ska invita
back on the other side
I just recently finished reading Aint i A Woman by bell hooks - what a powerful read. Such a fearless book, published in 1981 it tears into the shortcomings of what was then contemporary second wave middle class white feminism, and perhaps even more shocking for the time, gives a big kick in the balls to the patriarchy that ran through the majority of the black liberation movement. I'd love to know the reaction it had at the time from those on the sharp end.
The opening chapter on US slavery is devastating. I thought I had an idea of how bad things were in that period, but her focus on the details of sexual politics/aggression was jawdropping to read.
And on top of the that she is a brilliant writer: utterly to the point, minces no words, punch after punch, no hiding behind convoluted language - the kind of clarity born of recognising the truth of a thing.
I have two questions:
-does anyone know of any sympathetic, constructive critiques of her work? or have their own criticisms?
-she is still alive today: has anyone come across any writing or talks that are closer in time to the present day? Aint I A Woman is not dated, but it is of its time, I'd love to hear her take on how things stand now.
...also other writing recommendations that perhaps to some degree deal with other matters than those covered in Aint I A Woman
The opening chapter on US slavery is devastating. I thought I had an idea of how bad things were in that period, but her focus on the details of sexual politics/aggression was jawdropping to read.
And on top of the that she is a brilliant writer: utterly to the point, minces no words, punch after punch, no hiding behind convoluted language - the kind of clarity born of recognising the truth of a thing.
I have two questions:
-does anyone know of any sympathetic, constructive critiques of her work? or have their own criticisms?
-she is still alive today: has anyone come across any writing or talks that are closer in time to the present day? Aint I A Woman is not dated, but it is of its time, I'd love to hear her take on how things stand now.
...also other writing recommendations that perhaps to some degree deal with other matters than those covered in Aint I A Woman
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