I am a feminist; I believe in equal rights. I know that the world has many places where women do not enjoy the freedoms I do in the US and yet we have some more work to go here in treating all humans with respect and providing opportunity and positive expectations of ability and brain power. I admit that I have some work to do and am so looking forward to the learning experience of this challenge! I absolutely love all the lists and everyone’s thoughts on feminism and women’s rights and the highlighting of awesome women all around the world. Amen, Sister!
I’ve already read The Whale Rider by Witi Ihimarera. This is a story of a little girl born into the family of a Māori village chief but he is extremely disappointed that she wasn’t born male. She has a role to fill and does it with can-do spirit. I look forward to re-viewing the movie.
I wanted to see if any in house books might also work for my options and these are the ones I came up with:
Fiction: Sister Carrie by Theodore Dreiser, undiscovered gyrl by Allison Burnett, The Center of Everything by Laura Moriarty, Alias Grace by Atwood, I am Madame X by Gioia Diliberto, A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick.
Nonfiction: Shooting the Boh* by Tracy Johnston, Dead Man Walking by Sister Helen Prejean, and Eleanor of Aquitaine by Alison Weir.
My past reading in this extremely broad category includes a few of the more well known works: The Feminist Mystique / Betty Friedan, The Beauty Myth / Naomi Wolf, and The Awakening / Kate Chopin. But I really am looking forward to diving into books by Virginia Woolf, Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Audre Lorde, Tillie Olsen, Nancy Friday, Simone de Beauvoir…
And not just women’s issues books, but I would like to read bios of fascinating women: Sandra Day O’Connor, Mae West, Margaret Mead; and possibly that Geo Johnson book about Miss Leavitt’s Stars.
I’ve always wanted to read The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath. I’m curious about Escape by Carolyn Jessop. I am keenly interested in society’s expectations in the choice to have children or not (I don’t have any book titles in mind yet.)
Thank you to everyone who has suggested books! I’m still not committing because I keep changing and my mind when I read the other participants lists.
* I’m reading Shooting the Boh and can justify it with this sentence from the back of the book: ”…perhaps the most frightening discovery that Johnston made was what she learned about herself: about what it means to be an adventurer – a WOMAN adventurer – on the wrong side of forty, hampered by a changing body and the fear, loss, and envy that haunt any woman in a world that – even in Borneo – seems made exclusively for the young.” This fits my desire to read about amazing women.
Updated to add this great quote I found at RENEGADEconversations
“I myself have never been able to find out precisely what feminism is: I only know that people call me a feminist whenever I express sentiments that differentiate me from a door mat or a prostitute. (Rebecca West, “Mr Chesterton in Hysterics: A Study in Prejudice,” The Clarion, 14 Nov 1913)
Sounds like tons of great possibles there, Care!
I got Shooting the Boh out from the library back after Eva’s review, but never got around to reading it…think I might have to try again. Hope you’re enjoying it!
and I keep finding more. I’m adding May Sarton to the list…
I was just preparing my list, it’s a long one
Haven’t read any of the books you’ve mentioned but I’m having so much fun going through everyone’s lists
I bought The Beauty Myth for the challenge (and a few others) but I’m still working on my list.
I own I am Madame X too and haven’t read it. Alias Grace is a great one. Good call on that one. Adding to list. Our lists are going to get very long! I adore Sylvia Plath and remember reading The Bell Jar (I have my mom’s old hardcover copy) on a hot summer day on my deck– how cool is that?
oh how very cool that you have your mom’s copy of The Bell Jar. I picked up the Madame X book because I adore John Singer Sargent – I’m captivated by that painting. I bet we could start a challenge of books written that were inspired by art, now that I think of it…
All I want to say to this post is: #LUVCARE.
Hopefully the challenge will give me the excuse I need to finally read The Awakening and The Yellow Wallpaper!
I had never even heard of The Yelloww Wallpaper. I’m learning a lot just reading all of these lists.
#luvana
As a man who was raised by a feminist, I am proud to have my novel, Undiscovered Gyrl, listed right next to Sister Carrie. I think my heroine, Katie Kampenfelt, is a feminist novel in that it is a cautionary tale about what can happen to a girl who misspends the powerful currency of her youth, beauty, and sexuality.
oh WOW! and author visit to my little blog! Yes, I read the back of your book and read the blurb for Sister Carrie (and the only reason I have it is because my first name is Carrie) and thought – these have similar themes… I just might have to read these back to back and see if I can or should do a comparison?
Thanks for visiting!
Challenges are so perilous. I can only read so many tempting blog posts about them before I cave – but I swear, I am not starting this AT ALL until I have finished grad school applications and learning everything there is to know about Christian mysticism.
Love your choices for books!
I’ll be starting another challenge in 2010 that will mention you as if YOU challenged me (re-reading)
I am so tempted to do this challenge and thought of going through my TBR stack like you did to see what might apply. Seeing Sister Carrie on your list is pushiing me closer to the edge of getting in on this challenge.
Just jump in and join the challenge!
I’ll be popping by your blog soon to see if you post a list of your own.
Love the quote at the end of your post! It’s perfect!
I love it, too. Made me laugh out loud. RIGHT ON.
Excellent list of possibilities!
I love the idea of this challenge. It looks like you have a great list to choose from.
I’ve seen the Dead Man Walking movie. Holy crap. What a sad one!
I am also going to join this, and think it is a great challenge. I can’t wait to be inspired!
I probably won’t get my list up until December (that pesky nanowrimo is taking a lot of time!), but I’m right there with you … Women Unbound! will be fantastic!
Lisa and Carol – I think I could spend all year on this challenge.
HistoryofSHE – this is the only book that I’m not sure if it is woman-centric enough. It sounds like more humanist. But, then, it’s written by an interesting woman doing extraordinary things.
Louise – I’m so glad you are joining. I really want to read a Bechdel someday.
Dawn – BEST to you with NANO! See your list in December, then. It’s a year long challenge. so we’ve got all the time in the world… um
Isn’t Shooting the Boh awesome?! lol @ the feminist quote!