Seeing Roxane Gay

I had the rare fortune of meeting and hearing Roxane Gay speak this week. It was a beautiful opportunity, and free at a local bookstore. Gay spoke for a little less than 90 minutes about popular culture, her essays, her love for The Hunger Games, sexism, and the need for open dialogue among different waves of feminism to strengthen the 'ocean.' In short, she was brilliant, down to earth, accessible, humorous, and warm. Although I had only read An Untamed State, I knew right away this is a writer whose nonfiction and fiction writing go hand in hand, especially since both share her gift for storytelling. After the talk, I endeavored to purchase her Bad Feminist to get an autograph but, alas, the store sold out quickly. Being the amazing person that she is, Roxane Gay gave me a copy of her book for free and was glad to meet fellow Haitians! I also asked her about how her Haitian background shaped her feminism and briefly discussed how An Untamed State was semi-autobiographical with great delight. I knew as my mother and I happily left the bookstore that tonight would be one of the highlights of the summer.