My Own Words
| Company type | Book |
|---|---|
| Industry | Publishing |
| Founded | 2016 |
| Founder | Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Mary Hartnett, Wendy W. Williams |
| Products | Non-fiction book |
| Parent | Simon & Schuster |
My Own Words is a 2016 publication authored by American Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg alongside her biographers Mary Hartnett and Wendy W. Williams. This volume assembles Ginsburg’s speeches and written works, some dating back to her eighth-grade years, representing her first book release since her 1993 appointment to the Supreme Court.
Background
In March 2016, Simon & Schuster revealed plans to publish My Own Words with an initial release date set for January 2017. However, the book was ultimately made available earlier, on October 4, 2016.
Synopsis
The introduction is penned by Ginsburg herself, while Hartnett and Williams supply contextual commentary for various sections that include legal articles, speeches, briefs, and dissenting opinions. The content addresses themes such as Ginsburg’s identity as a Jewish woman, issues of gender equality, insights into the Supreme Court, and approaches to constitutional interpretation. A notable chapter contains selections from Derrick Wang’s opera Scalia/Ginsburg, accompanied by forewords from both Ginsburg and Justice Antonin Scalia.
The collection also features her Supreme Court acceptance address and an essay supporting the Equal Rights Amendment. Additionally, Ginsburg shares reflections on her professional relationships with Justices Sandra Day O'Connor and Antonin Scalia, characterizing Scalia as "some very good people have some very bad ideas," while commending O’Connor’s emphasis on pragmatism over bitterness.
Reception
Critical response to the book was predominantly favorable.
USA Today characterized Ginsburg as "a strategic legal plotter who understands how to bring her audience around to her point of view."
According to Kirkus Reviews, although "only the most dedicated Ginsburg fans will devour everything here," the majority of readers will gain meaningful perspectives from this emblematic figure in women’s rights advocacy.
Yahoo! News emphasized that in My Own Words, Ginsburg’s signature energy and determination are apparent even in her earliest compositions.
The New Republic lauded the compilation for its demonstration of her intellectual breadth, covering subjects ranging from jurisprudence and opera to tributes honoring individuals such as Louis Brandeis, William Rehnquist, and Gloria Steinem, alongside reflections on the significance of dissenting opinions.