Feminist Lit?

[Prairie_Girl]

Hey,

just wondering if we have any other people here that make an effort to read, or even hae just happened to read, a little bit of women's studies? This is probably one of the only kind of non-fiction I read, and would love to discuss it with someone.

 

[StillILearn]

Hey,

just wondering if we have any other people here that make an effort to read, or even hae just happened to read, a little bit of women's studies? This is probably one of the only kind of non-fiction I read, and would love to discuss it with someone.

I adore Clarissa Pinkola Estes, if that's what you mean? I've read everything she's written, I think.

 

[Prairie_Girl]

Amongst others! I actually haven't read her yet, I'm not through the intro to Women w/ Wolves yet!

 

[StillILearn]

Which others would you consider to be writer's of Women's Literature? Recently we've talked about Virginia Woolf here, but which modern day writers are you thinking of?

Some would say that Laurie R. King and Nevada Barr would qualify ...

 

[Mari]

I think I'm more of a Barbara Ehrenreich, Susan Faludi kind of feminist reader--the power of economic forces more than the power of myth.

 

[StillILearn]

I think I'm more of a Barbara Ehrenreich, Susan Faludi kind of feminist reader--the power of economic forces more than the power of myth.

Aha! I haven't read either -- yet. I do think I see your point though, Mari. You're a pragmatic kinda gal.

On the same subject -- vaguely, at any rate -- have either of you read Jane Fonda's autobiography? If not literally women's (or womyn's) literature, it was the story of one woman's awakening to her own power.

More suggestions? I'm here to learn.

 

[Prairie_Girl]

hmmm, if we include all feminist writings? I love Igna Muscio(cunt), Bell Hooks(Feminism is for Everybody), Audre Lorde(Zami: a new spelling of my name), Naomi Wolfe(promiscuities, misconceptions, the beauty myth), Jennifer Baumgardner(manifesta). amognst others, those are just the ones who come immediately to mind.

 

[StillILearn]

hmmm, if we include all feminist writings? I love Igna Muscio(cunt), Bell Hooks(Feminism is for Everybody), Audre Lorde(Zami: a new spelling of my name), Naomi Wolfe(promiscuities, misconceptions, the beauty myth), Jennifer Baumgardner(manifesta). amognst others, those are just the ones who come immediately to mind.

I am just so completely out of my league here. I did read The Vagina Monologues. Does that count?

 

[Prairie_Girl]

Yes! it sure does.

 

[Peronel]

We did a little bit on Adrienne Rich in one of my sociology units at uni. See here

I like her poem "Aunt Jennifer's Tigers", although to be honest I haven;t read much of her other stuff.

 

[steffee]

I am just so completely out of my league here. I did read The Vagina Monologues. Does that count?

Wow, did you actually read that Still?

I remember nominating that for Book of the Month here, but never got round to buying it until yesterday, when I saw it on sale in an independent bookshop.

I haven't read any of the books/authors mentioned here, but IIRC, fiction-wise, Alice Walker is a feminist novelist, as is Carol Churchill (a playwright, anyway).

 

[StillILearn]

I am just so grateful for the feminists who have paved (and are still paving) the way for women. Without them we'd still be handing any money that we managed to get our hands on over to our fathers or husbands and the mere sharing of knowledge about contraception would be illegal.

f'rinstance

It took (takes) incredible courage for these people to stand up for the rights that some of us are considering throwing away today.

 

[StillILearn]

Wow, did you actually read that Still?

I remember nominating that for Book of the Month here, but never got round to buying it until yesterday, when I saw it on sale in an independent bookshop.

I haven't read any of the books/authors mentioned here, but IIRC, fiction-wise, Alice Walker is a feminist novelist, as is Carol Churchill (a playwright, anyway).

Let me know what you think. I recently bought Ensler's video and I intend to force my daughter to watch it with me.

 

[steffee]

Let me know what you think. I recently bought Ensler's video and I intend to force my daughter to watch it with me.

LOL Still, good for you.

I will, if I ever get round to reading it.

 

[Prairie_Girl]

The Vagina Monologues is amazing. It was probably my first foray into feminism when I was like 15. Freaked the hell out of my mom though. Though the fact that I bought it the same day as a lesbian magazine (had Ani Difranco on the front) probably didn't help...

 

[unKeMPt]

Ooh, I read a work compiled and edited by Zillah Eisenstein last year for a report on socialist feminism. "The Case for Socialist Feminism," I believe it was called.

I suppose some more mainstream names would be Nancy Chodorow and bell hooks.

 

[Prairie_Girl]

This is excellent!! I love that we're having this conversation. Even if I have given up on Women who Run With Wolves (kept falling asleep)

 

[Occlith]

I have read some writings by archaeologist Marija Gimbutas (it may have been her book The Living Goddesses). Marija presented controversial theories about women based societies and matriarchal prehistory.

I have also read Barbara G. Walker's The Woman's Encyclopedia of Myths and Secrets, The Woman's Dictionary of Symbols and Sacred Objects, and Amazon.
Walker, a self-described atheist, sees goddess worship and imagery as a way for women to empower themselves.

 

[Prairie_Girl]

I think the idea of goddess worship appeals to me more because I'm fond of the idea of matriarchy than the actualy goddess herself. I know at the michigan Womyn's Music Festival they do a Goddess ritual that a lot of Womyn who are Christian, Jewish, in other words have a strong faith of their own, participate in and enjoy becuase they favour the idea, and the belief that a return to a matriarchal society would benefit the human race.

 

[Flor]

Fear of Flying by Erica Jong

Oh just worked for an hour posting a review of this and lost it when I went to preview. Ugh, it's too late to rethink, but Jennifer, can you tell me why you think FOF is such an important work? Maybe our discussion will work better this way, without a review...