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Rebel Girl, Kathleen Hanna’s new autobiography, is a roller coaster of a story. Deeply personal, revolutionary, and entertaining at once, the book begins with a broken childhood and an abusive, alcoholic father, right through to her teen years, as she struggles for an identity in the shadow of her older sister, and later discovers her first real taste of writing and music into her college years.

Themes of male violence, aggression, dysfunctional family life, and beating the odds to become the voice of the female punk rock movement rages on through just over 300 pages of powerful storytelling.

With an interest in writing and poetry, Hanna prepared her writing samples and attended a workshop held by author Kathy Acker at the Center on Contemporary Art in Seattle in 1989.

Meeting this iconic author, in Hanna’s words, was a disaster, however the one thing that Hanna held onto was Acker’s words of advice, “You should start a band. Most people go out and smoke when someone gets up to do spoken word, but people wanna see bands”. It was then that Hanna realized her calling was to start a band.

Author Hanna may have been called many things throughout her life, but the first thing that comes to MY mind is survivor!

I had the chance to catch a Bikini Kill show in San Francisco this summer, and watching Hanna on stage, and now having read her book, I can clearly see how the years have solidified her top rank in the Riot Grrrl feminist punk movement, even though she is at odds with the title and at times, her role within it (Hanna delves into this movement and how her feelings toward it have changed over time).

[“We’re Bikini Kill and we want revolution, girl style now!” — Hanna at far right]

Both the author and I were born in the 60’s, so it was easy to relate to the children’t clothing brands and popular culture she describes at the start of the book. It’s the broken home, abuse, and shit that’s been thrown her way for decades on end that was not so relatable.

[Tobi Vail, Billy Karren, Joan Jett, Kathleen Hannah, Kathi Wilcox, NYC, 1992; Steve Eichner photo]

As she solidified her relationship with bandmates Tobi Vail, Kathi Wilcox, JD Samson, and Johanna Fateman, and befriended Kim Gordon, Joan Jett, and Kurt Cobain, Hanna felt at home in the punk rock community.

Her friendship with Kurt was iconic and is cemented for eternity through a shared love of writing: Cobain was inspired to title Nirvana’s most famous song via one simple sentence scribbled by Hanna with a Sharpie, at the top of his bed — Kurt is the keeper of the kennel… Kurt Smells Like Teen Spirit.

And consider this passage from the book: “A few months after we’d started Bikini Kill, Kurt asked Tobi to be the drummer for Nirvana, and Tobi said no because she was convinced our band was going to change the landscape for women in music. I’m saying that again, for the people in the back: Tobi Vail could have been the drummer for Nirvana, but she chose to be in a feminist band instead.”

[The Julie Ruin: Kenny Mellman, Carmine Covelli, Sara Landeau, Kathleen Hanna, Kathi Wilcox, NYC, 2013; Shervin Lainez photo]

In addition to Bikini Kill, Hanna’s book also chronicles her other bands, Le Tigre and The Julie Ruin. Rebel Girl also allows space for discussing both the positive and negative qualities of the Riot Grrrl movement, one that has become synonymous with Bikini Kill.

I simply loved the short chapter when Hanna receives a phone call from Joan Jett. “This is Joan Jett,” the voice on the phone said. Her immediate reply, “Wait, what? Who put you up to this?”. I won’t spoil the outcome, but trust me, it’s a joyous one.

Singing saved my life. I remind myself that my war has never been with sexism but with how sexism has warped me. — Kathleen Hanna

[An early show at the Mushroom House in Olympia, Washington, 1990; L to R: Tobi Vail, Kathleen Hanna, Kathi Wilcox; photo by Hannah Sternstein]

Hanna has been through enough turmoil to last many of us a lifetime, yet her resilience and dedication to music is a force to be reckoned with. Her recounting of the finest details in her life is amazing, as if living those moments for the first time while writing the book.

There were apparently many more memories meant to be shared, too: Her friend, writer Ada Calhoun, helped trim down the original manuscript from 600 to 322 pages (she gives kudos to Calhoun at the back of the book).

Rebel Girl is now out on Ecco Books (an imprint of Harper Collins Publishers); CAD $36.99/USD $29.99. Non-watermarked images courtesy of Kathleen Hanna’s publicist.