Katelyn’s Comments (group member since Jan 07, 2016)

Katelyn’s comments from the Our Shared Shelf group.

So sad :(

More importantly, we should all make an effort to see the movie in theaters. That will be more effective than YouTube likes. (that being said, I did like it ;) )

Well, warmer weather certainly affects bra-wearing, in my opinion. It is an extra layer of clothing! On the other hand, when I don't wear a bra, I am far more prone to under-boob sweat, so in this case the extra layer of clothing is preferable. For women with smaller breasts, it's probably not as much of a problem. Basically, women with larger breasts tend to feel more comfortable with a bra than without one, for a variety of reasons, but for those with smaller breasts, they're often unnecessary, so what's the point of wearing an extra layer of clothing regardless of the temperature or whatever else?

Sorry, a bit off topic for the main point, but I thought I'd elaborate on that sub-question :)

Sandy wrote: "It isn't processing the ideas that slowed you down. It's trying to process the words that she uses to express the ideas. The ideas are lovely and insightful but the one must reread a sentence two o..."

I think different books can accomplish different things, though. We can't expect every author to change their writing to appeal to the majority. I wouldn't expect someone who was new to feminism to start with this book. There are plenty of other books that are more equipped to set them up for the basics that are not targeted to an intellectual audience.

It also comes back to the idea that it is the job of the marginalized the educate those who are resistant to their ideas. I wouldn't expect Maggie Nelson or Harry Dodge to change the way they think, speak, and write, just so that others could understand. As others have expressed elsewhere: I'm not going to do your homework for you. You can learn more about these concepts yourself, and when you're ready to talk about the specifics of a complicated issue, we can do that. (btw, the "you" I'm referring to is not "you," Sandy, but perhaps your chauvinist friend or someone else who wants to be spoon fed the basics of feminism)

I don't know how feasible it is to necessarily give preference to books that come in ebook format, as that would limit the kinds of books chosen (less popular, mostly).

But I try to go with ebooks when I can for a number of reasons (environment, cost, lack of shelf space, etc.).

I'd also point out that even without an e-reader, it is possible to download e-reading apps to most devices, or to read digital copies on laptops!

Sam wrote: "Does anyone know where to get or borrow this book cheap? My library does not have it..."

Check out these threads:
Announcements > May book!! The Argonauts, by Maggie Nelson
Pay it forward! > May—The Argonauts, Maggie Nelson

Megan wrote: "I listened to it as audio book narrated by the author and I thought it was awful. Not the book, the narration. So I definitely recommend getting the print book"

Interesting! I've never listened to audiobooks so I wonder what makes one good or bad?

Hi Thuy,

Thanks for the recommendation. In the interest of organization, we do not allow individual threads for book suggestions. You can suggest it for the group by following the directions here: How to Suggest a Book
Additionally, you can suggest it in relevant book lists in the book suggestion folder. Those lists are based on subject matter, genre, etc. You can start your own list if you don't see one for a particular subject or genre already, but please check first, as we will remove duplicate threads.

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Hi Krystal, there are already a number of posts covering these issues, here are a few:

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Please be sure to do a quick search using the bar to the right of the discussion board before posting to check if there is already a thread for that topic.

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This is great! Thank you for this opportunity to submit questions, Emma!

- How does your education and work background affect your writing and general outlook on feminism? Do you think that having been homeschooled and the early start to your career at a music magazine have impacted your use of language and approach to cultural issues?

- Amy Schumer has recently been opening up about her reluctance to take a stand on political issues as she's spoken out about gun violence legislation in the U.S. after a shooting in a theater screening her movie Trainwreck. She has said: "Unfortunately, someone with some celebrity brings more attention to it than a politician." To what extent, and in what capacity, should celebrities be using their fame as a platform for political issues? Should they "stay out of politics" or would it be neglectful not to use their platform for good? Where would you draw the line as a writer? I'd love to hear your thoughts on this as well, Emma, if there's time, as I think you're an obvious example of a celebrity using her fame as a tool for creating change.

Alia wrote: "Katelyn wrote: "

I like t..."

Where did you get it on ebook? I couldn't find it on Kindle."

I got it on Amazon for Kindle. I'm in the U.S., maybe it's not available for Kindle in other countries? :(

Moved to Jan—My Life on the Road folder

The Announcements and Special Announcements folders are for use by the moderator team for posts about Our Shared Shelf-specific announcements. Thanks!

Heather wrote: "I really wish you had not come into a feminist book group to ask women to talk with you about attraction to breasts. Women are...."

Tim has been active in a number of discussions here on Our Shared Shelf, so I don't think it's fair to characterize him as if he came in here only to ask us about boobs. We should give him the benefit of the doubt.

It's also a valid topic to discuss, and given the level of interest in other threads on this discussion board (some of which Tim mentions in his post), I think there are many members who will be interested in contributing.

Issues relating to LGBTQ community and especially gender variance have often been centered in theoretical analysis. I think this is still the case to some extent, even as these issues reach the mainstream. Especially for older generations, it seems that one of the ways that people came to terms with these concepts was through theory and philosophy, and I imagine it's almost impossible to separate that from the memoir bits, as those ideas were probably a large part of coming to terms with everything. This compared to the fact that a large majority of millenials do not identify as straight or gay, but see themselves as somewhere in the middle, and are becoming more and more open to subverting the gender binary. So it makes sense to me that these theories and philosophers are such an integral part of Nelson's memories and thought processes.

Aha, yes! I remember that she specifies "reader" in a couple of places. Thanks for reminding me!

If I have the time, I might just start again from the beginning and read it all in one go. It's somehow both a quick read and a dense, challenging one. It's beautiful.

Danielle wrote: "Hi! I actually used this book as a primary text in my undergrad thesis - which I just presented this past Friday! The Argonauts made me fall in love with Maggie Nelson as a writer because this book..."

Congrats on finishing your thesis! I wish I had realized the lack of chapter breaks before I dove in, as I didn't have time to read straight through when I first sat down with it. Once I started, I didn't want to stop, but I'm waiting for a time when I can read the rest in one sitting before I pick it up again. Hopefully in the next couple of days.

I'm really enjoying it so far. I started not realizing that I'd want to read it all in one sitting, and ended up not having time to continue once I did realize, so I'll be finishing soon.

I like the format a lot. I'm reading it on ebook, and according to a note at the beginning about margin quotes (I've not seen a physical copy of the book so I'd love for someone to elaborate on this), it's structured very differently in this respect.

Emily wrote: "I swooned a little bit each time Nelson addressed the reader directly."

Like I said, I'm only about a third of the way through, but at least from what I've read so far, it seems to me that when she says "you," she's not addressing the reader, but Harry specifically. To me, it reads like a long (open) letter to him.

Hi everyone! We're cancelling today's meet up because so many are unable to go. Is there interest in rescheduling? Perhaps next Sunday? Go to our Facebook group (linked in the post above) so we can find a time :)

I thought I'd share this quote from an interview with Maggie Nelson from a year ago:

Does it matter to you how your audience reads the book? “Bluets” is the type of book you can read in a day, but then feel compelled to go back to and take your time with. “The Argonauts” makes a similar impact. Do you worry about a style that might encourage this fast reading (David Shields uses the complimentary word “velocity”)?

I don’t think it’s anything to worry about. If I write something with velocity that’s 50,000 words or under, I would think it would be a little weird if someone needed all summer to get through it. It’s not “In Search of Lost Time” or “War and Peace” or something. In fact, with books like “The Argonauts” or “Bluets,” the structure is probably going to be clearer to you if you can take it in all at once. But whatever floats your boat, you know — I’m not into being bossy with readers.

--
The interview is from Salon and it's short and worth the read! She talks a bit about the process of writing about someone with whom you are living, which was something I've been wondering about as I've started reading.
http://www.salon.com/2015/05/08/autho...

Victoria wrote: "Emma wrote: "I always thought that the MBTI results weren't supposed to change over time, but if your results do change, that would be really interesting!"

I first discovered the MBTI test few yea..."

When I first took the test, when I was in my early teens (I think), I was an extrovert. Now I am very solidly an introvert. Back then, I spent a lot of energy forcing myself to be extroverted and so I convinced myself that that was how I was, and that my leadership qualities made me an extrovert. Now I've realized that the amount of energy I had to put into being extroverted was really indicative of my introvertedness.

So I think it is possible for results to change (especially from early teen to adult), but it probably has more to do with self-perception. Even when you take the test honestly, I'm sure there is still a lot of personal bias.

Hi Mahima, there is already a post about feminist books either by men or about men here: Male Feminist Books.
Please be sure to do a quick search using the bar to the right of the discussion board before posting to check if there is already a thread for that topic.

There are a number of reading suggestions on that thread, and feel free to contribute more or simply to bump it up to draw attention to it if you're looking for more recommendations.

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