Gabrielle Korn

It’s 2050 and the world is falling apart. In order to save what humanity they can, the world government devises the Inside Project - a couple dozen billionaire-funded sealed compounds across the globe that will safely house a few million survivors while the world burns. The residents are randomly selected for every Inside except one - the Sheryl Sandberg-esque girlboss author-and-CEO Jacqueline Millender secretly micromanages her Inside to be a perfect utopia. Everyone is young, thin, upper middle-class, female or non-binary, unattached to men, and equal. Everything about their lives is perfect, right down to the perfect amount of drugs pumped through their vents. The only requirement is that they work, with the cushiest job of all being that of mother. But how are the residents going to do as pawns in Jacqueline’s experiments?

Shelby, a trans woman and Jacqueline’s personal assistant, was not picked for Inside but gets to accompany Jacqueline on the billionaires’ space ship with all the other assistants. Olympia, a non-binary doctor, successfully convinces Jacqueline to include people of all races in Inside, and so thinks that she can manage Jacqueline's other quirky requests from the inside (so to speak). And Ava, an insecure lesbian, gets injured Inside and cannot work, so there's only one option left.

I really enjoyed all of the things this book made me think about. It's about the systemic failures of non-intersectional rich white feminism. It’s about how any kind of equality is impossible while any one person or group has more power. You can control for gender and race and age and temperament and culture and personal property, but as long as billionaires still exist a utopia will never. They can’t save us from a world of climate change and social injustice because they cause it. There are some parts of Inside that don’t make sense (Why can’t people change jobs? What is the enforcement of rules? Why is everything so boring?) but the flaws are part of the world. The project wasn’t well thought out! Unlike some similar stories about attempts at utopia, the plot here is not a puzzle to be solved. The reader knows what is happening the whole time, but there is enjoyment in seeing the characters figure it out and decide what to do.… (mehr)

This book is a fascinating collection of essays written by the former editor-in-chief of Nylon, a lifestyle magazine known for its focus on pop culture and fashion. A highly respected gig as Gabrielle Korn was responsible for shaping the magazine's content. Invites to every industry related party, and free access to clothing from all the hottest designers are other pretty cool perks of the job. She was living the dream! Except we all know things are never as they seem. These essays are raw, honest, and powerful and make for a thought-provoking read.

There are so many subjects explored in her writing and each reader has the potential to take away something different. I personally was drawn more to her stories of working in the publishing industry rather than her personal life although they were all good reads. It kinda is mindboggling that so many publications attempt to promote body positivity but yet frequently miss the mark. And it's sad although not too surprising that most female industry professionals still strive for that size 2 body.

A must read if you enjoy reading nonfiction that explores the topic of feminism and many other worthwhile subjects.

Thank you to Atria Books for providing me with an advance copy! All thoughts expressed are my honest opinion.… (mehr)