Today's Read Contributor Maris Kreizman’s debut essay collection, I Want to Burn This Place Down, which officially released on July 1, 2025, marks a bold and poignant reflection on the personal, political, and cultural transformation many have experienced over the past few years. Known for her work in pop culture criticism and as the author of the podcast Slaughterhouse-5, Kreizman has always been a voice for change, but in this collection, she transitions into a rawer, more intimate space—offering an exploration of how societal structures are not only broken but how they have, in fact, shaped the people who challenge them.
With a title inspired by a moment from Mad Men, Kreizman channels both the anger and optimism inherent in her journey toward understanding a country that often seems unable to acknowledge or confront its deepest flaws. A work of both catharsis and reflection, I Want to Burn This Place Down brings together humor, personal essays, and a cutting analysis of American life, taking readers through a transformation that mirrors much of the wider national disillusionment.
A Journey of Personal Growth Through Cultural Critique
For many readers, the 2020s have been a period of immense change. With the rise of movements like Black Lives Matter, heightened awareness around climate change, and the growing gap between the wealthy and poor, Kreizman captures the sense of disillusionment and frustration that many people—especially those of her generation—feel. In I Want to Burn This Place Down, she uses her own journey to reflect on broader issues that have changed the cultural landscape over the last decade.
The collection is deeply personal, chronicling her shift from someone who believed in the American Dream to someone who can no longer reconcile with the systemic structures in place. One of the most notable aspects of the collection is Kreizman’s candidness about the toll that political and societal disillusionment has taken on her, a feeling that many people can relate to in the aftermath of monumental events like George Floyd’s murder and the subsequent rise in national protests.
Through her own experiences with Type 1 diabetes and her evolving views on the healthcare system, Kreizman paints a stark portrait of a country that has failed to care for its most vulnerable. In one essay, she reflects on the absurdity of dealing with a healthcare system that prioritizes profit over patient care, where treatment for chronic conditions like diabetes can often bankrupt a person or leave them in a never-ending cycle of medical debt.
It is in these deeply human moments that Kreizman’s writing shines. The essay collection doesn’t just dwell on political theory or systemic critiques; it tells the story of how a person changes and evolves in response to a world that doesn’t seem to care about their wellbeing.
The Personal Politics of Family
Another crucial part of Kreizman’s storytelling lies in her relationship with her family. While many of the essays address her shifting views on politics and society, Kreizman never loses sight of her roots. The collection doesn’t shy away from the ideological divide that exists in her family—particularly between herself and her two conservative brothers who are police officers. Kreizman writes with heartbreaking honesty about the strain these differences have put on their relationship, acknowledging both the love and tension that exists between them.
One of the most compelling essays in this section, titled “The Cop in the Family,” lays bare the complexities of loving people who are at odds with one’s own deeply held values. It’s not just a critique of police forces or conservative ideologies, but an exploration of how familial bonds can persist despite such deep ideological rifts. Kreizman’s reflections on her brothers’ views offer readers a window into how political dissonance can strain even the closest relationships—an experience many people today may find painfully familiar.
These essays also explore her relationship with her mother, who raised Kreizman in a household where political engagement was often met with skepticism and disdain. The difference in views between mother and daughter offers another layer of emotional depth, as Kreizman navigates the tension of wanting to do right by the world while still respecting the values and perspectives of her upbringing. This is perhaps where Kreizman’s writing finds its most profound resonance, as it touches on the universal experience of reconciling personal beliefs with the emotional connections that bind us to our families.
Humor and Heartbreak: Kreizman’s Literary Signature
What sets I Want to Burn This Place Down apart from many political essays is Kreizman’s gift for blending humor with heartbreak. She is a keen observer of culture, capable of injecting levity into even the most difficult subjects. It’s a stylistic choice that reflects her belief that humor, though often a shield, can also be a powerful tool for critique.
In her essays about healthcare, Kreizman deftly balances the absurdity of the American healthcare system with sharp humor, commenting on the out-of-touch nature of the industry’s bureaucracy while also revealing how her own experiences with the system have shaped her political activism. She writes with a dry, ironic wit, but her anger is palpable—there is a certain power in laughing at something so broken because it underscores just how ridiculous it truly is.
This ability to move between humor and grief is what gives Kreizman’s work its emotional depth. There are moments when her humor lightens the heavy burden of her subject matter, but there are also moments where her pain bleeds through the words, creating a rawness that forces readers to reckon with the broader issues she’s confronting.
The Societal Critique: Burning It All Down
At its core, I Want to Burn This Place Down is an essay collection about destruction—not destruction for the sake of chaos, but the necessary destruction of outdated systems that no longer serve those who need them most. Kreizman’s central thesis is that in order to move forward, we must first burn down what no longer works. This is not just a call for political change but a more profound critique of the American narrative itself—the belief that the American Dream is attainable for everyone when, in reality, the system only benefits a select few.
For Kreizman, the act of “burning it all down” is both symbolic and literal. The essays chronicle how a generation has come to reject the institutions that once promised safety, opportunity, and fairness. She recognizes that there is nothing inherently wrong with the idea of hope or progress; rather, it is the systems themselves—systems that have been built on inequalities—that need to be dismantled.
In writing this book, Kreizman’s ultimate aim is to offer readers a way to understand their own disillusionment and to empower them to take action. While the book is certainly a reflection of personal experience, it also serves as a call to action, urging readers to reflect on their own role in dismantling oppressive structures and to envision a new world where systems prioritize human wellbeing over profit and inequality.
Conclusion
I Want to Burn This Place Down is a bold, thought-provoking collection that captures the frustration and hopes of a generation grappling with systemic flaws and societal breakdowns. Kreizman’s ability to weave personal anecdotes with sharp social critique makes this book a must-read for anyone interested in understanding how personal experience intersects with broader cultural and political movements.
Kreizman offers no easy answers, but her raw honesty and sharp insights invite readers to engage with these difficult questions. It is a book that challenges the status quo, urging readers to consider not only what needs to change in society but also what needs to be broken down to make room for new, more equitable ways of living.
