Our Shared Shelf discussion

What are the goals? Should all the texts have to be free online?

What kinds of things do we want to read? Should we discuss the history of feminism by reading the great feminist authors, like A Vindication of the Rights of Woman , Selected Works of Voltairine de Cleyre the The Feminine Mystique

Should we discuss great works of feminist literature, like Antigone, A Room of One's Own, Villette, The Handmaid's Tale?

What do you think?

I think it should be a combination of an introduction to feminism (because honestly, this is likely to get a lot of young people interested in feminism) and deepening understanding. I think it is important to have some academic works, some memiors and some 'lighter' fiction reads. Not everyone is a strong reader or access to a variety of books, so selecting texts that may also be available online would be helpful

I think it would be good to be considerate of intersectionality and choose works where we can celebrate men or other gendered characters as displaying feminist qualities, as well as celebrating female characters that are written with complexity and depth. When I was a budding feminist , I thought intersectionality was dumb and confusing... until I learned what it was. It is still tricky for me, but at least now I understand how important it is to supporting equality!

Really, all I'm hoping to get out of this is some great reading material, some spirited discussion and a deeper understanding of myself as a feminist and a person.

I would really like to read some of our own experiences. Looking forward to write my own story... :D

I agree with both previous commenters, who put things so well that I only want to suggest that we alternate heavy/light reading, especially since much of the 'heavy', more academic stuff may be free online and more of the 'light', modern, fictional stuff may have to be bought. Such alternation would allow members to take a pass on something they'd have to pay for, or something they don't feel up to intellectually at that time, etc, without significantly missing out long-term.
However, many of the books I imagine making this list ('The Color Purple', 'The Bell Jar', 'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo', 'A Room of One's Own', 'Our Bodies, Ourselves', 'Manifesta', 'The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks') should also be readily available in most public libraries, due either to academic, literary, or critical acclaim, or sheer popularity. If upcoming titles were announced in several weeks' advance, patrons of smaller or otherwise limited libraries would also have adequate time to request an interlibrary loan.

I agree! A mix of feminist literature with more "academic" works, mix of light and heavy, a mix of perspectives and commitment to intersectionality would be fantastic.

I think a mixture would be best. Including some fiction with positive feminist themes.

I'd like to add here, saying it would be great to include authors from all over the world and read their works about feminism.
Not only will we get a diverse view of the subject, but also we'll be able to look at how women of the world are so different and yet so similar !

agreed ! starting off with pride and prejudice ? because no matter how many times I read that book, i cant help empathizing with the characters ! :)

I think its important to try and make the literature as diverse as possible - we should try and bring books written by women of color, LGBTQ persons and from economically diverse backgrounds, say Audre Lorde or Pat Parker

It would be cool to also learn on feminism from different angels of society

It would also be great if we could throw some women of color in the mix. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's "Americanah" and "We Should All Be Feminists" are great, for example. The latter is also short and easy to read which makes for a great starting point for the non-fiction stuff, I think.

I'd love to see some fiction in here too. The Elena Ferrante books, for example, whilst not explicitly on the subject of feminism, illustrate a lot of inequality in a really powerful way.

I prefer something easy to read not so academic......

I would prefer a good mix. Academic work, also novels and a good mix of authors. Female and male authors from around the world. Everyone has a different point of view

My politics lecturer always says the truth is best told slant, so novels would be a good way to illustrate the issues facing us, but still making it accessible to people who ate so well read in feminist literature, like me!

What are your opinions on special issues like for example queerfeminist theory, feminist critique and theory of the economy, feminism and its connection with other struggles against discrimination like feminism and its relationship with antiracism? I personally would like to even read and discuss about comic books together like Marjane Satrapi's "Persepolis" which maybe is not a feminist work on the first view but it's written by a conscious woman and her experiences with patriarchy and therfore is related to feminism, I think. And what about biographies of historic and modern day's feminists and their work, like for example Emma Goldman and Angela Davis?

Rachel wrote: "What are the goals? Should all the texts have to be free online?

What kinds of things do we want to read? Should we discuss the history of feminism by reading the great feminist authors, like [boo..."

Katelyn wrote: "I think it should be a combination of an introduction to feminism (because honestly, this is likely to get a lot of young people interested in feminism) and deepening understanding. I think it is i..."

Thanks Rachel for your suggestions! I have added all these to my to-read list :)

I agree with Katelyn that the book club should have a mix of academic and fiction texts. Personally, as someone not familiar with this topic, I would love to gain a deeper understanding of the history and evolution of feminism through various medium.

Can you include an author section where we can tell readers about our own contemporary feminist fiction?

I would prefer less academic works. Partially I'm concerned about access to academic works. As I am no longer in college I don't have access to University resources. It might also be tough for those not in Western europe to gain access.

Rachel wrote: "What are the goals? Should all the texts have to be free online?

What kinds of things do we want to read? Should we discuss the history of feminism by reading the great feminist authors, like [boo..."

As most commenters have stated above, I agree that a mixture of core feminist texts, the history and problems within the development of the feminist movement, and novels, memoirs, poetry such as those by Toni Morrison, Janet Mock, Joan Didion, and Audre Lorde, to name a few, should be read in this book club.

I also agree that LGBT authors should be included and that we read texts that ensure the development of an understanding of feminism as intersectional, which has been one of the critiques of the movement since its earliest manifestations, at least within the United States.

We should also ensure that we read works by authors from all continents as it is important to know and understand the various priorities within feminist movements throughout the world.

I'm not sure if it has been suggested before, but would it be possible to have legal, online, and free versions of readings uploaded on this forum or another (i.e. maybe provide a link to it)...? It would just make accessing readings a lot more simple.

Regarding the types of readings, I think we already have many great suggestions. I do side with the opinion that there should be mix of core, academic texts relating to feminism and intersectionality in order to form a basic idea of these very complex ideas/concepts. The historical and contemporary contexts in which these ideas emerged, developed, and gained support (and how and by whom they gained support) is integral to begin discussions and discourses on the idea.

One thing that I would suggest to add is maybe add a forum where members could discuss the APPLICATION or their EXPERIENCES with such things...it would be great to get first hand stories from Emma and other individuals of how they see these concepts playing out in the world and what they think we should be aiming for in terms of equality.

We could do a mix by reading a theoretical book or essay about feminism one month, and then read a work of fiction the other month for instance... I think both are needed, if we want to have a broader perspective.. + I strongly recommend Le Deuxième sexe (The Second Sex) by Simone de Beauvoir

A mix would be good, and also some options for tween/teen/young adult readers. I would love to get my daughter involved.

Firstly, I want to say that the idea of this group is absolutely amazing! Really! This just made my day.

Personally I'd like to read not only essays but fiction as well. Because it's good when a person writes some witty thoughts, but it's better when you deduce things yourself from character's lives and their decisions, not just read a pre-made conclusion.

Also I am all about contemplating practical steps and actually taking them. Theory is good, but it is nothing without reality and practice. So I hope to find books with some true stories and steps that we can repeat.

There is another thing. I am a huge believer in soft power. It would be good to show people that feminism is not about radical changes and hating men. It is just about women getting equal payment at work. It is about both MEN and women benefiting from women being in politics (because we can have points of view that men can overlook). It is about people recognizing the amount of pressure that women are under. We have to study, work, spend time with our loved ones, cook, clean, think about home decor, give birth to children, bring them up. Wait, I forgot about being pretty (and skinny)!

What I want to say is that a Feminist book club doesn't mean that all of the books have to be strictly about feminism itself. Sometimes soft power and small changes are better. And for feminism such soft power is reading books and articles about strong women in general. Those women that build businesses, are role models, direct their own movies and so on. Not all people are ready to accept feminism in its 'strong' form. So those people can benefit just from reading about women that aren't necessarily feminists but just make it in life.

Let’s turn now to a real life situation. Once I was talking with my female friends at uni. We were discussing our home assignment about feminism. I was shocked. When I said that I support feminism and believe that there is need to extend women rights, my friends were like 'Really? We don't think so'.

That's why I think it is crucial not only to read, but to produce our own content as well. And for such content we should take some controversial thoughts and look at them from different sides. I feel like my peers act (or pretend) as if they have everything figured out. But that's stupid!!! So my idea is that sometimes it is easier to persuade a person if he or she sees that initially you didn't have a ready opinion. If this person sees that you have been researching this topic for a long time and you coming to some conclusion means that you've been thinking about it a lot.

There are some problems that people usually don't thing about. For example, it was only a month ago that I realized that some girls in the world are compelled to stay at home for some time every month because they just don't have pads.

Finally, my book suggestion is Chapter 10 from the book "When Words Collide: A Media Writer's Guide to Grammar and Style"; by Lauren Kessler and Duncan McDonald.

I want to quote it.
"When you write about men and women, treat them the same. (...) Let's say Mr. X is your state's new governor. Would you consider writing: 'With his flashing brown eyes and warm, gracious smile, a svelte Mr. X, grandfather of four, moved into the governor's mansion yesterday'.
(Or) 'Rain City real estate developer Robert Dant has just finalized a multi-million-dollar deal to refurbish the historic Smith building. Dant, father of three and husband of computer executive Patricia Hager, ...'

On this note I want to finish my comment that turned out to be a treatise :D. It is just that as soon as I started writing I couldn't stop because there are so many things that we should talk about!

I am a young girl and I am very excited with this group, as altough I have always believed in equality I feel I need to think more about what that equality really means.
I see this group as a great oportunity for understanding what feminism is, so I can state myself as a feminist, as right now I can only think I am a feminist.
So I would like some introductory reading, and I think novels, would be easier as they are lighter than academic readings, because there is a story to follow instead of a feeling of studying a subject.

I'm excited to read feminist literature with like-minded people--I can't wait to learn from other people in Our Shared Shelf. I hope we read a mixture of both fiction and non-fiction, because they're equally valuable. I also hope we read books that are "obviously" feminist (like the Gloria Steinem) and books that are by/about inspiring women that aren't as synonymous with the term feminism. I hope what I said makes sense!

Personally I'd like to see a mixture of educational texts covering the history of the feminist movement and also general women's history (which sadly is woefully thin on the ground). I'd also like to read works by feminist authors, both old and new. I'm looking forward to a mix of the classics and some more obscure books than I might not have come across before.

Jessie wrote: "I would prefer a good mix. Academic work, also novels and a good mix of authors. Female and male authors from around the world. Everyone has a different point of view"
I agree with Jessie. I think it would be a good idea to have a mix of authors, thus including male authors. I often find that feminist reading lists completely avoid male authors. My goal is to read books by authors from different countries, different sexual orientations and different genders.

Kodak wrote: "(I also want to read a mix of literature, whether fiction or fact!)"
And I am of the same opinion as Kodak, I think a lot can be learnt from fiction books.

Rachel wrote: "What are the goals? Should all the texts have to be free online?

What kinds of things do we want to read? Should we discuss the history of feminism by reading the great feminist authors, like [boo..."

I vote for Antigone.

I think this is going to be one of the best things ever! It will open a lot of minds and I cannot wait to expand my knowledge.

I agree with literally everything on this post. I just cant offer any recommendations as most of what I have read was spiritual and related to Germany.

Having only read Antigone for a school essay, I would have to vote for Antigone, but then again, my vote would be bias. It does have good ideals in that Antigone stands up for herself and her beliefs though.

While we're talking about fiction, one of my favourite classic books is Jane Eyre. I've always admired Jane's strength and courage to make her own way in life despite all of the pressures put on her to conform.
I also recently saw the live broadcast screening of the Bristol Old Vic's production which was brilliant, and the director wrote an article saying how she felt Jane was a feminist back in the time as Charlotte Bronte wrote the book.

Archived because this is a duplicate thread.