Rebecca Solnit

Rebecca Solnit is an American author and social critic who has written extensively on a wide array of topics. Known for her keen insight and unapologetic analysis of contemporary politics, Solnit has not only been lauded for her commentary and commentary on society, but for how she has used her writing to bring attention to the plurality of perspectives and stories in the world.

A native of California, Solnit graduated from San Francisco State University and received her MA in English Literature from University of California-Berkeley. She has since held fellowships at Johns Hopkins and Stanford, written dozen of essays and articles, and is the author of numerous books.

Her first book, “Hollow City: The Siege of San Francisco and the Crisis of American Urbanism,” established her as a formidable critic of urban planning and the way cities are built and re-shaped, often with little thought to the impact on the people residing within them. Primarily set in the city of San Francisco, the book provided not just an exploration of concrete issues, but also an examination of how the culture of the city’s inhabitants had been shaped by such planning.

Solnit’s recognition grew with the release of her second book, “The Battle in Seattle: The Story Behind and Beyond the WTO Demonstrations,” which followed the story of how activists rallied against a 1999 visit from the World Trade Organization. “The Battle in Seattle” was not just an engaging narrative but a panoramic look at the city’s culture and politics. The book was used by trade unionists and anti-globalization activists across the world.

One of Solnit’s best known works is her book “Men Explain Things to Me.” Published in 2014, the work is part of a broader conversation about the limitations of patriarchy and the persistent puzzle over why men feel they can explain to women things they likely don’t know. The book garnered high praise and put the term “mansplaining” in the popular lexicon.

Solnit has also written extensively on gender, power and violence. For example, her book “A Paradise Built in Hell: The Extraordinary Communities That Arise in Disaster” examines the ways in which communities respond to tragedy and how everyday people work together to create a sense of joy and hope in the midst of chaos.

Her newest collection of essays, “Recollection of My Nonexistence,” explores her own experience of finding her place in the world as a young woman dealing with gender inequality, poverty and powerlessness. Writing from the perspective of a woman who had come to terms with how society undermined her and offered her little in the way of opportunity, the work speaks to the power in claiming your own narrative.

Rebecca Solnit has been recognized for her insights into history, culture and politics. Her writing examines large topics in a deeply personal way and speaks to the impact that they have on our collective lives, and on the individuals living within them. Solnit serves as an example of how storytelling can be used to uncover the realities of our world, while also demonstrating that there is sometimes joy and beauty to be found in the midst of it all.