Listening in the Dark: Women Reclaiming the Power of Intuition

The latest from poet/actress/writer Tamblyn (Any Man Can) is a collection of essays from several women-identifying and nonbinary people, including Ada Limón, Lidia Yuknavitch, Amy Poehler, Ayanna Pressley, and Tamblyn herself, who contributes a number of essays and poems. The focus here is on trusting feelings, trusting the body, learning from dreams, and valuing connection. Intuition, notes contributor Samantha Irby parenthetically, feels like “a word that someone who is more spiritual and tuned into complex emotions than I am gets to use.” She affirms the power of the gut feeling. Any reader who feels similarly will find particular value in Dr. Nicole Apelian’s essay, “The Science of Intuition and Deep Connection with Nature,” which offers a pragmatic series of tips for nurturing this connection. But most of these pieces assume that readers already have a healthy respect for intuition.