I've been super busy this week, working with my dear friends and co-editors, Tisa Bryant (in from Brooklyn) and Miranda Mellis, to finally finish Vol 2 of The Encyclopedia Project...It's been in the works for something like 3 years now (!!!), and we're finally getting close to completion. So rather than my usual routine of relaxing navel gazing, I've been staring at InDesign, discussing cross-referencing, and loving the opportunity to spend time with these amazing women, and this bad-ass project. Thus, I've been off the blog for a bit...
I've been thinking about many many things this week—this house we're excited about; words beginning with F-K; the new Fleet Foxes and My Morning Jacket albums; publishing; book design; new business for Jason; the fact that the sun's out...One thing that's been on my mind is my favorite F word: feminism. I find myself pondering what it means to have 'a feminist pregnancy', to be a feminist parent, to raise a feminist child. And broader still: what it means to be a feminist, period. I could go on and on, and probably will at some point, but, for now: Sunday was International Women's Day, and March is Women's History Month. In honor of this, I did a reading at SF State on Monday night with the always awesome Amanda Davidson. Charmingly titled "A Night of Kick-Ass Feminist Readings", it was in the dorms (some kind of lounge that felt like a stand-up comedy club) and was put together by a former student of hers—a charming kid named Tyler. He gave a brief talk before we read, and mentioned how much flack he got for wanting to put on a reading with the word 'Feminist' in the title—that even in oh-so-tolerant-SF, people still express surprise/disdain/indignation/dismissiveness when a man identifies as a feminist. In his endearing awkward manner, he stated what I believe needs to be stated by more men, more of the time: that it's OK to call yourself a feminist. In fact, it's not just men—I can't tell you how many smart, conscious, strong female college students I've encountered who offer that tired old line: I mean, I'm not a feminist, but [I think women should have equal right/the same opportunities as men/the same pay as men/the right to do what they want with their bodies, etc etc etc] And I'm always like, Well sweetie, I hate to break it to you, but it kind of sounds like you are a feminist. And they hem and haw and hedge and say things about not wanting to be all intense and political and (my favorite) angry... The word carries such stigma; these young women fear alienating men (and other women), and/or don't want to be seen as some crazy man-hating militant, and young men don't want to seem 'gay', or too political, or whatever. So it was refreshing to see this skinny college kid proclaim his feminism on a tiny stage to a bunch of freshmen. And then it was fun to get up a read a chapter from my book, my big belly getting kicked and jostled under my grey sweatshirt. Hopefully it meant something to the students in the audience to see a (pretty hot) pregnant chick (thankyouverymuch) and a college dude celebrating the awesomeness of feminism.
All of which leads me to Our President, believe it or not. I'm following closely the recent political developments concerning women's health and reproductive rights—these issues are super important to me in general, and now that I'm about to bring a new tiny woman into the world, they're extra relevant. Today's policies affect her as well as me; today's Supreme Court nominees will be hers; today's health care reforms and funding decisions will be hers; today's sex ed policies will be hers. So this morning when I read Feministing and saw this video of Obama speaking about the new Council on Women and Girls that he's establishing, I was so, so moved and heartened. While he doesn't come out and say the F word, it's there in the speech. It's there in the way he reminds us that women's rights are everyone's right, everyone's concern, everyone's responsibility. It's there in the way he speaks with reverence about his mother and grandmother, and the way he slyly acknowledges the men in the room (second row, ya'll). It's there in his reversal of the Bush administration's devastating "Mexico City" policy, or Global Gag Rule, which denied funding to international family planning/health orgs that provide abortion. Anyway, in watching this clip, I realized that my excitement about this announcement was really not about me—it's about our daughter, and the future that she can grow up in.
Thanks, Mr. President. You big ol feminist, you.
I've been thinking about many many things this week—this house we're excited about; words beginning with F-K; the new Fleet Foxes and My Morning Jacket albums; publishing; book design; new business for Jason; the fact that the sun's out...One thing that's been on my mind is my favorite F word: feminism. I find myself pondering what it means to have 'a feminist pregnancy', to be a feminist parent, to raise a feminist child. And broader still: what it means to be a feminist, period. I could go on and on, and probably will at some point, but, for now: Sunday was International Women's Day, and March is Women's History Month. In honor of this, I did a reading at SF State on Monday night with the always awesome Amanda Davidson. Charmingly titled "A Night of Kick-Ass Feminist Readings", it was in the dorms (some kind of lounge that felt like a stand-up comedy club) and was put together by a former student of hers—a charming kid named Tyler. He gave a brief talk before we read, and mentioned how much flack he got for wanting to put on a reading with the word 'Feminist' in the title—that even in oh-so-tolerant-SF, people still express surprise/disdain/indignation/dismissiveness when a man identifies as a feminist. In his endearing awkward manner, he stated what I believe needs to be stated by more men, more of the time: that it's OK to call yourself a feminist. In fact, it's not just men—I can't tell you how many smart, conscious, strong female college students I've encountered who offer that tired old line: I mean, I'm not a feminist, but [I think women should have equal right/the same opportunities as men/the same pay as men/the right to do what they want with their bodies, etc etc etc] And I'm always like, Well sweetie, I hate to break it to you, but it kind of sounds like you are a feminist. And they hem and haw and hedge and say things about not wanting to be all intense and political and (my favorite) angry... The word carries such stigma; these young women fear alienating men (and other women), and/or don't want to be seen as some crazy man-hating militant, and young men don't want to seem 'gay', or too political, or whatever. So it was refreshing to see this skinny college kid proclaim his feminism on a tiny stage to a bunch of freshmen. And then it was fun to get up a read a chapter from my book, my big belly getting kicked and jostled under my grey sweatshirt. Hopefully it meant something to the students in the audience to see a (pretty hot) pregnant chick (thankyouverymuch) and a college dude celebrating the awesomeness of feminism.
All of which leads me to Our President, believe it or not. I'm following closely the recent political developments concerning women's health and reproductive rights—these issues are super important to me in general, and now that I'm about to bring a new tiny woman into the world, they're extra relevant. Today's policies affect her as well as me; today's Supreme Court nominees will be hers; today's health care reforms and funding decisions will be hers; today's sex ed policies will be hers. So this morning when I read Feministing and saw this video of Obama speaking about the new Council on Women and Girls that he's establishing, I was so, so moved and heartened. While he doesn't come out and say the F word, it's there in the speech. It's there in the way he reminds us that women's rights are everyone's right, everyone's concern, everyone's responsibility. It's there in the way he speaks with reverence about his mother and grandmother, and the way he slyly acknowledges the men in the room (second row, ya'll). It's there in his reversal of the Bush administration's devastating "Mexico City" policy, or Global Gag Rule, which denied funding to international family planning/health orgs that provide abortion. Anyway, in watching this clip, I realized that my excitement about this announcement was really not about me—it's about our daughter, and the future that she can grow up in.
Thanks, Mr. President. You big ol feminist, you.
1 comment:
Kate! Well, I just left some comments, but they seem to have gotten erased. Anyway, I'm on spring break and catching up on fun things like reading your blog. And I was delighted to read your feisty transcript of our Women's History Month adventure at the dorms. Yes, awkward, thoughtful, excellent Tyler gives me hope for menfolk of the future. Thanks for reading there--you rocked the house. I also share in your rejoicing at Obama's stance on reproductive rights. Yay.
Ok...final thing is that you have to get your hands on the book The Changeling by Zilpha Keatley Snyder. It should be in the YA section of any library. This was my favorite book from 4th/5th grade, and features a really excellent character named Ivy.
Take care!
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