Ellen Willis Knihy

Ellen Willis, a pioneering rock critic and feminist, made significant contributions to music journalism and cultural criticism. Her work spanned prestigious outlets like the New Yorker and Village Voice, highlighting her influential voice in the feminist movement as a cofounder of Redstockings. She also established a program at NYU, authored notable books, and left behind a legacy of insightful critiques. The posthumous collection, "Out of the Vinyl Deeps," showcases her award-winning rock criticism, reflecting her unique perspective on music and culture.

Ellen Willis explores the intersection of rock 'n' roll, sexuality, and freedom in this groundbreaking collection of essays. As a pioneering pop music critic, she articulates the excitement of music while critiquing authoritarian culture. Her writings reflect the rebellious spirit of the '60s and '70s, showcasing a blend of radical thought and rational discourse that captures the essence of a transformative era in both music and society.

If the 1970s were the "Me Decade," and the '80s were the years of the Reagan counterrevolution, then the '90s, writes Ellen Willis, were the Decade of Denial. In keeping with the mass media's glib assumption that a phenomenal increase in wealth for a minority meant genuine national prosperity, the 1990s saw an astounding refusal, on both the left and right, to question received wisdom or engage in substantive deliberation. Turning her acute eye to the decade's defining moments-imbroglios like those surrounding the O. J. Simpson trial, The Bell Curve, Monica-gate, and the Million Man March-Ellen Willis reveals the mindlessness behind the noise. Arguing that we suffer from a lack of true freedom, she demands that we radically rethink our country and ourselves to create a society in which we can fully enjoy life.

Originally published: Hanover: Published by University Press of New England [for] Wesleyan University Press, c1992.