From the Bookshelf of 2015 Reading Challenge [Closed]…

Flow: The Cultural Story of Menstruation

Elissa Stein,

Susan Kim

Start date: February 25, 2015

Finish date: February 26, 2015

Discussion: . Week 14: Nonfiction

Why we're reading this: Nonfiction.
[close] Nonfiction.

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. Week 14: Nonfiction

* Week 14: Progress Post
By Zaz , Mood Minion · 20 posts · 73 views

last updated Dec 12, 2015 03:40PM

* Week 14: Introduction
By Zaz , Mood Minion · 1 post · 127 views

last updated Feb 07, 2015 05:06AM

What Members Thought

Nov 07, 2022 Rae rated it liked it

As a late bloomer who got on DepoProvera almost immediately after starting my period, it has been a wild ride getting off birth control close to 20 years later, so I'm always grateful for an opportunity to learn more about periods in a way that is open, informative, and aware of the many Westernized, perhaps even US-specific, biases.

This book definitely attempts to do that, but there's no escaping that it was published in 2009. For all its valid commentary about how the relatively short history As a late bloomer who got on DepoProvera almost immediately after starting my period, it has been a wild ride getting off birth control close to 20 years later, so I'm always grateful for an opportunity to learn more about periods in a way that is open, informative, and aware of the many Westernized, perhaps even US-specific, biases.

This book definitely attempts to do that, but there's no escaping that it was published in 2009. For all its valid commentary about how the relatively short history of feminine hygeine advertisements have managed to do a terrifying job of exploiting fears, it falls short in it's analysis of the lack of represention of menstruators of color without providing much information to rectify the problem. Commentary and jokes sometimes felt tone deaf and, despite criticism of third wave feminism being focused on well-to-do white women, this book also feels focused on well-to-do white women.

There are jokes and commentary that just wouldn't fly if it were published today, and if I'm recalling correctly, there is exactly one mention of LGBTQ+ people, but only by virtue of negation, because it was talking specifically about women in heterosexual partnerships without children.

Criticisms aside, there was new information in this book for me, particularly in the back half of the book. Learning that humans are one of the few mammals who menstruate, the rituals that happen in cultures that celebrate menarche, and how to pronounce the word menarche were all revelatory to me. A critical look at advertising in the ~100 years these products have been available was very interesting, and the full color reproductions of ads and other written materials was really fascinating to look through.

With the knowledge that this is an imperfect book, written in a way that would almost certainly be tweaked to be more sensitive and inclusive were it to be published today, I still found this to be a worthwhile read.

As I approach middle age, it was also great (although slightly terrifying) to read some open and honest non-fiction about perimenopause and menopause. The section was short, but a good reminder to myself to be better educated about my choices going into those phases of my life than I was when I was a teenager. ...more

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