▁felt ▁an ▁ur gency ▁about ▁giving ▁her ▁own ▁account ▁to ▁ensure ▁" some body ▁who ▁knew ▁what ▁they ▁were ▁talking ▁about ▁[ w ould ▁get ] ▁it ▁out ▁there ... before ▁someone ▁who ▁didn ' t ▁know ▁what ▁they ▁were ▁talking ▁about ▁got ▁to ▁it ▁first ▁and ▁dist orted ▁the ▁story ." ▁Through ▁personal ▁activ ist ▁and ▁musical ▁connections ▁developed ▁both ▁during ▁the ▁Ri ot ▁Gr r rl ▁years ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁later , ▁Marcus ▁had ▁access ▁to ▁major ▁figures ▁of ▁the ▁movement , ▁including ▁Kath le en ▁H anna , ▁N omy ▁L amm , ▁An anda ▁La ▁V ita , ▁Mol ly ▁Ne uman ▁and ▁All ison ▁Wol fe . ▁In ▁F lav or wire , ▁Jason ▁G ross ▁said , ▁" F ew ▁people ▁could ▁have ▁provided ▁such ▁a ▁compreh ensive , ▁ins ider ' s ▁view ▁of ▁the ▁movement ▁as ▁[ M arc us ] ▁did ." ▁Marcus ▁left ▁her ▁full - time ▁job ▁and ▁en rolled ▁in ▁Columbia ' s ▁M FA ▁program ▁to ▁purs ue ▁the ▁project , ▁then ▁completed ▁it ▁during ▁two ▁stays ▁at ▁the ▁Mac D ow ell ▁Col ony . ▁ ▁Review ing ▁the ▁book ▁in ▁the ▁Los ▁Angeles ▁Times , ▁Ev ely n ▁Mc D onn ell ▁says ▁Marcus ' s ▁book ▁" R iot ▁Gr r rl s ' ▁raw , ▁em o ▁ag it - pop ▁with ▁a ▁po etic ▁fer vor ▁that ▁matches ▁its ▁subject ," ▁though ▁close ▁to ▁her ▁subject — M arc us ▁and ▁Mc D onn ell