Each day leading up to the April 16 announcement of the Minnesota Book Awards, and in collaboration with community editors from the award-winning Saint Paul Almanac, we highlight one of the thirty-two finalists. Today we feature 2016 General Nonfiction finalist:
Asking for It: The Alarming Rise of Rape Culture—and What We Can Do About It by Kate Harding
Published by Da Capo Press
Category Sponsor: The Waterbury Group at Morgan Stanley
Every seven minutes, someone in America commits a rape. And whether that’s a football star, beloved celebrity, elected official, member of the clergy, or just an average Joe (or Joanna), there’s probably a community eager to make excuses for that person. From Congressman Todd Akin’s “legitimate rape” gaffe to the high school rapists of Steubenville, Ohio, sexual violence has been so prominent in recent years that the feminist term “rape culture” has finally entered the mainstream. But what, exactly, is it? And how do we change it? In Asking for It, Kate Harding answers those questions and makes the case that twenty-first-century America—where it’s estimated that out of every 100 rapes only 5 result in felony convictions—supports rapists more effectively than victims.
Author Bio:
Kate Harding has been writing popular feminist rants online since 2007, most notably at Jezebel, Salon’s “Broadsheet” blog, and at her own blog, “Shapely Prose.” She is the coauthor of Lessons from the Fat-o-sphere, a major contributor to The Book of Jezebel, and an essayist in several anthologies. Harding holds an MFA in fiction from Vermont College of Fine Arts and a B.A. in English from University of Toronto. She’s currently at work on a PhD in creative writing and was pleased to join The Loft Literary Center as a teaching artist in fall 2015. A former Chicagoan, she now lives in Minneapolis.
Excerpts from Asking for It:
“Rape is presented as an abstract threat to women, the way climate change is a threat to the earth—it’s a frightening specter we all live with, and we must change our behavior in hopes of warding it off, but you can’t really pin it on anyone in particular.”
This attitude contributes to the perception that rape is something other men do—not the guy who’s your friend, neighbor, or family member—which in turn allows rapists to continue doing their thing, unpunished by the law or society. And Harding’s dark humor is on-point when she describes anti-abortionists’ wrong-headed beliefs on women and rape:
“There’s rape, and then there’s rape-rape. Women who are rape-raped don’t deserve to be punished with forty weeks of incubating the product of that assault, followed by the most physically painful experience known to human beings, which also happens to kill several hundred women a year in the United States and causes severe, life-threatening complications in over fifty thousand more. And that’s before you have to either give the baby up for adoption or raise your rapist’s child. But women who were merely ‘raped’? Yeah, they should probably have to endure all that.”
Reviews:
Asking For It: The Alarming Rise of Rape Culture–and What We Can Do About It is the honest truth. Kate Harding cuts no corners directly addressing the attitudes and biases within our society that perpetuate the moral condemnation of rape as a culture, but when it comes to rapists, we only have silence and excuses. Coming at the issue of rape culture from all angles from gender “miscommunication” and the shortcomings of law and law enforcement. In conclusion think of this as a comprehensive guide for society to get its stuff together. — Ismail Khadar, Saint Paul Almanac Community Editor
“If you’re new to feminism and you’re interested in diving deeper into the societal framework that allows for men like Bill Cosby to assault scores of women with impunity, or even if you’re already familiar with the concept of rape culture, Asking For It offers a smart, concise, and surprisingly funny contribution to the dialogue on patriarchy, misogyny, and rape.” — Tasha Fierce, Bitch Magazine
“Harding’s book serves as a welcome addition to the conversation…she doesn’t mince words…meticulously documented…Harding writes with courage and passion that may rankle some readers—which might not be an entirely bad thing.” — Library Journal
“Asking for It serves as a useful reminder of why we still need books—even nonfiction books—in the age of the Internet. Just the sheer volume of stories and examples Harding collects in one place is disquieting and extremely convincing in a way that getting it in pieces through the day-to-day grind of Internet reading will never accomplish… Luckily for the reader, Harding has a wicked sense of humor.” — Slate
“Clean, crisp writing, with an organization that creates personal intimacy that goes beyond paragraph to paragraph narration. Narrator is raw and real, but inviting, trustworthy, and practical-minded. Such a narrator captivates the audience well, especially with such sensitive subject material. This is something I’d expect, and she does so brilliantly.”—Minnesota Book Awards Preliminary Round Judge
Video:
Watch as Kate Harding discusses her book with Matthew Filipowicz. (First of three parts. Part 2 here, and Part 3 here)
Pets read Asking for It:
Ezra is shocked by what she’s learning.
On a lighter note, the author’s website has a section of photos sent in by friends and other readers of their pets reading “Asking for It” See more >>
The evening features a Preface Reception with complimentary passed wine and cash bar, author meet-and-greet, book sales and signing; the Awards Ceremony with live music, celebrity presenters, artisan cheese plates and breads, complimentary wine and lemonade, with emcee Stephanie Curtis of MPR; and the Epilogue After-Party with complimentary champagne, sumptuous desserts, and additional live music. Tickets now on sale, or click here for more information.
Today’s winner: Margaret Beese. (We’ll be in touch via email, and arrange getting the book to you!)
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