fantastic listening to my teenage hero tell her side of events, glad to hear things have worked out so well for her 🖤💖🌸
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- MS R.
- 26-08-24
Not a feminist killjoy
An excellent and detailed history of both the music scene but also the gender politics behind it. An honest and intuitive account of trauma but also a story that talks through Kathleen’s coping strategies.. at times uncomfortable and sad its also a story of moving beyond survival
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- Anonymous User
- 12-06-24
Loved it
Really interesting from start to finish. You can tell a lot of thought went into every chapter. Lots of love to Kathleen!
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- Xrissy
- 22-07-24
Thought provoking, entertaining and gripping in equal measure
I so glad Kathleen chose to narrate this book herself (and write it of course). I’m a 52 year old English guy whose experiences couldn’t be more different than hers, but I was utterly transported by the authenticity of her experiences and challenges. In turns shocking and satisfying, this book gives real depth and personality to the reluctant “Queen of riot grrrl”, and really reminded me that you can’t judge someone until you’ve walked in their shoes. Hugely recommended, just like her music.
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- X
- 06-06-24
Best book I’ve ever read / listened to
I laughed, cried, got chills. So honest, fearless and iconic. There’s so much detail in this book that you should know if you’re a fan of her or nirvana.
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- chris
- 01-08-24
couldnt stop listening
this is one of those rare books that leaves you staring into distance and grieving that its over.
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