Era of Ignition: Coming of Age in a Time of Rage and Revolution

Fabulous!!

I learned so much while reading this book. It was recommended by Meagan McCain when the author was a guest on The View tv show.

Excellent read. Every woman should read this book.

4.5/5 Stars Amber Tamblyn's Age of Ignition is one part feminist memoir and one part social justice exposition, specifically dealing with the rise of the #metoo movement and her experience in that context. If you only know Hollywood Amber Tamblyn, you might think her place of undeniable economic and racial privilege might mean this work is yet another for and about white women, but I am here to tell you this book is so much more. Tamblyn does an excellent job dedicating space and time to intersectional feminist issues for women of color and LGBTQIA women. She is also careful not to speak for marginalized women as much as she wants to make sure white women understand that feminism for non-cis white women has different central issues and must be included in discussions about feminism. The second half of the book is much stronger than the first in my opinion. In fact my favorite part is an interview she included with Meredith Talusan, who is a non-binary Trans woman and journalist who immigrated to the U.S. from the Phillipines. I found her perspective on feminist issues in the U.S. to be fascinating. I also enjoyed the essay Tamblyn included by Airea D. Matthews, a poet and assistant professor at Brin Mawr College. This essay is a deeper look at the history and importance of feminism for women of color. Overall, I recommend this work for all people who want to learn more than the news will tell you about the #metoo movement and intersectional feminism. Amber Tamblyn's prose is straightforward and accessible. I also found this book to be an empowering reminder that yes, we women have work to do, but together we can get there, bit by painful bit. Thank you to Goodreads and Crown Architect for providing me with this Giveaway win.

Amber Tamblyn's Era of Ignition~~ “While I have a lot of experience with my own personal Saturn Return over the years, it has become clear to me that our country has been going through one of its own, too.. This idea of self-reflection leading to an awakening and rebirth is not unique to an individual journey...” I thought of Emily Quartermaine from the soap General Hospital when I saw Amber Tamblyn's new book called Era of Ignition: Coming of Age in a Time of Rage and Revolution in the public library. No longer. Now I think of a visionary, humane feminist, a gentle poet, a worried mother of a little girl, a very gripping, thought-provoking writer. Besides this book she's published a book of poetry and a novel showing empathy for male victims of sexual assault called Any Man. I've not read them yet, but they sound like promising reads. Amber's new book is hardly about promoting her other books, however. Era of Ignition certainly fired me up in my own Saturn Return. Why Saturn? Because Saturn's nine times the size of our planet, has seven, magnificent rings around it that comprises 150 moons and mini-moons, and takes twenty nine and a half years to orbit the sun. It's spectacular and regarded as the seat of wisdom for its ponderously slow trajectory. I get it. So does Tamblyn's actor friend Ryan Reynolds who exclaimed that the Me Too and Time's Up movements of the past two years is not about women, but about men learning to step back and listen to what women want from them. Then acting upon their new understanding. It staggered Amber for being so very right. Woody Allen was the first, privileged man to condemn the first wildfire of a movement as a witchhunt. Like most men he doesn't want to understand that women have suffered abuse physically and emotionally from men for practically all of our history. It's not about hating men or submissive women supporting the patriarchal structure of society. Or clueless, white feminists who don't realize they're being racist when they're focused on becoming more privileged than black feminists or women may ever be. I learned that while white women make almost three-fourth's of what a white man makes, a black woman makes a dime less than the white woman. I don't want to be a white feminist, but one of all colors, genders, classes. Tamblyn argues that feminism should not be restricted to a certain definition. Feminism has evolved through at least four waves and will continue if we all listen to each other, not just men, but women as well. She includes passionate essays by a black feminist and a trans woman feminist, plus her own awful experiences as an actress, director, mother (after an abortion) and her conversations with her flawed, but much loved husband. The way she ends the book, a letter to her daughter when she's older, seemed beautifully poetic, but it was about the power of water in transformation rather than fire or a Saturn Return, so it felt less powerful and satisfying, but that's a minor criticism. I will have to email her to tell her how very powerfully symbolic fire and women are together . In the ancient Roman state its central symbol was the blazing hearth or fireplace that represented the virgin, domestic goddess Vesta who had no statue. Only an eternal flame watched over by six Vestal Virgins. Please read her book. It really opened my eyes in a good way! (See AmTam.com to learn more.)

Actor and director Tamblyn’s memoir dives into the new social awareness on gender inequities through her own perspective. The book is part-memoir and seeks to engage people into the movement through essays where Tamblyn discusses her abusive relationships, her time in Hollywood, and her role as an activist. For those interested in this movement, this book offers insights into the evolving modern feminism and the never ending struggle of injustice.

Loved the book, love Amber Tamblyn. Makes me want to read more of her works and see her directorial debut

So far, I am about 2/3 way through the book, I am enjoying it. Having grown up in the 1960s and early 70's with a liberal feminist Mother myself, I always followed my Mother's interest in Gloria Steinem and others in what I would call "Baby Boomer Feminism." It is refreshing to read this really honest, funny and heartfelt memoir of Amber Tamblyn and get the inside look at the "Me Too" and "Times Up" movements. It was educational for me to get up to speed about the new wave of feminism that my daughter's generation is reinventing and energizing in a whole new way. They are really courageous and passionate. I love Amber's term "angerization" - meaning not just being angry, but turning that anger into a real organization that will make changes in society in a very real way.

One of the best books written in the last year. Consider it your civic duty as a guy to read this book. Amber Tamblyn is not only fiercely intelligent but very passionate. If you dont read this book you're missing out.

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