PEN America recently selected “Vengeance Feminism” by Emory College’s Kali Gross as one of the 13 winners of its 2025 literary awards.
The National Endowment for the Humanities Professor of African American Studies, Gross took home the PEN Open Book Award, granted for an “exceptional book-length work of any literary genre by an author of color.”
Author and television host Tamron Hall announced the honorees on May 8 at an awards ceremony in New York City.
“I am honored and humbled, and thankful, that PEN America recognizes the importance of this history,” Gross says.
Subtitled “The Power of Black Women’s Fury in Lawless Times,” Gross’s book features overlooked narratives of Black women who had to fight against discrimination, abuse and racial injustice.
Emory College Dean Barbara Krauthamer praised how deeply Gross delved into archives to center the untold stories, including often-overlooked accounts in newspapers and court records.
“Dr. Gross’s work exemplifies the intellectual rigor and scholarly depth that define Emory College,” Krauthamer says. “By elevating narratives long absent from mainstream histories, she helps expand our understanding of justice, resistance and human experience in powerful new ways.”
The judges’ citation likewise described the book as an “elegant, eye-opening tour de force” fortified by historical evidence and Gross’s riveting writing.
“A rare page-turning history, the book leans into the elements of story, scene, dialogue and plot, to bring its subjects to vibrant life,” according to the citation. “Gross offers a magnificent example of the necessity of reclaiming forms of resistance deemed disreputable and even dangerous, as well as a blueprint for grounding such stories in rich contexts to allow for empathy and respect for subjects.”
Gross has taught several courses at Emory that deal with themes discussed in the book. This fall, she is teaching the undergraduate course “The Other Salem,” which focuses on the historical experiences of Black women and capital punishment in the U.S., beginning with untold stories of Black women burned at the stake.