TueNight 10: Allison Yarrow

By TueNight Crew

Over the last few years author Allison Yarrow has been reinvestigating the stories that were told (and sold) about women in the 90s, culminating in her new book 90s Bitch: Media, Culture, and the Failed Promise of Gender Equality. (She shared some of her wisdom last week at TueNight Live!) On tour for her book, Allison says, “I love meeting people and discussing how narratives about women shaped a generation and the current moment. Writing a book about history has encouraged me to reflect on my own history and how what I watched, read, and heard shaped my own upbringing and the person I am today.”

An award-winning journalist, Allison has written for the New York Times, the Washington Post, Vox, and many others. She was a TED resident and produced the (amazing) VICE documentary Misconception. Raised in Macon, Georgia, Allison now lives in Brooklyn, New York.

1. On my nightstand: Like A Mother by Angela Garbes, Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler, No One Tells You This by Glynnis MacNicol, Brave Not Perfect by Reshma Saujani, and How Not to Get Shot: And Other Advice from White People by D.L. Hughley and Doug Moe. For the kids (and also, me) The Amazing Bone by William Steig, Du Iz Tak by Carson Ellis, Happy Birthday, Madame Chapeau by Andrea Beaty, and Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Peña. My nightstand has a large, deep shelf for the books and a drawer for the embarrassing number of eye masks.

2. Can’t stop, won’t stop: The Feminism. We can no longer assume unfettered access to our full humanity alongside men. Won’t stop till all women can and do.

3. Jam of the minute:  Just saw Radiohead live at the Garden—delving headlong back into old favorite albums like OK Computer, Hail to the Thief, and The Bends.

4. Thing I miss: Staying up late without consequences and also sleeping in.

5. 80’s crush: NKOTB

6. Current Crush: The hubs. He’s dreamy. And the cast of GLOW.

7. Will whine about: Pay inequity, lack of paid maternity leave and support for women transitioning from childbirth to motherhood, gender inequality.

8. Will wine about: Premier Cru from Bourgogne, blends from Languedoc, and pinot noir from the Sonoma Coast.

9. Best thing that happened yesterday: I’ve been traveling a lot to promote 90s Bitch, so I’m extra grateful for chill Brooklyn weekends with my family. Yesterday, we snuggled, read books, picked up bagels, and went to the park.

10. Looking forward to:Bringing the 90s Bitch book tour to my hometown, Macon, Georgia.

Originally Published July 24, 2018. Updated April 5, 2021.