It is no surprise that India is a Big Brother-esque figure in South Asia, especially, in histories of nation-building (the Partition, the 1971 Bangladeshi War of Independence, the decades under IPKF in Sri Lanka are just the tip of the iceberg), as researchers, we carry these legacies on our bodies and words. What kind of “secular” feminism are we advocating, if this “secular” voice comes from one platform only? Who talks of one kind of history only? What happens when this margin is speaking to you and you don’t have enough slots to categorize them? Why are stories of the Partition by Indian authors the narrative that we are mostly familiar with (Shauna Singh Baldwin, and Bhism Sahani come to mind here)—no matter how sympathetic they may be to other margins?
Inga Muscio’s Rose: Love in Violent Times is a heart-wrenching journey, with ups and downs, depressing moments mirrored by inspirational ones. It is beautiful, and though it largely continues with Muscio's usual themes of feminism and antiracism, I would file this book under “ecofeminism” as well.
Muscio’s latest, published last year, picks up where her classic Cunt: A Declaration of Independence left off. Rose is divided into two sections: Violence and Love. It's written in Muscio’s standard conversational yet highly informed tone, touching on history, culture, and anecdotes from her own life, seamlessly sewing it all together in a beautiful, diverse patchwork quilt. “Violence” talks about violence in our culture, engrained as it is, and speaks much about rape and safety.
Need some new reading material? These three new indie comics by Kate Skelly, Angie Wang, and Julia Gfrörer will take you from an outer galaxy to a zombiefied forest, and will keep you occupied (and perhaps up all night with every light turned on). Click through for more!
As a teacher to high school children, whenever we discussed social justice in the worlds of books we read, one question that would repeatedly come up was, “How do we understand privilege, if you say it is all around us—how can we work with the 'lowest' common denominator if there will always be more walls and more marginalization?”; and I remember not being to answer that question most of the time. By the end of the year, as a class, what we could loftily conclude was where our own privileges and marginalizations lay; given that we did all that we could to “not speak for others.” Of course, we should have realized that growing up in Bombay meant we were speaking for others; coming of age in the decades of neoliberal economic policies in the cultural capital of the country does that to a generation of people—by being the very people who later India Shining addresses, we yield that kind of power. The privilege to voice someone else’s story, and to use our particular frame to view their lives.
Trans icon Kate Bornstein's memoir, A Queer and Pleasant Danger: The true story of a nice Jewish boy who joins the Church of Scientology and leaves twelve years later to become the lovely lady she is today, shines a bright, unflinching light on self-image, gender, and life on the far edge of the fringe.
GeekRadical.org is in its final push in a Kickstarter campaign to publish a Feminist Speculative Fiction anthology through PM Press. The goal is to “emphasize women's speculative fiction from the mid-1970s onward, looking to explore women's rights as well as gender/race/class/etc. from as many perspectives as possible.”
Hello good readers of Bitch blogs! Starting this week for the next twelve weeks, I’ll be blogging at Bitch about Indian feminist books and films and I might quite possibly “ruin” India for many of you (it’s a superpower of mine, I’m often told) and I’m hoping in turn you’ll “ruin” my impression of north-Atlantic feminisms (which in my experience have not been of the most dedicated listeners). Apart from the sense of accomplishment I get while rupturing romanticized versions of India—because really, who wouldn’t be happy to break bubbles like: “What do you mean there are no tigers on the street? So this tattoo really means "my father is over there" in Sanskrit? Why can’t I like, go to tribal camp?”—I also hope that this break in lines of thought and action will make us talk and listen to one another.
If you've learrned anything from zombie flicks, you know that when the end is near, it's time to prepare. And it's probably a good time to catch up on all of that reading you've been putting off.
Below, you'll find a reading list to prepare you for the genderpocalypse.
Bryant Terry’s The Inspired Vegan is aptly named; it’s truly, well, inspiring. Terry, who dubs himself an “eco-chef,” is more than just a cookbook author, and this is more than just a cookbook. It is a delicious spark of revolution and call to action, and filled with many delectable recipes, along with the music, literature, and art that inspired his menus. It is an ode to movements and people that fight for justice, set to an infectious soundtrack.
I write for Colors Magazine in Treviso, Italy. In addition to playing soccer/eating pasta/translating feminist philosophy, I spend my free time thinking about the best and the worst books that I've encountered in 21 years of school. Those thoughts go here. If you'd like to have a favorite text from high school or college (or onwards) reviewed in the "Required Reading" series, send me a note! Reading on recommendation is always fun.
Born in Sydney, Australia, Jyoti has been living in the U.S since 2006. She is currently pursuing a Masters degree in Writing and Publishing at Portland State University, and is the publishing intern here at Bitch Media. Her main area of interest is the changing face of the publishing industry, especially in the rise of independent presses.
What I'm reading:
My favorite writers are: Helene Cixous, Kathy Acker, Jeanette Winterson, and Margaret Atwood.
What I'm reading:
My favorite writers are: Helene Cixous, Kathy Acker, Jeanette Winterson, and Margaret Atwood.
As a young feminist growing up on the mean streets of Portland, Kelsey dreamed that one day a kickass, independent, feminist media organization would move its headquarters to her beloved home city. Well kids, Gabrielle was right: "Dreams can come true"! Bitch moved to Portland, and one MA in Media Studies from the University of Oregon later, Kelsey moved in as web editor. She hasn't looked back since.
When not editing the interwebs at the Bitch office, Kelsey can be found lecturing reluctant students, listening to podcasts, and hanging out with her French Bulldog, Edith. She also enjoys making things out of fabric and watching pretty much anything on television (preferably at the same time, and preferably with Edith). If you're looking for a new pal who loves both LOLcats and Linda Ronstadt records, she's your gal.
What I'm watching:
Arrested Development, The Twilight Zone, Mad Men, Parks and Recreation
What I'm reading:
Graduate school and the Internet have relegated Kelsey (and her attention span) to the land of short stories. It's a nice place to be, especially when Lorrie Moore and George Saunders are there.
What I'm listening to:
King Khan & BBQ Show, Girls in the Garage, The Blow, NPR
Graduate school and the Internet have relegated Kelsey (and her attention span) to the land of short stories. It's a nice place to be, especially when Lorrie Moore and George Saunders are there.
What I'm listening to:
King Khan & BBQ Show, Girls in the Garage, The Blow, NPR
What I'm watching:
Arrested Development, The Twilight Zone, Mad Men, Parks and Recreation
I work to improve B-Word's web presence by beefing up our blog, working on our podcasts, managing Bitch's social networking sites (be my friend?), and spreading the good b-word all 'round the Net.
Always into what you have to say! Email me at online{at}b-word.org with suggestions or kind words.
Inga Muscio’s Rose: Love in Violent Times is a heart-wrenching journey, with ups and downs, depressing moments mirrored by inspirational ones. It is beautiful, and though it largely continues with Muscio's usual themes of feminism and antiracism, I would file this book under “ecofeminism” as well.
