The Feminist Public Square
Octobers book: Man Up by Cynthia Miller-Idris
Click here to listen to our podcast with Cynthia.
The revelatory and urgent story of how an explosion of misogyny is driving a surge of mass and far-right violence throughout the West—from an internationally recognized extremism expert and media commentator
What two things do most mass shooters, terrorists, or violent extremists have in common? Most of us know the they are almost always men or boys. But the second? They are almost always virulent misogynists, homophobes, or transphobes—even if they are also motivated by racism, antisemitism, or xenophobia. The antigovernment militiamen charged with plotting to kidnap and execute Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer used language saturated with misogyny, with one telling an FBI informant, “Just grab the bitch.” The men who killed scores at Virginia Tech, the Pulse nightclub, and a Maryland newsroom all had prior reports of stalking, domestic violence, or harassment of women. And in dozens of other incidents—from North America to Norway to New Zealand—an increasing number of misogynist incel (involuntary celibate) and male supremacist attackers have explicitly targeted and killed women, blaming feminism or sexual frustration with women as motivation for their attacks.
Yet, despite all evidence, the bright red thread of misogyny running through these attacks is barely acknowledged by the media or even experts—and this failing leaves us powerless to stop the violence. In Man Up, Cynthia Miller-Idriss, a leading expert on extremism, addresses this crucial oversight head-on, revealing how an epidemic of misogyny—both online and off—and a patriarchal backlash are driving an exponential rise in mass and far-right violence. She also offers essential strategies that all of us—including parents, teachers, and counselors—can use to fight the rising tide of violence, beginning with recognizing the misogyny that pervades our everyday lives.
Review from : GoodReads
Books for 2026
Our book choices are directly paired with our 60th Anniversary campaign. Check out the page to learn how you can get involved.
Capsule 1: Cost of Being a Woman
-JANUARY: Mutual Aid by Dean Spade
-FEBRUARY: The Cost of Being a Girl by Yasemin Besen-Cassino (YF)
-MARCH: Financial Feminist by Tori Dunlap
Capsule 2: Protecting Care, Protecting Choice
-APRIL: An American Sickness by Elisabeth Rosenthal
-MAY: Liberating Abortion by Renee Bracy Sherman and Regina Mahone
-JUNE: Fighting Mad: Resisting the End of Roe v. Wade by Krystale Littlejohn (YF)
Capsule 3: Securing Rights, Shaping the Future
-JULY: Democracy in Retrograde by Sami Sage & Emily Amick
-AUGUST: The Women’s Revolution by Muriel Fox
-SEPTEMBER: When We’re In Charge by Amanda Litman (YF)
Capsule 4: Ending Gender Violence
-OCTOBER: Man Up by Cynthia Miller-Idris
-NOVEMBER: Bright Red Fruit by Safia Elhillo (YF)
-DECEMBER: Nobody’s Girl by Virginia Guiffre
Welcome to the Feminist Public Square — welcome to the movement.
Book Reviews
Check out these feminist book reviews that we recommend.