Lake Tahoe publisher launches feminist collection on 40th anniversary of Roe v. Wade

South Lake Tahoe publishing house Bona Fide Books will release “Get Out of My Crotch! Twenty-One Writers Respond to America’s War on Women’s Rights and Reproductive Health,” by its new imprint Cherry Bomb Books Jan. 22, the 40th anniversary of Roe v. Wade.

Cherry Bomb Books was created in April 2012, when Bona Fide Books publisher Kim Wyatt grew outraged by bills being proposed based on women’s reproductive health. “I got tired of seeing men in suits talking about personhood, transvaginal ultrasounds and the definition of rape,” said Wyatt. “Honestly, I couldn’t believe that in 2012 I was hearing about legislation based on menstrual cycles.”

Wyatt wrote some of her favorite writers, including Roxane Gay, Lidia Yuknavitch and Katha Pollitt, proposing a collection based on these issues and the writers agreed; in addition, four California writers were invited to submit. But Bona Fide Books wasn’t the right place for the collection, so Cherry Bomb was born. Co-editor Sari Botton and Wyatt decided to push the publication of the book up to January 22, 2013, the 40th anniversary of Roe v. Wade.

“I felt like women who’d had abortions—myself included—needed to come out of the woodwork about their experiences, to dispel the shame and stigma, and to open the conversation,” says Botton.

Readings are scheduled nationwide, including events in San Francisco, Sacramento, South Lake Tahoe, Boston, Philadelphia, New York and Portland, Ore. A percentage of all books sales will go to Planned Parenthood.

“Get Out of My Crotch!” will be available at online at www.cherrybombbooks.com, Amazon and retail outlets, as well as where e-books are found. For more information, e-mail editor@cherrybombbooks.com or visit www.cherrybombbooks.com. Find Get Out of My Crotch! on Facebook.