Recollections of My Nonexistence

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In this memoir, celebrated author, historian, and activist Rebecca Solnit recounts her journey to finding her voice as a writer and feminist in 1980s San Francisco, a time marked by gender violence and women's exclusion from cultural spaces. In her early twenties, Solnit reflects on her experiences of poverty, hope, and aimlessness in a city that became her great teacher. She describes her small apartment, which transformed into a nurturing home, and how punk rock channeled her fury and energy. Solnit addresses the attempts by some men to silence her and undermine her credibility while also contemplating the erasure faced by various marginalized groups. The memoir culminates in her liberation as a writer and individual, inspired by books, the supportive gay community that redefined gender and family, and the expansive landscapes of the American West, which shaped her writing style. This work connects Solnit's popular feminist writings with the more lyrical, personal narratives of her earlier books, making it a poignant read for anyone who has experienced erasure and dismissal in male-dominated environments.