567 ratings | 34 reviews | avg rating:4.10

Allison McCarthy’s Followers (32)

Allison’s Bookshelves

to-read (170)
currently-reading (26)
read (580)

Allison’s Friends (248)

Catapult

231 books | 1,955 friends

Allie KP

668 books | 38 friends

Krystal

7,513 books | 191 friends

Amber

460 books | 83 friends

Jen Michalski

677 books | 2,216 friends

Caitlyn

1,215 books | 79 friends

ATXauthor

423 books | 32 friends

Rachel Kramer Bussel

5,947 books | 1,444 friends

More friends…

Allison McCarthy

Goodreads Author

Born

in The United States

Website

http://allisonmccarthy.net

Twitter

allison_writes

Genre

Memoir, Nonfiction

Influences

Dorothy Allison, Ariel Gore, Janet Fitch, Roxane Gay, Michelle Tea, Ch ...more

Member Since

October 2008

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/allisonmcc221

edit data

Allison McCarthy is a writer with a focus on personal essays, intersectional feminism and social justice. Her work has been featured in print and online publications such as The Washington Post, The Guardian (U.K.), AlterNet, The Establishment, Vox, Time.com, Argot, xoJane, DAME, Autostraddle, Ravishly, The Frisky, Medium.com (“Human Parts” series), Bitch, make/shift, Ms., Girlistic, Shabby Doll House, YourTango, Hip Mama, Bustle, Global Comment, Role/Reboot, Shameless, The Feminist Wire, ColorsNW, The Baltimore Review and Hoax.

Her work has also been published in several anthologies, including Robot Hearts: True and Twisted Tales of Seeking Love in the Digital Age (Pinchback Press), Dear Sister: Letters From Survivors of Sexual Violence (AK ...more

6 posts
Allison McCarthy's Blog

It Took a Long Time

Some essays come together in a flurry of draft writing. Others take a bit longer to conceive.

My new essay, “And She Was” (Argot), took about two years to write, re-write, submit, face a few rejections, re-write some more, pitch a query, clean up the prose before hitting send… and finally find a home. It is one of the essays I’m most proud of putting out into the world.

After a few months of fussing

Combine Editions
Allison McCarthy’s books

Average rating: 4.32 · 257 ratings · 33 reviews · 4 distinct works

	Dear Sister: Letters From Survivors of Sexual Violence by Lisa Factora-Borchers (editor), Aishah Shahidah Simmons (Goodreads Author) (Introduction), Allison McCarthy (Goodreads Author) (Contributor) 4.31 avg rating — 242 ratings — published 2013 — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Robot Hearts: True and Twisted Tales of Seeking Love in the Digital Age by Cara Bruce (Editor), Shawna Kenney (Editor), Slash Coleman (Goodreads Author) (Contributor) 4.14 avg rating — 7 ratings — published 2010 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Places Like Home by Ariel Gore (Goodreads Author) (Editor), Meg Weber (Goodreads Author) (Contributor), Allison McCarthy (Goodreads Author) (Contributor) it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 5 ratings — published 2020	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Queer Around the World: A LGBTQ+ True Stories Anthology by Curry Kalmus (Editor), Sage Kalmus (Goodreads Author) (Editor), Allison McCarthy (Goodreads Author) (Contributor) 3.60 avg rating — 5 ratings — published 2018 — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

* Note: these are all the books on Goodreads for this author. To add more, click here.

Allison is Currently Reading

Allison is currently reading

Disney Adults: Exploring (And Falling In Love With) A Magical Subculture

by AJ Wolfe

bookshelves: currently-reading

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Sep 13, 2025 01:50PM

Allison is currently reading

I Can Fix Her

by Rae Wilde (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: currently-reading

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Jul 27, 2025 07:33PM

Allison is currently reading

Fragments Of Wasted Devotion

by Mia Arias Tsang

bookshelves: currently-reading

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Jul 27, 2025 07:31PM

rss
Allison’s Recent Updates

Allison wants to read I Want to Burn This Place Down: Essays by Maris Kreizman (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
2 hours, 46 min ago · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of I Want to Burn This Place Down by Maris Kreizman. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — I Want to Burn This Place Down by Maris Kreizman <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Allison wants to read Writers & Lovers by Lily King (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
10 hours, 45 min ago · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Writers & Lovers by Lily King. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Writers & Lovers by Lily King <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Allison wants to read Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke by Eric LaRocca (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Oct 22, 2025 09:38PM · like
Allison wants to read Sink or Burn by Cristy Road Carrera	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Oct 20, 2025 06:01AM · like
Allison is now following Cristy Road Carrera Author of Sink or Burn
Oct 20, 2025 06:00AM · like
Allison wants to read Sink or Burn by Cristy Road Carrera	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Oct 20, 2025 06:00AM · like
Allison wants to read A Spy in the House of Love (Cities of the Interior, #4) by Anaïs Nin	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Oct 19, 2025 09:43PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of A Spy in the House of Love by Anaïs Nin. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — A Spy in the House of Love by Anaïs Nin <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Allison wants to read Even Cowgirls Get the Blues by Tom Robbins	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Oct 19, 2025 09:42PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Even Cowgirls Get the Blues by Tom Robbins. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Even Cowgirls Get the Blues by Tom Robbins <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Allison wants to read Bi Lives: Bisexual Women Tell Their Stories by Kata Orndorff	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Oct 19, 2025 09:41PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Bi Lives by Kata Orndorff. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Bi Lives by Kata Orndorff <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Allison wants to read Transforming a Rape Culture by Emilie Buchwald	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Oct 19, 2025 09:40PM · like

More of Allison's books…

Allison’s Quotes

“But no, I came by these feelings honestly. And I don’t accept bitter. Wounded, yes. Traumatized, sure. Grieving, okay. Anything other than bitter. I put too much work in to be callously tossed aside as bitter. Bitter is for someone who hasn’t earned it.”
― Samantha Irby, Meaty

28 likes

“Do you know why we have the sunflowers? It’s not because Vincent van Gogh suffered. It’s because Vincent van Gogh had a brother who loved him. Through all the pain, he had a tether, a connection to the world. And that is the focus of the story we need – connection.”
― Hannah Gadsby

tags: art, art-saves, artists-life, artists-quotes, brother, connection, depression, pain, painting, van-gogh

110 likes

“Let your intention be freedom from useless suffering. Then, let go. Watch the heat of day pass into the cool night. Let go. When the karma of a relationship is done, only love remains. It’s safe. Let go. When the past has passed from you at last, let go. Then climb down and begin the rest of your life. With great joy.”
― Elizabeth Gilbert, Eat, Pray, Love

1 likes