Kathleen Hanna's New Book Is About Feminist Politics and Surviving Abuse

It was never about fame. While artist and activist Kathleen Hanna stood out as a leading figure in the Riot Grrrl movement of the 1990s, she actively worked against that role. Rather, Hanna's focus was on community, forged through collective effort. What catapulted her to this position and fixed her in the spotlight was the visibility of her band Bikini Kill. With mainstream media coverage there was a distortion of the movement's mission. The movement was quickly co-opted by a bland rallying cry for “girl power.”

However, in the decades that have passed, what has endured is a genuine punk spirit, fueled by Hanna's continued strength as a brave and proud feminist who helped other artists and fans fight abuse and discrimination. She never gave up being determined, but at the same time playful and daring. Now is the time to set the record straight.

Hanna's first book will be published on May 14. “Rebel Girl,” a memoir subtitled “My Life as a Punk Feminist,” is a far cry from the artisanal journals Hanna filed at New York University in 2010. Yet it has the same vitality. like those flyers, notebooks and ephemera. The book begins with his childhood and coming of age as an art student at Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington, then moves on and off the road as a musician and lead singer for the bands Bikini Kill and Le Tigre, among others. With this book, she creates space for her own story, as well as the broader context of her time and the need for art as a creative agent of empathy and change. Hanna is a troubadour who is not afraid to speak.

Speaking by phone in February before a tour with Bikini Kill, Hanna reflected: “I always thought I had a pretty quiet life.” But the more Hanna examined her memories as she wrote her lush memoir, the more she gained a perspective she hadn't been clear about until now. “Wait,” she said, “this is actually eventful.”

With its episodic style of vivid, fast chapters and Hanna's kinetic voice, “Rebel Girl” is a bold portrait. Just for the sake of late 20th century history, it is a crucial book on feminist politics and art. But it's also a tender examination of a woman who survived sexual abuse and assault. You'll find the origin stories of her bands; chronicles of her friendship with the late Kurt Cobain; her tour where she fell in love with her husband, Adam Horowitz, better known as Ad-Rock of the Beastie Boys; recording with Joan Jett; and getting punched by Courtney Love at Lollapalooza, highlights only in bold.

But most importantly, Hanna talks about her complicated family history, the art gallery she opened with friends during college, the challenges of a rapidly growing social movement, the hard truths about life on the road as a musician, and friendships. lasting things that helped her get ahead. the challenges she faced as a woman in punk.

Scenes between friends, including Bikini Kill bandmate Tobi Vail, Le Tigre's Johanna Fateman and musician, artist and Mr. Lady Records founder Tammy Rae Carland, highlight the power of friendship in an industry that's thriving thanks to the competition.

Kathleen Hanna and Bikini Kill perform on stage at London's O2 Academy Brixton in 2019.

(Ollie Millington/Redferns via Getty Images)

Given the solitary nature of writing, Hanna drew on her experience as a musician and acknowledged that she does better “in collaborative situations.” He quickly acknowledged that the “loneliness” of writing meant “you don't have anyone to relax with” like you would “after a shit show.” However, he pressed on, and after years of writing, Hanna found herself with plenty of material. The book was originally over 600 pages. A friend of Hanna's, writer Ada Calhoun, flew to California from New York to help her cut the book down to 300 pages.

In the end, Hanna felt that the memoir “was really a way of making a narrative of my life to distance myself from some of the hardest things” so that she could say to herself, “'Okay, that was really painful at the time.” . “At the time, but now it's a funny story.” And maybe that's not the healthiest thing, but it really works for me to turn something into a fun story or even just a story with a beginning, a middle and an end.”

While this may seem simple, Hanna sees it as a blessing that is not granted to everyone. “I felt a little lucky. I had a lot of stories that came full circle and I wanted to write them all down.”

While a memoir seems like the next natural achievement for someone with a nearly 35-year career in the arts and activism, writing a book wasn't necessarily destined.

More than a decade ago, the documentary “The Punk Singer” chronicled his life and work. This book offers a deeper and more extensive look from Hanna's unique perspective. It is a gift to readers that Hanna bided her time before speaking for herself. Interestingly, one can consider an episode in her life as a reason to consider both the medium and the message.

Now 55, living in Pasadena with Horowitz and their 10-year-old son, Julius, with her mother nearby, along with three decades of art and music under her belt, Hanna can say she is a solid writer. Her memoirs mark a new chapter in her life. She reflects, “I really wanted to write a book because I'm in this transitional period of my life.”

While he doesn't want to give up music, by capturing his story in a memoir, he's ending a huge period of his life to make room for something new.

Adam Horovitz of the Beastie Boys and his wife Kathleen Hanna of Le Tigre and Bikini Kill arrive at the 2004 MTV Video Music Awards.

(Steve Granitz/WireImage via Getty Images)

When asked what she wants to do next, Hanna says, “Honestly, I would really like to be a comedy writer.” While this initially sounds like a twist, it makes a lot of sense. Hanna is a tremendously warm and fun person. Both in conversation and in her music and writing. Not only is she deeply aware of the ways in which others interact with her work, but she also notes that “one of the things that really differentiates writing a book from being in a band is the lack of collaboration.” Hanna said that “I would like to write comedy for other people, for television, theater or film. “I would love to be in a writers room.”

Comedy is another reason Hanna has decided to live in California after more than 20 years living in New York. She and her family moved shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Actually, when I moved to New York originally,” in the early aughts, Hanna thought to herself, “'I'm leaving punk. And I'm going to get into the comedy scene.' And it didn't work at all.”

Kathleen Hanna says her memoir is “a way of making a narrative of my life to distance myself from some of the hardest things.”

(Marcus Ubungen / for The Times)

The scene is different and more accessible in Los Angeles.

“The shows are really small. You can just go up and talk to people. “There are a lot more people here that I knew from San Francisco and from past experiences in the punk scene, who are now doing comedy.” Hanna even hosted a comedy show with comedian Kate Berlant at her home.

Her life doesn't seem any less busy than it did 30 years ago, but Hanna's confidence gives her the ability to go from concert tours to book events without any challenge to her identity. With age comes perspective and wisdom. She sees her work as part of a larger project. This applies to the material she cut from the book. Hanna is optimistic and commented: “I'm lucky because I'm older. And then I know that if I don't use this material for this, I can use it for something else.” She can see herself weaving material into a short story, an essay or article, or even an Instagram or TikTok post. “It's not that the material was lost.”

LeBlanc is a writer whose work has been published in Vanity Fair, the Believer, and the New York Times Book Review, among others.