Sisters of the Extreme: Women Writing on the Drug Experience

Sisters of the Extreme: Women writing on the drug experience, Including Charlotte Bronte, Louisa May Alcott, Anais Nin, Maya Angelou, Billie Holiday, Nina Hagen, Carrie Fisher, and Others

Edited by Cynthia Palmer & Michael Horowitz

I just finished this book and couldn't wait to share it. There are so many books detailing the drug experiences of famous male writers (Burroughs, Kerouac and Kesey, to name a few), but far less that discuss their female contemporaries.

After a quick overview of ancient texts that refer to women such as the oracles and their drug use, the book really begins with Victorian (19th century) women and their experiences with opium, morphine and hashish, among other substances.

This is followed by chapters on early psychonauts like Laura Huxley (mescaline), female beats and hippies like Diane Di Prima, and finally modern women who possess great drug knowledge and wisdom, such as Ann Shulgin.

I really liked the format of the book; it gave a quick overview of the time period and what drugs were around, then moved on to specific authors. A short bio of the author was given, then passages from her work that had something to do with drugs.

Many of the passages were fascinating personal experiences. Some of my favorite passages were by Louisa May Alcott, Anais Nin, Diane di Prima, and Ann Shulgin.

This is a must read for anyone who wants to know more about the female spectrum of drug users throughout the last 200 years.