Punk Women: 40 Years of Musicians Who Built Punk Rock

In this far-reaching anthology, David Ensminger delves underground to explore the oft overlooked community of badass women who shaped the punk scene. There is a common thread of women being excluded and gatekept from the hardcore music scene but this anthology challenges that notion and shows that women have still been able to overcome, kick ass, and shred alongside the best of them. Biographies, interviews, band anecdotes, and never-before-published photos showcase the talent and artistry of bands like Bikini Kill, The Guttersluts, Bratmobile, Spitboy, the Germs, The Slits, and dozens more. Through its intimate aesthetic analysis and raw zine-like presentation, this is an essential resource for anyone looking to discover, rediscover, and cherish punk history. Includes a foreword by Katy Otto of Trophy Wife and Exotic Fever Records

David A. Ensminger is a college instructor and the author of books covering both American roots music and punk rock history--Visual Vitriol: The Street Art and Subcultures of the Punk and Hardcore Generation (Univ. Press of Mississippi, 2011), Mojo Hand: The Life and Music of Lightnin’ Hopkins (Univ. of Texas Press, 2013), Left of the Dial: Conversations with Punk Icons (PM Press, 2013), Mavericks of Sound: Conversations with the Artists Who Shaped Indie and Roots Music (Rowman and Littlefield, 2014), The Politics of Punk, Out of the Basement: From Cheap Trick to DIY Punk in Rockford, IL, 1973-2005 (Microcosm, 2017), Punk Women: 40 Years of Musicians Who Built Punk Rock (Microcosm, 2021), and Roots Punk: A Visual and Oral History (Univ. Press of Mississippi, 2003). Both The Boston Globe and The Economist have highlighted his research; meanwhile, he writes for publications like Art in Print, The Journal of Popular Music Studies, Houston Press, Trust (Germany), Artcore (Britain), Razorcake, and Maximum Rock’n’Roll. He lives in Houston, Texas, where he teaches and edit over 20 blogs, including the Visual History of Punk, Hardcore, and Indie Women, which contains over 1,000 archived images: https: //punkwomen.wordpress.com