Era of Ignition

October 1, 2018

An actor and director whose shelves are weighed down by Emmy, Golden Globe, and Independent Spirit honors, a poet whose Dark Sparkler was a best seller, and a newly minted novelist whose punch-in-the-gut Any Man features a female serial rapist, Tamblyn here throws herself headfirst into key feminist issues like discrimination, sexual assault, reproductive rights, and pay parity. That's not surprising; she's a force behind the #TIMESUP movement who wrote a New York Times op-ed that lit a fire under the #MeToo campaign. Framing the discussion: her own feminist awakening.

Copyright 2018 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 1, 2019
The actor and director candidly discusses her turbulent personal evolution within a changing American society.For Tamblyn (Any Man, 2018, etc.), America's current "existential crisis and...questioning of its own values and future" is a manifestation of a new social awareness, especially where gender inequities are concerned. Drawing from her experiences in an industry infamous for its racism, sexism, and misogyny, the author traces the "ignition" of her own feminist consciousness. In 2008, the then-25-year-old author dreamed of creating a film version of the Janet Fitch novel Paint It Black. But in an industry that routinely snubbed the efforts of female directors, Tamblyn did not know how she could transform her dream into reality. The same year, she campaigned for presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, whose efforts symbolized the ongoing female battle to break through the glass ceilings of power. In the difficult, rejection-filled years that followed, Tamblyn forged ahead with the attitude that if the mostly male creative decision-makers in Hollywood would not allow her to get a foot in the door, then she would "build my own goddamn house." The author eventually succeeded in making a generally well-reviewed film and distributing it through a small woman-owned company. Just as Tamblyn began to feel empowered for her achievements, she witnessed Clinton's second defeat, this time to a man who exemplified the toxic masculinity she spent so many years fighting against. In the aftermath, Tamblyn, now a mother to an infant daughter, became keenly aware of the impact misogyny had on the female body and mind, including her own, which suffered from lingering postpartum inflammation. She questioned her own privilege as a white female, embraced intersectional feminism, and co-founded Time's Up, a movement dedicated to helping women "be heard and acknowledged in male-dominated workplaces." Though prone to digression and occasional political overzealousness, the book offers illuminating insights into the changing face of feminism and the continued struggle to overcome the hardening lines of gender injustice.A personal and passionate story about making a world "that is nourished, healed, and flourishing."

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