Emer O'Toole is a scholar and writer who contributes to various online publications, including the GUARDIAN and the feminist blog VAGENDA. She is from the West of Ireland, but now lives in Montreal, where she is Assistant Professor of Irish Performance Studies at Concordia University. Follow Emer on Twitter @Emer_OToole
A fascinating exploration of how we 'do' gender. From the early
labeling of infants to the ironclad enforcement of grooming and
interpersonal behavior, gender expression is neither a matter of
biological mandate nor individual choice. Emer O'Toole nimbly
weaves philosophy and personal experience into a vivid depiction of
gender identity as performance art. -- LISE ELIOT, author of PINK
BRAIN, BLUE BRAIN
The blogger and columnist, who is emerging as one of the leading
lights of the new feminism, uses anecdotes from her own life - from
'cross-dressing to pube-growing and full-body waxing' - to
illuminate some of the the dos and don'ts for women trying to set
themself free from gender stereotypes. * THE GUARDIAN Unmissable
books for 2015 *
A witty, engaging appeal for everybody to stop conforming so
rigidly to gender stereotypes.... As this thoughtful, funny book
reminds us, being a girl can mean a lot of things. And with luck
one day women will all get to decide for themselves what that is. *
IRISH TIMES *
An entertaining book that makes you question the conventions of
gender. I expect it will attract comparisons with Caitlin Moran's
How to be A Woman. Like Moran's work, I wish it could be handed out
to every teenage girl as a self-esteem booster. -- Rosamund Urwin *
EVENING STANDARD *
What I love most about Emer's writing is that she is not only able
to explain complex ideas about feminist theory in a way that is
engaging and relatable, but it is also really funny. If you love
reading feminism which is as entertaining as it is
thought-provoking, this book is the obvious next step up from
Caitlin Moran. Get your hands on a copy. * abstractmag.com *
The book is personal, in that it's her own story of playing a
different role, and it's chatty and funny and likeable, much as the
author herself seems to be. -- Eithne Tynan * IRISH MAIL ON SUNDAY
*
Part autobiography, part heartfelt plea to change the way we look
at gender, Girls will be Girls is an excelltn primer on feminist
theory. Every teenage girl should be given a copy. -- Anne Sexton *
Hot Press *
As a possible fourth wave of Western feminism beckons, new titles
on the subject are appearing with increasing regularity. O'Toole
holds her own in a crowded space, albeit one in need of a greater
diversity of female voices. Her accessible approach to theory,
interwoven with her chatty, self-reflective style and gender
insights from an Irish perspective creates a welcome addition to
the current crop of popular feminist writing. -- Mary McGill *
IRISH INDEPENDENT *
In her excellent and eye-opening book Girls Will Be Girls,
Emer O'Toole discusses the impact of the often stereotypical
'lenses' through which we see the world and the importance of
examining those lenses in order to better understand our ingrained
and normalised prejudice. In her book, How to Be A Woman,
Caitlin Moran suggests that things would be easier if some pigeons
would shit all over the glass ceiling, because we would then at
least be able to see what we are dealing with. O'Toole's book
performs a similar function... allowing us to see clearly the
boundaries that are often invisible and unquestioned... A witty,
pacy and exhilirating lesson in beginning to colour outside the
lines. -- LAURA BATES * EVERYDAY SEXISM *
Girls will be Girls is a funny and compelling read, combining
fascinating, relatable storytelling with meticulous research and
real practical advice for challenging patriarchal gender roles in
your own small, large, thin, fat, feminine, masculine, hairy,
unhairy way (and anything and everything in between!) -- Lusana
Taylor * THE F WORD *
O'Toole follows the personal example set by Caitlin Moran to such
powerful effect, as she explores through anecdote and recollections
from childhood and adolescence a powerful concept familiar to those
who have studies feminist theory since the 1970s: the notion of
one's gender as a performance, a construction that can be altered.
* SUNDAY HERALD *
A hilarious, honest and probing journey through what it means to be
female, from haircutting to sexual discovery. * GRAZIA *
Girls Will be Girls is bloody amazing, so go and read it right now.
* WRITER'S LITTLE HELPER *
Girls will be Girls is a funny and compelling read, combining
fascinating, relatable storytelling with meticulous research and
real practical advice for challenging patriarchal gender roles in
your own small, large, thin, fat, feminine, masculine, hairy,
unhairy way (and anything and everything in between!) -- Lusana
Taylor * THE F WORD *
O'Toole follows the personal example set by Caitlin Moran to such
powerful effect, as she explores through anecdote and recollections
from childhood and adolescence a powerful concept familiar to those
who have studies feminist theory since the 1970s: the notion of
one's gender as a performance, a construction that can be altered.
* SUNDAY HERALD *
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