MeerderWörter’s Comments (group member since Jan 08, 2016)

MeerderWörter’s comments from the Our Shared Shelf group.

Laure wrote: "This monologue was harder for me to read than the one about rape... I don't like what this says about me."

I must say the hardest one for me was the one about rape, followed by the one about the girl who happened to not have a vagina.
I can't understand how you can think of a birth as something else than a bloody issue.

Ross wrote: "Jo wrote: "I don't think so"

I agree it was the reason chose OSS as an example, little devils advocacy, it is in fact the least elitist entry I have come across in a long time.

if we compare it ..."

OSS is always worth mentioning when you want to compare anything/explain something - because it makes more people aware of its existence and we hold it so dear to our heart that we won't forget the comparison/explanation.

Chloe wrote: "Ellie wrote: "Going to be challenging as Amazon U.K. are quoting 1-2 months for paperback and no kindle edition available! I only hope the publicity of this group will encourage them to get more in..."

May I just say that I LOVE how we all help each other out when it comes to our books.


Ellie wrote: "Going to be challenging as Amazon U.K. are quoting 1-2 months for paperback and no kindle edition available! I only hope the publicity of this group will encourage them to get more in stock..."

Well, we managed to soar the My Life on the Road sales by 109%, so the decision to get it in stock again is not a utopia.


Adriana wrote: "This book was given to me as a present, by my boss, at a time when I did rock climbing, trekking and other mountain sports. He thought of me as a woman that ran with wolves.

For one reason or ano..."

What a compliment from your boss!

Cristina wrote: "Wish I had money to buy it. I liked the description"

You may look into libraries, or ask in the Pay-It-Forward thread.

Folks, was it the interview in the Elle UK? What made you join? Sorry, I can't create new topics, I need to get this fixed tho.

Meelie wrote: "Book sounds brill!

And hello all new folks, glad to have you here :)"

The book definitely sounds brilliant! And I would like to chime in and welcome all the new members too!
I know that every day new members join us, but I really see it when all of you write it in the comments that it's the first book you're going to read. So this topic hit me for that fact alone, not to forget the apparently brilliant book that we are going to read! Shiphumans, whether old or young, new or not so new(like me, I joined January 8th LAST YEAR), queer or straight, male, female or in-between; let us sail to our next haven that is called The Women Who Run With The Wolves. Let's read and discuss until the sun rises again:)
Thanks to the moderators and Emma for maintaining this group and making all of this possible.
For me, OurSharedShelf is what I consider to be my community!


Janice wrote: "I must admit, I would have never picked up that book on my own and I am still rather sceptical but I ordered my copy and I am excited to dive in, explore it and follow the discussions. That is one ..."

Can't agree more!

Beth wrote: "This sounds amazing! It might actually help with my dissertation, too!"

I just love how some of the books help us in school/university too:)
Maybe they all can help me in some semesters:)

Genny wrote: "Very looking forward to read this book... Whenever I heard the word "Jung" my interest is quickly picked!
Oh, and what a lovely comparison between Women and Wolves... I'm pretty sure this is going..."

Have you had the chance to read the Elle UK edition with her? It's just a praise, and a very good one at that. Our Boss Lady surprises everyone constantly:) Hm, I wonder where they're heading next;)

Jasmine wrote: "Hi everyone!

I know this is a little late to post as February is almost done with, but I just wanted to share a particular passage that I couldn't stop thinking about.

"No wonder male religious ..."

Jasmine, Gloria actually mentions that in My Life on the Road, and I had to wrap my head around it. But it's so true, ah, it's just one of the reasons why I can't stand the Church that I grew up in. My Life on the Road is my favourite book that we read so far, it's so worth reading it:)

Liz wrote: "Sabina wrote: "Thank you!! Hope to find them in the library :D I think I'm the only one on Earth who borrows books, actually in 2016 :/ But I have an idiosyncrasy: I love their smell!! Someone else..."

I'm gonna borrow The Women Who Run With The Wolves from the library. I like libraries a lot.

So far, it's only me and Sascha...

Kate wrote: "Unfortunately, I can't on the 5.3. (the next weekend also wouldn't work for me), so I might just try to catch up with most of the books and hope there will be another meeting in April or May! Have ..."

Hm, we wonder if we should make it at 11th.

Sascha wrote: "MeerderWörter wrote: "Exclusionary as in only those who are affected are allowed to "join." And then you have another group for parents/partners and so on. In this sense. But I don't have a problem..."

EXACTLY! As long as we don't reinforce segregation, I'm totally pro "women-only" spaces.

Josefine wrote: "Allready ordered one- really glad this one is available in german! Looking forward to reading it"

Hm, really good to know. I'll read in English tho, I'm more used to that now. But I need a present for my mom, so, good to know:)




Leanne wrote: "This sounds so unique and like something I never would have found without this group! Thanks, Emma."

That's what I like so much about the book choices... I wouldn't have read any of them except for The Argonauts maybe.

Laure wrote: "I'll try to write my own as well. But I already feel embarrassed with the idea to share such an intimate story! Still not comfortable with "vagina" as a word, as a part of me, and so on.
I'm longin..."

Before I write my own, I need my medical records... You can't write about a topic you know very little about.

No problem... I haven't read the monologue yet tho...

EDIT: Too much triggering content in there.

Sascha wrote: "MeerderWörter wrote: "I was just thinking about the exclusionary issue that there is with self-help groups(and that I totally support), and wasn't thinking about the fact that they exist because th..."

Now, my answers:
Exclusionary as in only those who are affected are allowed to "join." And then you have another group for parents/partners and so on. In this sense. But I don't have a problem with that, often only the people in the self-help group can really understand your troubles...

In reality, the two are always a mix. So yes, the Volksgemeinschaft is more of a society than a community, but still has traits that are typical for a community. It's more a thing to classify something, not that it actually is that.

My question was more towards the society/community issue, but I agree with you and say that it would be nice to do more than "just" reading books.

Thank you for taking time from your tour schedule (how's China? I read you all feel like children again:) ) to announce our next read.

I hope I can reconnect more with my femaleness, let's see. I'm still exploring who I actually am and what I want to be in this world (that I don't understand that much. OSS definitely helps me tho.)

I shall order it in the days to come.

Sascha wrote: "MeerderWörter wrote: "Just because I'm curious: Are self-help groups elitist too in your understanding? They are not in mine, I just wonder how's your perspective on the matter?"

No, I don't think..."

Ah, thanks for explaining. I was just thinking about the exclusionary issue that there is with self-help groups(and that I totally support), and wasn't thinking about the fact that they exist because the people attending it are discriminated against or marginalized by society.
And now I know what a Burschenschaft is in English. I can't stand them, haven't changed my mind on that subject ever.


Ross wrote: "If in any sphere you surround yourself with people of high standing in your community, and are fortunate enough to be able to do so that is not elitist. However if you don't include people on the b..."

I don't see OSS as being elitist. Everyone is welcome here, and can decide how much they want to participate or not. We don't see each other as superior to somebody else within OSS, at least I don't. We value the other's opinion and thought, not whose family they come from or how much money they have or whether they're "good enough" in a certain field of thought. We are all here to learn, and I did so greatly, and, as I already said it, we're inclusive, not exclusive.
The fear that I have with OSS is what it will evolve into. A sociologist called Ferdinand Tönnies distinguished between two forms of living together. Community and society. While the community is something that grew over time, and there are three different types: blood, location and mind (family, village and friendship for example); the society is based on a cost-efficiency calculation, and examples are the modern city, or the financial market or any institution that was founded with a rational choice in mind. That's why the Volksgemeinschaft(Gemeinschaft=Community) is in fact a society in terms of Tönnies, and not a community.
Now, in reality, it's always a mix, but I really hope that we evolve into a community rather than in a society.
Oh, and to not forget it: We started as a Bund, and I don't know how to translate that, but it means that it's from a sudden agreement, and everyone participates because they want to, for example the working class movement. It's a form that will sooner or later transform into either Gesellschaft or Gemeinschaft, so, while learning for my sociology test, I've been asking myself this question for two months now or so.
What do you think, where are we heading? (I hope so much I get to explain this, I'm really good at it, and I could mention OSS as an example.)

And sorry for that lengthy comment, but sometimes I jut can't stop myself:)

So far, 5.3. afternoon is the fixed date. If any of you want to come, please just leave a short note here.

Sascha wrote: "@ Meelie, I may be wrong but your example does not quite fit to my understanding of elitism! Because for me, elitism means being member of a student fraternity or member of an exclusive economic cl..."

Just because I'm curious: Are self-hep groups elitist too lin your understanding? They are not in mine, I just wonder how's your perspective on the matter?