Do I have a diverse bookshelf? Pt 4: Gender & Equality
Protagonists—whether they be human, animal or inanimate—are overwhelmingly male according to our reference blog. In the last post, I mentioned that many minority writers write politically whether they mean to or not. And I think that’s true of gender; it is about social justice, and that social justice deals a lot with sex. However, since I already touched on some gender inequality in the last post, in this one, I’ll focus on titles with protagonists who strongly identify as women or LGBQT. Or I’ll add books by authors who are seriously discussing the condition of being a women or being LGBQT.
Men Explain Things to Me by Rebecca Solnit
How can I not start with this one? For those who don’t know, this essay collection begins with an anecdote by Solnit of a party. At the party, she is talking to a man who continually tells her to read a book he hasn’t read but heard about. Another partygoer (she) tries several times to explain that Solnit is the actual author of said book. But the man doesn’t hear or acknowledge them till more than 4-5 attempts later. As Solnit describes: “And then, as if in a nineteeth-century novel, he went ashen.” The situation is awkward for everyone. When feminists talk about gender equality, it includes situations like this—of women not being heard for our perspectives and wisdom. Of how often women seem to be required to just listen and validate a male perspective or train of thought. Remember the purpose of a diverse bookshelf is to help broaden our understanding of the experience of others. For women like me, stories like this validate our own humiliating like experiences. For others, it makes them visible. It declares they are real, and they are not cool! Also, it’s very humorous even if the topic is grim.
Plant Dreaming Deep by May Sarton
A professor gave me this book to help with my own writing, and I fell deeply in love with May Sarton’s style. For the purposes of this list, Sarton identified as a lesbian and lived her life as such. However, her famous journals of which this is the first are about being human, about being a poet, about living life through the years. They’re about friendships and even love (of which she doesn’t hide the fact that her loves are women). They’re about change and how we move through time. They’re very very beautiful. Don’t miss out!
Kushiel’s Dart by Jacqueline Carey
I used to read a lot of fantasy series as a child, but as I grew older I tired of them. One reason is there is a LOT of violence against women in them even if there is a heroine protagonist. As such, much like in Game of Thrones, sex is ugly. It’s not about mutual love or being a good partner. It’s about power and how people weaponize it. In contrast, what I love about the Kushiel series is how much Carey turns typical fantasy tropes on their heads. The hero is a courtesan. However, the culture doesn’t denigrate her; instead the culture is built around the sacred religious tenet of love as thou wilt. This means that courtesans are akin to priests. And because of that, typical societal sins: nonmonogamy, homosexuality, BDSM and sex work are treated as normal since they are consensual. What would be salacious in other fantasy stories is just culture here. And Carey does an amazing job showing how consensual sex and personal preference is sexy whereas weaponized sex is not. But go read it; the whole book is really about how our heroine needs to save her country from invasion by her wits alone. Quite adventurous and filled with political intrigue.
The Argonauts by Maggie Nelson
This nonfiction book is many things, but its back bone is relationship between the author and artist Harry Dodge, who is transgender (she to he). There is so much beauty and love and thoughtfulness in this exploration of so many things. I’m an avid Maggie Nelson reader. She’s a genre-bender so dive into her work!
Sister Carrie by Theodore Dreiser
Known as one of the great novels of American realism, Dreiser recounts how young country girl Carrie moves to Chicago in the late 1890s. She’s in pursuit of the American Dream, and for a woman, that involves becoming the mistress of several men who seem more powerful and then ending as an actress. Because Carrie lives against societal mores, the author had to fight against censorship attempts at the time. Today, it’s praised for its accurate portrayal of the human condition. For my part, I don’t know if I like Carrie, but I admire her grit. And unlike many other classic novels with female protagonists who end up badly in their bid for independence because of MEN and SOCIETY (i.e. Portrait of a Lady, Anna Karenina, Madame Bovary, etc.), Carrie gets exactly what she wants and thrives.
Men Explain Things to Me by Rebecca Solnit
How can I not start with this one? For those who don’t know, this essay collection begins with an anecdote by Solnit of a party. At the party, she is talking to a man who continually tells her to read a book he hasn’t read but heard about. Another partygoer (she) tries several times to explain that Solnit is the actual author of said book. But the man doesn’t hear or acknowledge them till more than 4-5 attempts later. As Solnit describes: “And then, as if in a nineteeth-century novel, he went ashen.” The situation is awkward for everyone. When feminists talk about gender equality, it includes situations like this—of women not being heard for our perspectives and wisdom. Of how often women seem to be required to just listen and validate a male perspective or train of thought. Remember the purpose of a diverse bookshelf is to help broaden our understanding of the experience of others. For women like me, stories like this validate our own humiliating like experiences. For others, it makes them visible. It declares they are real, and they are not cool! Also, it’s very humorous even if the topic is grim.
Plant Dreaming Deep by May Sarton
A professor gave me this book to help with my own writing, and I fell deeply in love with May Sarton’s style. For the purposes of this list, Sarton identified as a lesbian and lived her life as such. However, her famous journals of which this is the first are about being human, about being a poet, about living life through the years. They’re about friendships and even love (of which she doesn’t hide the fact that her loves are women). They’re about change and how we move through time. They’re very very beautiful. Don’t miss out!
Kushiel’s Dart by Jacqueline Carey
I used to read a lot of fantasy series as a child, but as I grew older I tired of them. One reason is there is a LOT of violence against women in them even if there is a heroine protagonist. As such, much like in Game of Thrones, sex is ugly. It’s not about mutual love or being a good partner. It’s about power and how people weaponize it. In contrast, what I love about the Kushiel series is how much Carey turns typical fantasy tropes on their heads. The hero is a courtesan. However, the culture doesn’t denigrate her; instead the culture is built around the sacred religious tenet of love as thou wilt. This means that courtesans are akin to priests. And because of that, typical societal sins: nonmonogamy, homosexuality, BDSM and sex work are treated as normal since they are consensual. What would be salacious in other fantasy stories is just culture here. And Carey does an amazing job showing how consensual sex and personal preference is sexy whereas weaponized sex is not. But go read it; the whole book is really about how our heroine needs to save her country from invasion by her wits alone. Quite adventurous and filled with political intrigue.
The Argonauts by Maggie Nelson
This nonfiction book is many things, but its back bone is relationship between the author and artist Harry Dodge, who is transgender (she to he). There is so much beauty and love and thoughtfulness in this exploration of so many things. I’m an avid Maggie Nelson reader. She’s a genre-bender so dive into her work!
Sister Carrie by Theodore Dreiser
Known as one of the great novels of American realism, Dreiser recounts how young country girl Carrie moves to Chicago in the late 1890s. She’s in pursuit of the American Dream, and for a woman, that involves becoming the mistress of several men who seem more powerful and then ending as an actress. Because Carrie lives against societal mores, the author had to fight against censorship attempts at the time. Today, it’s praised for its accurate portrayal of the human condition. For my part, I don’t know if I like Carrie, but I admire her grit. And unlike many other classic novels with female protagonists who end up badly in their bid for independence because of MEN and SOCIETY (i.e. Portrait of a Lady, Anna Karenina, Madame Bovary, etc.), Carrie gets exactly what she wants and thrives.
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