Publishers Weekly
06/07/2021
Sex educator Corinna (S.E.X.) offers a frank and funny guide for those who haven’t “exactly been having a great time with perimenopause.” Nearly two million people go into perimenopause each year in the United States, Corinna writes, yet most people are uneducated or ill-informed about it. To that end, Corinna lays out a quick historical overview (menopause was first mentioned in Western medical records around the 16th century, for example) before digging into the “when, why, how, where, and what the literal hell?” of menopausal transitions. Corinna covers hot flashes (featuring an ode to the cooling pillow), describes the hormonal science behind mood changes, gives a “lube pep talk,” and answers such questions as how long perimenopause lasts and when to “break up with” a health-care provider. Along the way, Corinna keeps things inclusive, spotlighting information for trans women and “other gender-diverse folks.” The author’s easy and encouraging approach is empowering, and humor is sprinkled throughout: “Perimenopause without realistic expectations or preparation can bear an embarrassing resemblance to the epically terrible movie Castaway.” Full of heart—and answers—this guide will be a useful resource for readers new to perimenopause. Agent: Anna Sproul-Latimer, the Ross Yoon Agency. (June)
From the Publisher
I have loved Heather Corinna's work for twenty years, and What Fresh Hell Is This is their best yet. This book feels like your best friend talking to you over drinks–if your best friend is a shit-talking, patriarchy-smashing, intersectionally feminist professor of the history of reproductive medicine and also an endocrinologist with a side hustle as a comedian. Please read this book.”—Emily Nagoski, PhD, New York Times bestselling author of Come As You Are
“What a relief—like a deep, calming exhale alongside a thunderous howl—to find this affirmation, information, solace, and nuanced and expansive guidance. What Fresh Hell Is This joins the small, but growing canon of work that is freeing these normal human experiences from the confining constructions of patriarchy and white supremacy so that maybe when my daughter is perimenopausal, everything contained here be common knowledge.”—Mia Birdsong, author of How We Show Up
“Perimenopause is like being in a car trying to drive with the handbrake on. There is nothing to do but sit with it, screeching and all. Heather Corinna has written an essential driver's manual for that screeching car. Their book is like a beloved friend who reaches into the car and releases the handbrake for you. Drive! Go! Liberation lies ahead!”—Mona Eltahawy, author of The Seven Necessary Sins for Women and Girls
"We rely on Heather Corinna for clear, funny, inclusive, and zero-nonsense writing about sex and sexuality and it’s no surprise they deliver again—brilliantly. What Fresh Hell Is This? contextualizes and investigates what we think we know about menopause before blowing our minds with a compendium of facts and observations that people facing menopause urgently need. A truly comprehensive, anti-shame, pro-embodiment resource for our time."—S. Bear Bergman, author, publisher of Flamingo Rampant, advice columnist, general-duty trans pride activist
“A frank and funny guide for those who haven’t 'exactly been having a great time with perimenopause.' Full of heart—and answers—this guide will be a useful resource for readers new to perimenopause.”—Publishers Weekly
“Good thing we have Heather Corinna with us along for the bumpy ride, like the whip-smart, sardonic friend you used to hang with at punk shows who’s now armed with a metric ton of hard-earned wisdom about the endocrine system, advice for vasomotor freakouts and edibles. What Fresh Hell Is This?, is a brilliantly irreverent and disruptive addition to the menopause survival/triumph category. [Corinna] put their activist mojo to use in a guide that argues forcefully for new thinking about perimenopause, with a lot of laughs—and comics and Mad Libs!—along the way. Game changed.”—BookPage
"A helpful overview, with up-to-date research and friendly advice on accepting one’s new body."
—Library Journal
“The Long-Overdue Inclusive Feminist Guide to Menopause: This is a true feminist take on perimenopause which offers a deep-dive perspective not only about how our sexist, racist, ableist culture has shaped our understanding of it but also how to have control over one’s choices during it…If you’re currently going through menopause, I think you’ll feel better after reading this book. If you haven’t found some useful tips to help manage symptoms and relationships, you’ll at least have found a kindred spirit and someone who’s cheering you on to the other side where, Corinna promises, things get better.”
—Rebellious Magazine
Praise for S.E.X.
"The best book about sex and sexuality: It covers everything from puberty to sex to social and emotional health. It also addresses more complicated issues such as relationship dynamics as well as topics around sexual abuse. S.E.X. is also an excellent text for LGBTQ+ teens, as it covers sexual and gender identity and outlines different ways of being physically intimate, from kissing to anal and vaginal intercourse."—The 10 Best Books About Adolescence, According to Psychologists, New York Magazine, March 2019
"In high school and college, the bible is Heather Corinna's S.E.X.: The All-You-Need-To-Know Sexuality Guide to Get You Through Your Teens and Twenties."—Peggy Orenstein, Goop
"S.E.X. is, literally, a lifesaving book. Corinna's vast commonsense wisdom—especially on topics relating to gender roles, queer sexuality and gender identities—has the potential to improve the physical and emotional health of anyone who reads it, and to help heal our culture's unhealthy, conflicted approaches to sex, sexuality and gender."—Lisa Jervis, Bitch magazine co-founder
"I think this is the most comprehensive, honest sex-ed book I have ever seen."—Carol Schramm, First Thursday Book Reviews
"The book that I like most for high school kids is by Heather Corinna: S.E.X.: The All-You-Need-to-Know Progressive Sexuality Guide to Get You Through High School and College. It's very straightforward and provides lots and lots of information, but it talks about how that particular information relates to relationship issues or values or communication issues. That's what kids need more than anything."—Deborah Roffman, author, Sex and Sensibility and Talk to Me First: Everything You Need to Know to Become Your Kids' 'Go-To' Person About Sex
"S.E.X. is a positive and informative all-embracing guide to sexuality by a dedicated author. Heather Corinna challenges adolescents and young adults alike to be proactive in owning their sexuality by being true to themselves, all the while laying the foundation of knowledge and acceptance key factors for the development of a healthy sexuality."—Dr. Lynn Ponton, author, The Sex Lives of Teenagers
"Wow. This book has been so useful to me as a consent educator on a college campus! I constantly refer students to this book for honest, shame-free, empowering, and accurate information surrounding questions of sex, sexual orientation, and negotiating boundaries. Corinna skillfully walks the readers through their questions as they apply to real lives, including sections to correct myths, discuss ideas that may be new, affirm identity and autonomy, and challenge readers to move towards healthier lives. Infused into every sentence is the empowering knowledge that the reader deserves to control their own body. At the core, this book is about agency. I can see the positive impact this book is making on the individuals I mentor."—Janelle Hall
"Not only would my own adolescence have been vastly less painful and confusing if I'd had access to the accurate, comprehensive, and above all nonjudgmental information that Heather Corinna so carefully provides, but S.E.X. is, literally, a lifesaving book: Corinna's vast commonsense wisdom—especially on topics relating to gender roles, queer sexuality, and gender identities—has the potential to improve the physical and emotional health of anyone who reads it, and to help heal our culture's unhealthy, conflicted approaches to sex, sexuality, and gender."—Bust
"Corinna has put together a blockbuster of a book for young people dealing with sex and relationships. Much like the authors of Our Bodies, Ourselves and its spinoffs, Corinna answers every possible question teens and young adults could have about virginity, puberty, pregnancy, body image, masturbation, sexual identity, the variety of relationships, and the mechanics of partnered sex. She also addresses topics that are often overlooked, e.g., transgender and inter[sex] identities, realistic teen relationship management skills, and pornography. An excellent resource for preteens, teens, young adults, and people working with these populations; highly recommended for most libraries."—Deborah Bigelow, Library Journal
"Talking to teens about sexuality can be really challenging. Our children are counting on us for information and guidance, but human bodies—and human relationships—are complex. It's hard to knowing when to bring things up, how much to share, and what exactly to talk about. That's why I'm so grateful for this amazing book by Heather Corinna. In addition to giving clear, complete information about puberty and sexual anatomy, Corinna addresses the psychological and emotional concerns of young people with warmth and care. Variations in sexual anatomy, sexual desire, sexual orientation are gender are covered comprehensively, with repeated reminders that there's no one right way to be "normal." Corinna isn't afraid to address challenging topics like sexual assault and pornography, and makes a point to repeatedly emphasize the importance of consent and pleasure in healthy relationships...I can't think of a better resource for learning about sexuality, and I encourage you to check it out!"—Christopher Pepper
"This is another groundbreaking book."—Seattle Post-Intelligencer
