Photo by, Roeg Cohen.
Danielle Burgess is an actress and writer, currently living in Los Angeles. She’s around, if you ever want to grab a socially-distanced coffee.
1. What is the inspiration behind the list of recommendations?
"With this list, I had in mind womxn and our incredibly cyclical nature, how we are a direct embodiment of the earth and her cycles. As we move into a new season, now is an opportune time to nourish ourselves and strengthen our systems with so much love and support. This list was curated with that in mind, and each book is meant to provide nutrients and inspire fullness on every level— spiritually, emotionally, sensually, financially, socially, poetically."
2. Out of the list who is your favourite author and why?
"Dorothea Lasky is my favorite writer in this list. Her words are like a spell to me, that expose all the ugliness and all the beauty of the human experience. She puts into words what is nameless and inarticulate. And with humor and wit, to boot. Really, the same can be said for Roxane Gay’s writing as well."
3. What does this list mean to you?
"These are some of my all-time favorite books, touchstones for me. This list was a labor of love, and I hope it serves as a gift and wellspring for other womxn who read it."
4. What does it mean to you to empower womxn?
"It means everything to me. I truly believe that womxn will save the world. And the more we heal, the closer we come to embodying the love and respect we all deserve, the more the world heals. We are the originators, the creators."
5. If you were to name this selection of books as a whole what title would you give it?
"Friends to Hold in the Dark"
Curated Book List Below
All About Love: New Visions by bell hooks
“As I read this book, I felt my heart crack open. As we move into the new season, as harvest time begins and we take stock of what the year has taken and given, this book serves as a most welcome companion. Bell hooks’ words are wise, incisive, vulnerable, and above all, life-affirming. A manual for the times we are in. From self-love, to familial bonds, to romantic relationships, to the lovelessness present in society today, All About Love touches it all. The book was published in 2000, but it seems as if hooks’ channelled it with the people of 2020 in mind.”
“We still hope that love will prevail. We still believe in love’s promise.'"
Assata: An Autobiography by Assata Shakur
“Her story in her own words, Assata Shakur’s autobiography is riveting. A woman with endless grace, fortitude, and perseverance, she leads by example, and her commitment to justice is truly awe inspiring. This book will invigorate and nourish you, as we continue the work that must be done.”
Difficult Women by Roxane Gay
“Roxane Gay is the shit, as far as I’m concerned. There are few writers that can cut you to the core with the deftness she does. This book was a national bestseller, so you very well might have read this phenomenal collection of short stories already— but this is your invitation to visit them again, with all the weight and knowledge you’ve gained thus far. See how differently you meet them now. Let them haunt you, comfort you, make you feel seen, and may you never be the same again.”
F*ck Like a Goddess by Alexandra Roxo
“I’ve been following Alexandra Roxo for some time now, and there’s something about her— you just can’t look away. First I found her on IG (@alexandraroxo), then I signed up for her emails, and at one point, I joined her monthly group (at the time called Moon Club) dedicated to holding space for womxn to freely express themselves, step into their power, heal in deep, deep ways, and have the community of other womxn supporting them— which whoa, that in itself is some deep healing right there. Her book picks up from there.
'We are in need of an uprising of bold, wild women who have reclaimed their bodies and stand in their sacred sexuality for them,” she writes. “As women, we need to liberate our voices, step into total security within ourselves, and fully own our raw, sensual power, finally letting go of the shame, guilt, denial, and repression that’s been put upon us.'"
The perfect read if you’re looking for something juicy, as the energy outside wanes and we turn more and more inward to ourselves.”
Journal of a Solitude by May Sarton
“My favorite class in college was my ‘Women’s Autobiographical Writing’ course. By that time, I’d already fallen in love with Sylvia Plath and Anais Nin, but this class made me aware of so many other women writers, and one of them was May Sarton. It feels especially appropriate now, as so many of us have become more intimately acquainted with solitude since COVID hit, and as colder months come to many places, that intimacy will only grow. This book is a beautiful journey through solitude and its alchemy, and what gold can be found on the other side.”
Pussy: A Reclamation by Regina Thomashauer
“Just as advertised, this book encourages the reader to reacquaint and reclaim our source of power as women. Spiritual and practical, the call to pleasure and joy is real. And couldn’t we all use more of that?”
Money: A Love Story by Kate Northrup
“I’m currently working through this book right now, and I am seeing results. A heart-centered approach to examining our relationships to our finances, our worth, our money, and our energy, this book provides practical step-by-step assignments. And wow, they illuminate. My one issue with this book is that the author does come from a great deal of privilege, which she never really fully acknowledges. That being said, there’s real wisdom and vulnerability offered, and I do still recommend the read if you’re looking to get real with yourself about your $$$.”
Thunderbird by Dorothea Lasky
“I couldn’t write a list of book recommendations without including a book of poetry, and Dorothea Lasky happens to be top of my list. This book of poems is empathetic, existential, playful, dark, lyrical, and well, talks a lot about mortality. Which might possibly be on our minds more these days. But above all, Lasky’s poems will make you feel, and the feeling might be beautiful.”
Witch by Lisa Lister
“Lisa Lister’s writing is so approachable and so profound. Full of so much knowledge and wisdom, this book is all about noticing the cycles around and within us, and channeling the goddess-given power that is our birthright.”
Women Who Run with the Wolves: Myths and Stories of the Wild Woman Archetype by Clarissa Pinkola Estés
“This book is the OG, the Bible for the awakened, conscious woman. Ripe with myths and stories, this book is magic and medicine. It’s thick, and may take some digging into, but it is well worth the effort.”
BONUS:
Rachel Rickett’s book out February 2, 2021!
Do Better: Spiritual Activism for Fighting and Healing from White Supremacy
“From rachelricketts.com— “Thought leader, racial justice educator, and sought-after spiritual activist Rachel Ricketts offers mindful and practical steps for all humxns to dismantle white supremacy on a personal and collective level.”
*I recommend ordering your books from bookshop.com, Turn the Page Collective
(www.turnthepagemovement.org), or your local bookshop.*