We鈥檙e seeing a lot of women鈥檚 rights being rolled back politically and socially, but also the right to speak up, the right to even voice a story. I want to tell young people they have a tremendous amount of wisdom. Young people have a tremendous amount of voice.
For her newest book, Dr. Sarah Fawn Montgomery turned to a genre and topic that especially resonates with her Bridgewater State students.
Abbreviate, a collection of short essays written in the style of lyric flash prose, explores the injustices girls face by drawing on stories from Montgomery鈥檚 experiences and those of her family and friends.
鈥淚 learn a lot about being a teacher by being a writer,鈥 the associate professor of English said. 鈥淚 have a lot of students who are really interested in flash (as a genre). It鈥檚 what they want to read and what they want to write.鈥
Abbreviate has been well received by readers who connect Montgomery鈥檚 stories to their own lives. Literary Hub, the Community of Literary Magazines and Presses, and the Independent Book Review all included the book on their 鈥渂est of 2025鈥 lists.
Kirkus Reviews called Abbreviate, 鈥渁n intense, unflinching and sometimes-dispiriting analysis of gender roles. 鈥 Montgomery grapples with the complexities of being a woman in a patriarchal society.鈥
鈥淚 was pleasantly and wonderfully surprised,鈥 Montgomery said of making the best-of-the-year lists. 鈥淭here are so many books that were published. I wasn鈥檛 expecting it would be recognized in this way.鈥
Lyric flash prose combines the structure of prose with the compactness, emotion and imagery of poetry. In her essays, which she describes as short enough to read on the train or between classes, Montgomery writes about issues such as domestic violence and sexism.
She writes how injustices make girls and women feel exceedingly small, as if their stories don鈥檛 matter. She also explores how girlhood can be saved through, as she writes in the book鈥檚 description, 鈥渢he communal care of fierce female friends.鈥
The author hopes the book encourages readers to value even the small stories in their lives and helps girls become unafraid to speak up and exercise their voices.
鈥淲e鈥檙e seeing a lot of women鈥檚 rights being rolled back politically and socially, but also the right to speak up, the right to even voice a story,鈥 Montgomery said. 鈥淚 want to tell young people they have a tremendous amount of wisdom. Young people have a tremendous amount of voice.鈥
Do you have a BSU story you'd like to share? Email stories@bridgew.edu.