Sara Marcus

You've heard about Girls to the Front: The True Story of the Riot Grrrl Revolution, and now you can hear directly from the author, Sara Marcus. Ellen Papazian (of Page Turner) interviews Marcus about what Riot Grrl meant today and now, how the internet compares to zine-swapping, pushback against Riot Grrl from both within and outside the movement, and why narrative ended up being the best choice for the book.


Stream it below, subscribe on iTunes, or download at archive.org. Transcription available here (.doc)

I still haven't read Sara Marcus's book on Riot Grrl, Girls to the Front, but I did bring two friends down to a reading in NYC last night that featured Marcus, poet Rachel Eliza Griffiths, and Rob Sheffield. Marcus gave the most rock'n'roll reading I've ever heard for what's essentially a history book, though a vibrant, living history book built on having lived through that moment and spent years considering, rolling around in what it might mean. She straddled the mic, propped a foot on a monitor, and sang Kathleen Hanna's lyrics in a voice built for punk bands.

Everybody's talking about Girls to the Front: The True Story of the Riot Grrrl Revolution. Sara Marcus spent the last five years researching for this book which Kathleen Hanna describes as "the first meticulously researched book about Riot Grrrl."

Marcus is about to start her book tour, complete with appearances from Jessica Hopper, Anna Oxygen, Kathleen Hanna, Mirah, and Tara Jane Oneil, among others. Girls to the Front is very likely coming to a city near you, and I don't think you'll regret taking part in this Riot Grrrl revival. Check out the complete events list here.

More after the jump!