Kim Gordon to Co-Edit New Book of Music Essays

A new book of essays co-edited by Kim Gordon has been announced. This Woman’s Work: Essays on Music is co-edited by Gordon and former music journalist Sinéad Gleeson, and will include pieces about pioneering female artists by all female writers, recontextualizing a history that has long been told from the male perspective. The book will feature contributions from Anne Enright, Fatima Bhutto, Maggie Nelson, Pitchfork Contributing Editor Jenn Pelly, Juliana Huxtable, Liz Pelly, Maggie Nelson, Margo Jefferson, and more. The book will hit shelves April 7, 2022 via White Rabbit.

Of the project, Gordon wrote on Instagram:

“What’s it like to be a girl in a band?” The often-repeated question throughout my career as a musician made me feel disrupted, a freak or that we are all the same. I once asked my boyfriend what it was like to have a penis. To me they are sort of equivalent questions. If it was born out of pure curiosity it’s understandable. Hopefully this book begins an unravelling of the myth that if you’re a female musician you are a ready-made, easily digestible. I loved working with Sinéad on this book—she is a true inspiration! And so thrilled to be working with Lee Brackstone again.

Gleeson added in a press release:

Music has been a massive part of my life, from fan to music journalist and writer, I’ve always been aware that male narratives have dominated this industry; valorised and prioritised above many ground-breaking female practitioners. Women (like Kim) had to carve out their own space within it, and we wanted to create a book that asked women to tell us about the female artists, movements and pioneers that matter to them. It’s been honour to find these stories, and to work alongside Kim—who I first saw play in Dublin with Sonic Youth when I was 16. This Woman's Work has a stellar list of contributors writing across subjects both familiar and niche and we hope there's something in here for every music fan.

Gordon published her own memoir Girl in a Band back in 2015. Last year she released No Icon, a scrapbook featuring previously unseen photos, writings, and ephemera from throughout her career.

Gordon will play at Pitchfork Music Festival on Saturday, September 11 at Union Park in Chicago. The night before, she’ll perform an official Pitchfork Fest aftershow at Thalia Hall. Tickets are on sale now.

Revisit “Unconventional Idol: Kim Gordon's Girl in a Band.”