Monthly Archives: July 2011

Femininity, Susan Brownmiller

Posted on July 31, 2011 by

Brownmiller’s startling book is divided into 8 somewhat arbitrary but useful subcategories from which to analyze the effect of femininity on the lives of women: body, hair, clothes, voice, skin, movement, emotion, and ambition. This division results in a satisfying compartmentalization … Continue reading →

Posted in 1980s, Non-Fiction, Susan Brownmiller | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Bossypants, Tina Fey

Posted on July 30, 2011 by

Tina Fey, visionary behind hit television show 30 Rock and the all-too-funny movie Mean Girls, former SNL star and renown for her Sarah Palin imitation, has written a book. It’s a sort of biography mixed with advice-column and of course, … Continue reading →

Posted in 2010s, Non-Fiction, Tina Fey | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Her Fearful Symmetry, Audrey Niffenegger

Posted on July 26, 2011 by

Although quite different from The Time Traveler’s Wife, which I found surprisingly moving, Her Fearful Symmetry is a strong novel on its own. The book is mystical (it deals with ghosts and physically symmetrical twins) but never ridiculous. As in The Time … Continue reading →

Posted in 2000s, Audrey Niffenegger, Fiction | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

A Short History of Women, Kate Walbert

Posted on July 16, 2011 by

Usually, when I read a novel I like, the first third of the book blows me away, the second third is a little tougher to get through, and by the final third I’m feeling disappointed. Either I don’t want the … Continue reading →

Posted in 2000s, Fiction, Kate Walbert | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Outrageous Acts and Everyday Rebellions, Gloria Steinem

Posted on July 15, 2011 by

 “Finding language that will allow people to act together while cherishing each other’s individuality is probably the most feminist and therefore truly revolutionary function of writers.” (2) This collection of Steinem’s essays from the 70s and 80s was inspiring and … Continue reading →

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Third World Women and the Politics of Feminism, cont’d.

Posted on July 13, 2011 by

Many of the authors in this collection mix the personal with the political, incorporating their own lived experiences into the creation of their ideological theory. Rey Chow’s essay, Violence in the Other Country; China as Crisis, Spectacle, and Woman, is … Continue reading →

Posted in 1990s, Chandra Talpade Mohanty, Non-Fiction | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Third World Women and the Politics of Feminism, Chandra Talpade Mohanty, Ann Russo, and Lourdes Torres

Posted on July 1, 2011 by

Each of the essays in this collection could be the subject of its own blog post, but I will try to focus on specific sections and theories that I found particularly interesting. Firstly I will say that reading theory on … Continue reading →

Posted in 1990s, Chandra Talpade Mohanty, Non-Fiction | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment