The F-word discussion
INTRODUCTIONS
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Hello, Everyone! I'm Roberta Roberts an author and new Goodreads member. I'm excited about this group because it resonates with the BLM vibe of my novel. Looking forward to participating in this group. Maybe one day my book will be the subject of a discussion group involving me, the author!Peace and Blessings! Vote 2020! Stay Safe!
Hi! I am Bruna, 31yo, Brazilian and living in the Netherlands.
I identify as a feminist for many years, despite all the criticism. I love to support women and everyone who suffers any kind of injustice.
I have been doing a challenge in 2020 of only reading women and it has been amazing. Therefore I decided to join this group to try to exchange book ideas, especially women written and feminist books.
My favorite type of reading is novel, especially the ones that tells history through interesting characters. I am also fascinated about African history.
I hope we can exchange a lot in this group!
Hello, I'm Ti, new here - both in the group and site.
I'm 40 and from Spain. When covid allows it - I work as a teacher. I've been feminist probably since my mother bought me picture books about it when I was a toddler, and the older I get the more I've got involved and in love with it (and sometimes angry too I must admit). My favourite books tend to be on history, biographies, literature from or set in 19th Century and fantasy, but I'm willing to try almost anything and I hope the group reads will introduce me to new books and friends.
I'm looking forward to join December group read
I'm 40 and from Spain. When covid allows it - I work as a teacher. I've been feminist probably since my mother bought me picture books about it when I was a toddler, and the older I get the more I've got involved and in love with it (and sometimes angry too I must admit). My favourite books tend to be on history, biographies, literature from or set in 19th Century and fantasy, but I'm willing to try almost anything and I hope the group reads will introduce me to new books and friends.
I'm looking forward to join December group read
Hi everyone! I'm new to the group and am happy to find one that's still active and people actually interact with each other! I've been a feminist since discovering it as a teen during the "second wave" and later went on to teach college courses with feminist content (though for a long time no one would admit to being an F-word!) so I've seen a lot, but not as much progress by now as I'd hoped -- the first US woman VP just to win in 2020? really?? And little to no attention paid to the centenary of white women getting the vote in the US. Oh, -- so sorry. Where are my manners? i'm just going to cross my legs at the ankle, tug my skirt hem to cover my knees, smile sweetly and melt into the corner...
Hi :) I'm a cisgender woman in my 30s, and I've been interested in feminist theory since college where I was first introduced to gender studies. I have continued to read and learn on my own, but I miss the academic discourse and get frustrated with the shallow trendy way feminism is addressed in popular culture. I hope this group will allow me to have more substantial conversations with like-minded people. It's been a while since I've had the opportunity to discuss feminist literature and ideology in any meaningful way, and it's harder for me to express my ideas now than it was when I was in college. I hope participating in the discussion forums on here will help me clarify my thoughts and make my reading more meaningful.
Hi everyone, I watched women burn their bras on television, I then read 'Women Who Run with the Wolves' and 'The Beauty Myth'. I like to read about the suffragettes, books with strong female characters and memoirs by women I admire. One of my favourite films is 'Suffragette'. My belief is that to rise up, we must vote! I am woman, I live in Australia and have a library diploma. I look forward to seeing your recommendations and connecting with you. Donna.
Donna wrote: "Hi everyone, I watched women burn their bras on television, I then read 'Women Who Run with the Wolves' and 'The Beauty Myth'. I like to read about the suffragettes, books with strong female charac..."Hi, Donna! If you're interested in the history of women's suffrage, I highly recommend Votes for Women: The Battle for the 19th Amendment. It's a comics anthology focused mostly on women's suffrage in the US, but it's talks a lot about the more unsung heroes of the suffrage movement, as well as giving a more well-rounded portrayal of people like Susan B Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton.
Hi, I’m new to good reads and immediately chose to join this group. I’m 15 years old, an aspiring writer and a book lover. I’m new to feminist literature and only truly developed and added education to my feminism in the last 2 or 3 years i would say; though i do have to thank my mother for creating the feminist in me as a small child. My main goal here is to have good conversation, educate myself and others, read good books and to learn from other feminists.
Alyssa(Lyss)
she/her
xoxo
Hi everyone. My name is Carol. I don’t know if I was invited or this was just advertised in my timeline in Goodreads, but I read the group description and liked what I saw. I was born in 1970, and I’m a proud 80s child. I’m all about the Star Trek Next Gen series and all that followed—not to mention lots of other sci-fi that showed women being heroes and/or telling men off. (Anyone else have a girl crush on Princess Leia after seeing Star Wars A New Hope as a kid?)
I was introduced to feminism by my moms next eldest sister, but it was my best college friend who really got me into it I think— well, all the crap that’s been going on lately in the media, that I hadn’t been aware of other than things that happened at West Point has kind of made me awoke woman.
hiya! i'm issy, i'm 13, and i'm very passionate about feminism (obviously, that's why i'm here). i also love reading and writing, and i'm new to goodreads, so... yeah. i'm also very gay so fair warning that if you're homophobic (or a pedo) then kindly don't talk to me <3
Hello, I'm Nell, and I just had a feminist experience. Years ago, in the seventies, I knew this guy who mansplained menstruation to me. Twice. Yes, he was That Guy.
We're Facebook friends for no reason other than the fact that you sometimes friend people to keep track of them when they die. This happens more and more as you get older. It's kind of like checking the Obituaries, the way my mother did every single day, but handier. It's Facebook for Elders.
We really don't interact at all, but recently a mutual friend had a health emergency, and we spoke so That Guy could keep me apprised of the other friend's condition.
Then I posted a comment about the recent police killing of Tyre Nichols by (was it 7?) Black police officers. I had just spent two years researching psychopaths for my latest book, and this included personally interacting with self-proclaimed psychopaths on Quora Digest. I cited a Forbes article that stated "police officer" is one of the Top 10 career choices for psychopaths, and posited that the officers who killed Tyre - and maybe MOST of the officers who kill unarmed civilians - are the very psychopaths who opt for "police officer" as their career choice. I said that police forces should focus on getting psychopaths off the force, and screen recruits more carefully than they do now. Because they apparently aren't screening very well if A LOT of psychopaths are police officers, as Forbes suggested.
That Guy had other ideas on what the solution was for the this particular crisis, and began posting on my page to shout me down. He used to do intake for juvenile offenders and kept providing examples of kids who were NOT psychopaths, according to my research. Furthermore, I suggested he
remain on topic. The topic is "psychopathic police officers," not disturbed juveniles. "Those are not psychopaths," I said. "I just spent two years researching psychopaths for a book."
He was undeterred and kept posting these mindless screeds, the way an ape flings turds at you in the zoo. I kept ducking turds. Finally, I said, "Do you remember the time you mansplained menstruation to me? Twice? This feels a lot like that."
He did not remember, so I said "To me it was a memorable discussion. To you it was apparently just one more incident among many, many incidents where you shared your expertise."
I took a bow, and he went away. You're welcome, ladies everywhere.
Hello everyone! I just want to say how nice it is to read all these introductions from women of all sorts of backgrounds and ages. My Name is Lauren. I turn 25 in September and I live in the Southern U.S. I am someone who generally struggles with feeling secure in myself but understanding feminist theory and desirability politics has helped me learn to love myself more over the years.
I have a somewhat complicated relationship with my gender. I consider being a lesbian as both, my sexuality as well as my gender lol. I believe it only strengthens my passion for feminism.
It's nice to meet all of you :)
hi, I'm Dani. I'm 17, latina and a butch lesbian. I don't read much modern fiction and have been really into theory recently. I'm bot good at introducing myself but I just think we need more female representation in literary fiction, film, science, and theory. yeah
Hello everyone! My name is Ashlynn, and I have been a feminist at heart my entire life. I recently separated from the military due to mental health/SA and having a deep feminine awakening. I am 23 and born and raised in Michigan. I am currently going to college while also attempting to read two leisure books per month. I am recently divorced and identify as a cisgender woman with she/her/hers pronouns. I am super excited to be a part of this group and I am fairly new to Goodreads but I enjoy reading and nature and physical fitness. The triangle of spiritual fitness, mental fitness, and physical are something I take seriously. I am a Gemini sun and moon, Sagittarius ascending, I have two cats and two dogs although I prefer cats. I am also very into witchcraft and spirituality as a whole. 🩶🩵 thank you for allowing a safe space for women all around. 🤟🏼
Hi everyone, I'm new to the group and here to introduce myself. I read all things written both by and for women-identified people. I also write that stuff too/identify as a woman too. I look forward to checking out what you recommend here/your TBRs, etc. I can highly recommend Curtis Sittenfeld's book: Romantic ComedyRomantic Comedy. Clever, funny book that tackles lots of issues about how women struggle with the cultural ideal and the reality. Love this book so much. I did review it too, so I hope you can check that out.
I also do want to readElinor Lipman Elinor Lipman's new release. I've read every book she's ever written, and am never disappointed.
Look forward to engaging with everyone here.
Judith wrote: "Hi everyone, I'm new to the group and here to introduce myself. I read all things written both by and for women-identified people. I also write that stuff too/identify as a woman too. I look forwar..."Hi Judith - not too much action on here - I've just joined - so I can comment. I'm always looking for a group that is active in discussion. I've joined plenty of groups in the past - only to discover that a lot of members seem to "collect" books. A comment might be - "Yes I've read this - it was good, I didn't like that bit". I can barely understand why they would even join if that's all they have to say. In desperation I have actually started 3 groups of my own. And yes - we've had extremely good discussions - but I picked the friends, I knew would participate - and they were lively and active.
If this is something you are looking for - then please drop me a line here. I see they do Buddy reads here. Yes, I would call myself a feminist - although I'm not the strident type. I read pre-dominantly women writers - and mostly fiction. I've reached the point where I find a lot of male fiction - distasteful. I sort of have to nerve myself up to open a book by a male writer.
Hi Laura, so appreciate you reaching out! I wasn't notified that you had replied to my message, hence the delay in responding. Like you, I also want to join a group (or two) that is active and engaged -- would really like to have conversations about books!
Also like you, I find it difficult to read male fiction. I do have a few male writers I enjoy (Chris Bohjalian), but they have a very well-developed feminine sensibility ;-)
Please let me know the book groups you started, as I really would love to join!
Full disclosure: I'm also a Goodreads author :-) of Weight of a Woman. Looking for honest/fair reviews. Since you like books by women for women, I think you might like it.
Really look forward to hearing from you!
Happy weekend!
Judith wrote: "Hi Laura, so appreciate you reaching out! I wasn't notified that you had replied to my message, hence the delay in responding. Like you, I also want to join a group (or two) that is active and eng..."
Hi Judith - I'm active in the Group - Virago Modern Classics - probably you'll know this publishing house - it's for women only - and was set up as a way to bring back women's writing that had been published previously and was out of circulation. Their aim also was to redefine - the concept of classic - to broaden it beyond the male dominated definitions.
Perhaps you can have a look at this group - it's quite small and was revived two years ago by Mela - the current moderator.
I set up a few groups - the main one was Reading Elizabeth Taylor - we did three of her novels - but there are another 9 and her short stories.
I also set up a group to read Tessa Hadley's Free Love - that choice was actually suggested by one of the members and then she bowed out completely. Which I found a little stunning - to say the least. I think as a moderator - your powers of patience and diplomacy can be tested.
And then I've been in a couple of reads with a long-term friend of mine - we did Sybil Bedford's A Favourite of the Gods, and Molly Keane's Good Behaviour - and Radclyffe Hall's The Well of Loneliness. It was just the two of us - but my friend is well read and full of opinions - so I enjoyed those lengthy and intense discussions.
Hi Laura, Thanks so much for sharing the names of these other groups. I'm going to find them and join! I don't mind that your "reads" with the long-term friend is a group that consists of the 2 of you :-) I'd love to join in, if you'll have me ;-) In fact, I think it might be really nice to be in such a group because, as you said, you can have some "real" discussions in such a small group. TBH, I'm a bit lost in some of the other groups -- such as Bookworm Bitches --- because there are so, SO many posts. It's too random and scattered to be a place for conversation about books.
Judith wrote: "Hi Laura, Thanks so much for sharing the names of these other groups. I'm going to find them and join! I don't mind that your "reads" with the long-term friend is a group that consists of the 2 of ..."Hi Judith I'm a member of multiple different groups - and yes - first problem - so many posts, so many threads - I've no idea what is going on. Second - no discussion. I've gradually realised that there is a certain type of person - who likes to COLLECT books - they like to participate in "Readathons" - there are even groups whereby you can tell everyone how many you've read in each category - but no actual discussion. I find all that very strange.
In the VMC group - Virago Modern Readers - they have 398 members and only about 10 are active. I was trying to rev things up a bit by suggesting a couple of new departures - and I think I have been firmly quashed. I checked up on one of the main squashers and realised she's a numbers person. She stated somewhere - 23 viragos in 2023, 24 in '24 and this year '25. I just can't read like that - reading is NOT a competition - or how fast one can accumulate a list. Sorry if this is a rant, but it's hard to tell - people and their reading requirements.
Yes I will approach Canadian Reader - she does have her own particular agenda - quite a lot of children's lit; a fascination with medical books - in connection with social attitudes to medical services; Canadian literature :) - but she's also a great novel reader. So we can probably come to an agreement.
I see your are taken with more modern female writers.
I also joined a group - from October through December - reading Marguerite de Navarre - which was a disaster. I had fallen out with one of the moderators - because in another group I had been accused of spoilers. In fact I had made an educated guess and been right. They didn't like that. If you haven't actually read the section where the action or conclusion takes place - then I don't see how a prediction can be classed as "Spoiler" - but they came down on me like a ton of bricks. Some real b ***** out there. Also they didn't have spoiler versus non-spoiler threads and I had labelled at the top of my comment - my reading position - Page/Chapter etc.
I'm just saying Groups can be quite territorial - and you're supposed to honour the resident superiors. No - in my world view, if you're expressing a point or an opinion - on a book, on topic then other participants ought to honour your perspective - which is your reading experience.
Yes - I've looked through several threads of this Group the F-Word and I'm not particularly keen on hauling this great weight of past history. Setting up new is easier.
We should discuss our focus - of what we would like to accomplish - in terms of our reading interests.
Several of mine: women in translation; I love the Virago list; I try to avoid American - because I think way too much emphasis here on Goodreads; and writing that doesn't stem from academic theory - e.g. Claudia Pinero. I'm looking for genuine talent in terms of fiction - a unique voice. What is it that fiction does that other genres don't? I like the mysterious in fiction.
Definitely - Your Turn ?
Laura, so sorry for the delay in replying. Reading your message -- what you called a "rant" ;-) -- makes me think we were "made for each other" as book group readers go! LOL. Like you, I'm absolutely not interested in racking up books (like reading is a competition. I'm a slow reader; I really, really take my time with a book, especially if I'm really enjoying it! I'll even limit myself to a page count per day (so I can savor a book). And, also like you, I am in this for the discussion. So, yes, we're a book readers match made in heaven/brought together by the universe :-)
Given all you say in your message, I also am starting to think you are right that we (probably) start from scratch/clean slate and create our own group. That way we can carve out a place for people who, like us, want to read and chat about what we read with other (like-minded people).
So.... next step.... It sounds like you have a group of "active" readers you are engaged with, so maybe we/you could entice them to join OUR book-club group. We could create a name, a mission statement (of sorts), etc.
So looking forward to this.
Oh, and also like you, I am not interested in narrative non-fiction that is not written without data to back it up (and by data I mean qualitative or quantitative) and with solid theory. I'm not rigid, just very picky and I know what I like.
I need to check out your "reads." I do read women (almost exclusively). Living in a misogynist world, I find comfort in women writers writing about women in ways that push back on stereotypes (about women, men, relationships, interactions in friendships, etc.).
I better get back to work, but really looking forward to seeing what we can create in this space, Laura.
Be well!
Judith wrote: "Laura, so sorry for the delay in replying. Reading your message -- what you called a "rant" ;-) -- makes me think we were "made for each other" as book group readers go! LOL. Like you, I'm absolu..."
Hi Judith - I did send a message to CR - and she's unavailable - for the moment. An upcoming operation.
I'll go ahead and set up a group page - I'll put in a temporary working title. A women's group to discuss women's books - Emphasis on DISCUSS. There are lots of women's groups - so it does need to have its own particular angle. And I kinda like the "DISCUSS" emphasis - I'm sure you can think of something better - I remember befriending someone simply because her identity Icon reads - No Shelf-control. That tickles me - it's a Goodreaders joke - if you're new you'll probably not understand it - Yet.
But I think we need something a bit fun - a bit catchy like that?
Yes - I have a long list of friends - but joining a group requires giving up the ego of constantly posting reviews. Some are very dedicated to their singular review posting. In a group more "listening" is required - basically members need to give up time to actually read what other members are writing and consider their perspective before broadcasting their own. I often think that's why groups don't last - it requires a certain discipline - and honouring of the perspective of others. Sorry long lecture again.
I do love discussion, because I've learnt that other readers always give me either support for my own reading or provide such wonderful alternative perspectives - that I am in awe and also surprised. There are of course conflicts - "I've no idea how you came to that conclusion - where's the textual evidence?" But mostly I think I am in contact with readers and reviewers who have great sympathy and intelligence for their fellow reviewers.
Also we need to regard our focus - I was considering publishing houses who have proclaimed loud and clearly - they only publish women's writings. VMC, Persephone books, The Women's Press, plenty of others. That would be our data base - but then it needs to refined - perhaps an attempt to understand how republishing writers helps to establish new values and attitudes.
For example Elena Ferrante's books heralded a huge surge of interest in Females writing the city - the poor city - and anything by Italian women writers also. But long before Ferrante there were other women - doing the same. I would like to focus on women who aren't so well read - at the moment. I'd love to see resurgence of interest in Drabble's books.
I'm interested in your ideas - your focus. Do we want to emphasise feminist or is it female writers we are interested in - or writers breaking the mould of patriarchy. I read recently that Women writers who focussed on male interest subjects were far more likely to be published. Hilary Mantel and her Thomas Cromwell series. How have women been - distanced from their own sense of what is powerful in their identity? Did successful female authors really deliberate on their subject matter opting for topics that they knew would attract male dominated publishing houses. Elizabeth Taylor did not like Olivia Manning - and I can see why - Manning opted for the male world of war and predominately male characters - and she was very very successful. Taylor has always been know as the domestic writer - and yet I think as many other do now - like Carmen Callil that Taylor is the great writer of the 20th century - because she had the guts to stay with her female-oriented, interior world, the domestic world of females. She was not intimidated out of her "natural" subject - and she excelled.
Those are the sorts of questions I want to raise in this group. And they bare important directions for the type of books and authors we want to choose. Again - what do you think?
Hey Laura, I'm going to reply to each paragraph in order, and hope that doesn't make me sound like some sort of automaton, but there's so much to respond to/unpack in your last message.
GROUP NAME/DESCRIPTION:
Thanks for setting this up, Laura! Very appreciated. I think emphasizing that we are a group who wants to "discuss" books and, by that, we mean we're deliberately keeping the group small so that the discussion thread is 1. doable to respond to; 2. filled with a give-and-take of "listen" and "respond" oration-style; not "formal" presentation, per se, but just observations of a book (we're all reading) and a reply to those observations before adding a new thought/thread/observation; something like that? Or does that sound stuffy?
I am so bothered by the idea you raised about "groups disbanding quickly and/or failing to become 'real' groups with 'real' discussion because the group is filled with people who don't know how to "listen" carefully, with empathy and interest, before they fire off another post. So.... we need to make sure we create a group for people who are joining because they already posses the qualities of a good listener. Maybe a test? JK. LOL.
As for a catchy name -- agreed we need that. And, also agreed, something that captures our reading genre, but I suppose that means we need to agree on that first ;-)
which brings me to your paragraph about what types of books/publishers we will select. Fwiw, I don't think we should limit ourselves to "feminist fiction" or to publishers who focus on women-focused themes. I am, however, totally open to discuss this and see where we end up. Some background on why I lean away from picking only women-focuses publishers -- based on my own experience as an author, it's hard enough to get an agent and then an editor to agree to the book, so a lot of times -- unless you are Germaine Greer -- you go with whomever will take the risk and take you on. That said, I would never want to participate in supporting a publisher that is known to be anti-woman, anti-DEI, or have any kind of reputation that we find reprehensible.
My own writing is tracking in a new genre -- that I'd never even heard of before! -- political fiction, and another: politically humorous fiction. New to me! Maybe we could aim for books by women, about women, for women. Maybe that sounds a bit lame....? Again, something else I'm happy to flesh out and discuss. fwiw, I (for one) would like to emphasize the political aspect of women writing about women; e.g., books that are critical and/or highlight the impact of misogyny, patriarchy, gender socialization on women's lived experience. But, again, I'd like that to have a loose interpretation, and by that, I mean I think we (the group) get to decide if a book is doing that (or not) rather than having to dig around to read every bit of information on an author before we agree to read them. Thoughts on that, Laura? I think this question of: is this political fiction (i.e., is it assessing women's lives in the context of patriarchy, misogyny, gendered reality?) would be a great starting point for each of our book-club opening remarks for each book we pick.
Then..... back to picking a catchy name. Keeping in mind we need to determine what we will read and our book-club identity, maybe we could just start brainstorming names.....? Some of them will be useless (depending on what we pick as our book-group theme/focus), but it'll be a fun exercise and we'll likely make each other laugh in the process; for example: No Shelf Control! Laughing face goes here :-)
BRAINSTORM commences:
HERstory Book Group: Books by women, about women, for women
Bytches Book Group: Books by Bytches, about bytches, and for bytches
(taking back the word "bitch" and playing with it, as the Girrl power music movement of the 90's did)
Books for Grrls
(or girrls, or whatever play on the word "girl" that was used by the feminist punk bands of the 90s)
Book Girrls
(same as above, but I think I like "book girrls" more than Books for Girrls)
Book Bytches
(theme here..... LOL)
Book Sluts
(do you remember the Slut movement in the early 2000s, when women and men were taking back the word "slut.")
I wish I could get off the "take back the word" theme..... ;-)
maybe a famous quote, but might be too long, not funny enough. I'm sort of leaning towards "fun/funny" and "political" (or cultural criticism)
Books for the Second Sex
Laura, I am going back to work for a bit. May I ask -- where are you located and/or from? I'm in the U.S. are you here too?
Have a great rest of your Thursday.
Judith wrote: "Hey Laura, I'm going to reply to each paragraph in order, and hope that doesn't make me sound like some sort of automaton, but there's so much to respond to/unpack in your last message."
Hi - I'll do the same, reply in stages - more or less I hope sticking to your paragraph arrangement.
1 - Yes - no lectures. Comments is the way to go - in other groups the Lead often begins with a biography or run-down of other publications by the author or why this book has been chosen - how it fits with the Groups purpose. And there is a device to post reviews - so members can scan through and get an idea to see if they want to participate - so yes - no mega theories or criticisms.
2 - That's possibly the most important point overall - that members are not here to plaster their ideas all over the place - and something you mentioned and that has seriously pissed me off in another group - is particular group members deliberately avoiding or ignoring someone's comment. Usually the moderator steps in.
Having said that - in the two groups I ran with a group of friends - there was none of that. All the participants were very good at "listening" paying attention to and generally respecting the comments from other people. It does happen sometimes that a comment gets missed - especially if there are lots of comments. But yes - I really like your focus on DISCUSSION. And the nature of reciprocity in discussion - it's a conversation after all. And respect needs to be given online - just as in real time.
3 - yes agenda before catchy name - I think
4 - Yes I agree - because it is already an issue with Virago - simple example - I wanted to read more Elizabeth Jolley - but Virago have only published 2 of her books - and the most "famous" The Well is only available through other publishers. So yes - as you have stated it can limit - especially when readers need to source the book - we don't want to make finding the book difficult.
5 - I really don't think that's a new genre - Political Fiction - books by women have always been politically motivated. What I have just read In Diamond Square by Merce Rodoredo - published 1962 - later by Virago 2013 - clearly has links to political groups - it became a best-seller in Europe - it's a woman's view of the civil war in Spain. And I suspect utilised as a political "weapon".
As your paragraph 5 proceeds - all my reading of books by women is based on exactly that - how fiction influences what women know - how they structure their reality - by reading about the lives of other women.
But yes I very much like your idea - that the group decides through reading if the book is doing that.
I did study literature - I have an MA from the College of New Jersey - taught by Ellen Friedman - that's all we did - how women's writing has been supressed, how women's writing has challenged the canon - how women have actively re-written how women write etc.
I also studied at University of Alberta - MA Comparative Lit. - plenty of women professors there.
The remaining paragraphs - about catchy names - I don't like the reclaim words dynamic - slut, bytch, GRRL.
I would prefer something that will appeal to a wider audience - and not put them off before starting. I have no ideas right now.
Conclusion - best to agree the agenda or purpose first. But yes books by women, about women, for women - is certainly what I wanted. I mean I read Gloria Naylor's The Women of Brewster Place back in '95 - a million years before it became an OPRAH read. I'm not boasting - it's just your theme has been well established both in my own reading and through my studies.
Anyway - let's see what happens. We could try - a books first start. Is there something that you really want to have as a group read? Maybe you can put a list together, and I'll do likewise - and from our two lists - we can probably suss where our interests lie and what themes seem to be emerging. Women for, by, and about women - is quite broad.
Hi Laura, This all sounds great. I did respond to your invitations (as you'll see), but I'm new to Goodreads, so now trying to figure out where to find the group AND invite others to join. I will ONLY invite people who I know will want to join this book group as we've both described it; i.e., the agenda/focus.I so appreciate hearing about your background in women's lit. If I hadn't gone the social science route, I would have loved to bury myself in the study of women's literature. I was a professor of sociology & gender/women's studies for 20 years (and still in the field, only I'm fully focused on the research side now) and my lens on women was through the study of how the female experience is shaped by culture, economy, politics, historical moment, AND how that is situated in positionality; i.e., an intersectional lens, including race/ethnicity, sexuality, socioeconomic status.....
I have to run to work right now, but will pop back here later.
This exchange with you has been really what I'm looking for in a book group -- and I can hear that's what you are looking for too -- so it will be great to gather a small(ish) group of us together to read and discuss.
Happy Friday!
OK - I understand - lit. students consider all aspects of the written text. We are influenced by all the ideas/theories across the Humanities. So we are very aware of the economics supporting or not, literary writing. Virginia Woolf's - A Room of One’s Own - examines the need to have independent means - to write. In Comp Lit. we go backwards and forwards in time and across the globe. The ancient Sumerian text - The Epic of Gilgamesh - is written from a city state - an economic and political system that only arises from knowledge of how to grow (agrarian economy) and store large quantities of grain. Surplus food stocks are what allow the evolvement of culture. It is a power system that supports learning and culture.
In my Medieval studies I was taught power systems - The Church, the Lords and the Serfs. Renaissance studies look at the rise of the merchant and artisan classes - the reforms in religion.
My comp lit department included the religious and film studies - and music students also overlapped in our lectures.
I'm out - at the moment. Glad you are onboard with this.😊
Hi Judith - I put a working title of - Judith and Laura's Group for women who like to Discuss books - I think that's right. It should come up in the search box.And probably we should move this discussion to that space.
It's an interesting intersection - Literature with Sociology - I mean in lit. studies - the Big topic for the last 30+ years has been Gender studies - Women's Literature.
Claudia Pineiro springs to mind. Very much a writer with a socialist agenda - and that's something I don't like - because it feels like I'm being lectured. But everyone loves her Elena Knows.
Women's literature has also delved into Gay and Queer - LGBTQI - writing - the last Pineiro I read Time of the Flies - she has footnotes at the end of each chapter referencing Feminist literature - and she works her way through thematically from - Marxist feminist lit - to Writing by women of colour - to trans writers. Her intention is to get her novel to women who don't have access to education - she's condensed massive amounts of feminist lit theory into a popular murder-mystery with gay female detectives type novel.
Am I heading in the right direction - or am I completely off? I mean every book of literature is connected to class, economy, culture, language, history - some make no reference to the embedded nature of their product - others are overtly - intentionally self-referential - constantly drawing the reader's eye to where their book is positioned within a social dynamic and hierarchy. Girl, Woman, Other - Bernadine Evaristo - Booker winner - 2022? has a multi-vocal structure - all black women - one I think doesn't know of her black heritage. Evaristo is addressing the traditional concept of the author's I - the power and authority of I. Her novel attempts to give voice to women - who don't generally have a voice. This is an illusion of course, but I do think some of her characters - spring from real people - close to her - so in a sense she has attempted to be genuine in getting away from herself. She's allowing others to speak - their story. She is more like a scribe - noting down what they have to say. Returning to the Medieval idea of the writer as unimportant - not a creator but merely a recorder of life.
Hi! I'm Heather! I just got back into reading seriously after a many-years slump so my TBR is much larger than my Read books. I've been obsessed with books since I was 3 years old. I do have several "will never read" problematic books/authors so don't add me if you have a problem with that... Other than that, I'll read any genre, though I'm partial to horror and fantasy. I buy too many books and I'm always running out of shelf space. (I have a small PangoBooks account!) Intersectional feminism is a MUST. I love badass women MCs in books. I think that's it. I'm always looking for feminist friends so please add me if you want another bibliophilic woman as a friend!!
Hi HeatherAnn - did you see that Judith and I are starting up another group, having realised that this one is no longer active. Was if the F-Word you wanted to join in with - or would you like to join the new set up? Judith and I haven't really hashed out the directive yet?Let's wait for her to respond here. Nice you commented though - HeatherAnn. 😊
Hi Heather, I second what Laura said in reply to your message. We're starting a new group as the F-Word seems to be dormant. Please join us!
Hi Laura, I do like books that are deliberately (offering critical) commentary on women's experience (in the socio-historic-economic-political moment), but like you, I do NOT want to be lectured. While it's hard to find books that do this well, I think they are out there. Jane Austen, although I'm not suggesting any of her books, was an author who was standing back and (critically) observing the experience of people in her social class without lecturing. imho, I think the most effective way to (critically) observe -- and the least patronizing way too -- is to do it with humor. I've honestly tried to do this with my own writing; i.e., I want to draw attention to the experience but with a tart humor.
Interested to hear what Heather says on this too.
So.... shall we move the discussion over to our group as of now....?
hi! i'm caroline and like feminist dystopia. feel free to add me.
The F-word
Books mentioned in this topic
A Room of One’s Own (other topics)The Epic of Gilgamesh (other topics)
Elena Knows (other topics)
Girl, Woman, Other (other topics)
Time of the Flies (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Elinor Lipman (other topics)Allison Moon (other topics)
I found this group through a search for "feminist" groups! I'm looking forward to exploring the discussion board in the coming days and hopefully making some new friends.
I'm an avid reader, mostly fiction, but enjoy little of everything. I believe I've been a feminist since birth as my parents taught me from a young age that I could do anything a boy could do, only better! (yes, those exact words, ha!). I grew up believing the world was there for the taking, I just had to work hard and reach out and take it. The real world was a rude awakening for me as I've experienced discrimination and harassment throughout my education and career (in the male-dominated medical field). I have a keen interest in advocating for equality in healthcare and am gradually learning how to use my skills and voice to promote equal access and treatment not just for women, but for POC, LGBTQ+ individuals, neuroatypical people, and more.
I am happy to be here among like-minded people who also share a love of reading!
Mahalo for having me!