I Want to Burn This Place Down - by Maris Kreizman (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

A debut essay collection by the inimitable cultural critic Maris Kreizman--an introspective, searing account of the life experiences that have pushed this former "good Democrat" even further to the political left

At the heart of this funny, acerbic, and bravely honest book of essays is Maris Kreizman, a former rule follower and ambition monster who once believed the following truths to be self-evident: that working very hard would lead to admission to a good college, which would lead to a good job at a good company, which would then lead to personal fulfillment and a sense of purpose, along with adequate health care and eventual home ownership and plenty of money waiting in a retirement account. Like any good Democrat and feminist, she believed that if she just worked hard and played by the rules, she was guaranteed a safe and comfortable life.

Now in her forties, the only thing Maris Kreizman knows for sure is that she no longer has faith in American institutions or any of their hollow promises. Now she knows that the rules are meant to serve some folks better than others; and, actually, they serve no one all that well--not even Kreizman. Disturbed by the depth and scope of the liberal myths in which she once so fervently believed, Kreizman takes readers on an intimate journey that revisits some of her most profound revelations, demonstrating that it's never too late to become radicalized.

With Kreizman's signature wit and blunt self-reflection, and more than a little transformative rage, I Want to Burn This Place Down is a book for anyone who wishes they could go back in time to give their younger selves the real truth about the fractured country they have inherited--and the encouragement to rebuild something better in its place.

Review Quotes

"Fierce and witty . . . These sharp and entertaining essays deliver the goods." -- Publishers Weekly

"It's the writing that makes it sing ... Along with righteous anger, there's plenty of sweetness...an intelligent and entertaining read." -- Kirkus Reviews

"A must read." -- NPR

"If you're a rule-follower watching our current political and social moment with goggle-eyed disbelief, this incisive essay collection about the way the American Dream hasn't quite panned out (and maybe was only ever meant to benefit a chosen few) will be a balm for your soul." -- People, Best Nonfiction Books of Summer 2025

"Kreizman's sharp thinking and writing explore the myths we've been told about a life well lived and dismantle those that haven't yet fallen in on themselves. But it's not all doom and gloom; the writer might be a "former rule follower" but she isn't without faith in at least one system, urging readers to blaze their own trails and create the world they want to see..." -- Town & Country, 46 Must-Read Books of Summer 2025

"I Want to Burn This Place Down presents a vision of how to rebuild trust where we still can, with one another, to help create the world we want to live in." -- Isle McElroy, Vulture "Books We Can't Wait to Read This Summer"

"Maris Kreizman finds power in disillusionment." -- TIME, "16 Most Anticipated Books of the Summer"

"Maris Kreizman is an indispensable cultural commentator and a custodian of shared memories -- Snackwells, Gap fragrances, and that 9/11 Jack Welch cutout. A voice both familiar and full of verve." -- Patricia Lockwood, author of No One is Talking About This

"What happens when we move from admitting America is no longer working to actively holding it accountable? I Want to Burn This Place Down is Maris Kreizman's smart, humane and utterly reasonable response to a country that has refused to care for the majority of its citizens--even the ones we are told it favors. In this timely collection of essays, Kriezman has given us a poignant testimonial to her own disillusionment and a powerful indictment of the capitalist cruelty that has brought us to this point." -- Mira Jacob, author of Good Talk

"In this funny, lucid, and heartfelt collection, Kreizman succinctly articulates the predicament of losing faith in the institutions one was raised to have faith in, and presents a heartening and plausible pathway to a more awakened relationship to everything from western medicine to policing to the publishing industry." -- Melissa Febos, author of The Dry Season and Girlhood, winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award in Criticism

"The book we need right now." -- Jami Attenberg, author of A Reason to See You Again