Stop Telling Women to Smile
A celebration of the author's art, a rallying read for women who are fed up with their own harassment experiences and a statement on how pervasive the problem of street harassment really is, this is a singular and important book.
Sitting at the cross-section of social activism, art, community engagement and feminism, Stop Telling Women To Smile brings to the page the author's arresting and famous street art-featuring the faces and voices of everyday women as they talk about the experience of living in communities that are supposed to be their homes yet are frequently hostile.
Among the lessons of the #metoo movement is that countless women experience harassment, and that women are more eager than ever to share experiences and recognise common oppression. Fazlalizadeh has been contributing to these conversations through her street art since 2012. This perfectly timed, singular collection of profiles, short essays and original artwork unforgettably shows how it affects women based on gender presentation, race, class, age and other intersecting identities.