Adiós, Barbie edited by Ophira Edut

 I saw Ophira Edut speak this summer at the Southern Girls Convention and finally had a chance to read her most well-known work, Adiós, Barbie.  In this collection of essays, “young women write about body image and identity.”  I would be hard pressed to come up with a topic about body image that is not covered in this book: issues of race and ethnicity, physical appearances, societal pressures, gender issues, and body modification.  Naturally I don’t agree with or like every essay, but they all have valid points and when read in succession they provide a lot of insight into my generation’s attitude on body image.  Adiós, Barbie is a good introduction to women’s issues for those who might be interested.

The Camera My Mother Gave Me by Susanna Kaysen

 Susanna Kaysen is also the author of Girl, Interrupted, which I read and enjoyed several years ago, so when I saw this book I picked it up right away.  The Camera My Mother Gave Me is about Ms. Kaysen’s experience with having a medical mystery – a painful area in her vagina located in an area that she’d had surgery on many years earlier.  Each chapter is a short synopsis of each step of her ordeal, which ends up lasting several years.  Susanna winds up seeing many kinds of doctors, herbalists, and friends and allows us to get to know all of them, as well as their theories and plans for her return to health.  Another main factor in her life is her live-in boyfriend and how this disorder affects their sex life and thus, life in general.  I liked this book because of its honesty as well as Susanna Kaysen’s succinct yet descriptive writing style.

Exile and Pride: Disability, Queerness and Liberation by Eli Clare

Although Exile and Pride isn’t a thick book, it still took me a long time to read.  Through a series of connected essays, Eli Clare covers many topics she’s struggled with internally and externally through the years.  These include having cerebral palsy and still being able to hike and do many other physical tasks while avoiding the label of “supercrip,” growing up in a logging town in Oregon and later becoming an environmentalist who opposes the destruction of the forests, experiencing physical and sexual assault from her father (and other men) yet still valuing the construction skills he taught her at the same time, and being a lesbian and how that fits in with all the other ways she’s experienced community.  Reading Exile and Pride raised so many points and questions in my mind that I’m sure I will reread it again soon.   

Heartbreak: The Political Memoir of a Militant Feminist by Andrea Dworkin

 If the word feminist on its own often causes people to pause, then the term militant feminist usually results in a pause followed by some kind of negative backlash.  Well, Andrea Dworkin is most definitely a militant feminist and she is able to beautifully explain why and how in her memoir, Heartbreak.  As one of the most well known names in feminism, Dworkin stands firmly against pornography, speaks and works tirelessly for women’s rights and freedom, and also works as an advocate for those who have been raped or assaulted.  Heartbreak is painful to read, as Dworkin reveals what she has experienced, both personally and from hearing numerous tales of rape and abuse.  There is only one clear choice for her life and she has done everything she can to follow it.  I am now interested in reading some of her novels, particularly those which deal with pornography.     

Listen Up: Voices From the Next Feminist Generation edited by Barbara Findler

This recently (2001) updated version of Listen Up is an excellent introduction to Third Wave feminism and the diverse ways that it has manifested itself into our daily lives.  Essays in this collection cover topics such as studying self-defense and religion, analyzing advertising, familial relationships, starting a feminist club at school, radical pro-choice activism, being androgynous, and combating sexism with zines, among many others.  My favorite essay is “And So I Chose,” by Allison Crews where she talks about being raised in a pro-life environment, being brought to abortion clinic protests, and how she rejects this life, becomes a teenage mother, and decides to keep her baby.  I can imagine many different people finding essays in here to relate to or even disagree with.  Either way, it will get you thinking and perhaps shed some light on where feminism is today.   

Manifesta: Young Women, Feminism, and the Future by Jennifer Baumgardener and Amy Richards

Both authors of Manifesta have been involved with Ms. Magazine at some point, and Amy Richards is also a co-founder of the Third Wave Foundation.  The main understanding that I took away from Manifesta was the differences between the First, Second, and Third wave feminists, both in their histories, beliefs, and goals as groups, and also in their relationships to each other.  A lot of focus is placed in Manifesta on the media’s coverage of feminism, both feminist and mainstream generated, as well as all the magazines and zines that fall in between.  Views on issues like the Equal Rights Amendment, the girlies, and even a celebration of Sassy magazine are discussed.  Another interesting inclusion is a time line of feminist history and lots of contact information for current feminist groups and organizations.  I liked how the authors included comments from their friends and thus represented more diverse perspectives and opinions.

The Marriage Sabbatical by Cheryl Jarvis

I picked this book up in the library a few months after I’d returned home from a four month break from my husband, Sean.  Cheryl Jarvis has conducted a study of women who have all taken sabbaticals from their lives.  Through many conversations, Cheryl describes this practice as an empowering way for women to accomplish various things, such as a vacation, education, a life-long dream, or just a well deserved break.  This book examines many aspects of modern daily life for women in relationships, and works to combat the stigmas that are often placed on women who choose to take sabbaticals.  I’d recommend this book to just about everyone.

Never Done: A History of American Housework by Susan Strasser

In her first book, Susan Strasser details every aspect of the American woman’s duties and how they have changed over the years.  From the times when very few items were even available for purchase to the advent of fast food restaurants, women have held the responsibility for maintaining functioning households as part of their daily duties.  This book uses sources such as catalogs, advertisements, women’s magazines, home economic texts and manuals, personal journals, and oral histories to present an accurate picture of the many tasks and chores traditionally performed by women.  Never Done provided me with yet another new perspective on life as a woman.

Honor Lost: Love and Death in Modern-Day Jordan by Norma Khouri

In Honor Lost, Norma explains her life growing up as a Catholic in modern Jordan and her relationship with her best friend, Dalia, who happened to be Muslim.  The two are bound together by a connection that is not usually permitted of women in their culture, so they take many steps to ensure that they will be able to ward off arranged marriages and continue their friendship.  Dalia eventually meets a man and falls in love, but he is Catholic, so with Norma’s help they start a secret courtship, knowing that if Dalia is even suspected her father or brothers could kill her at any time.  Honor Lost is personal and sad, but also shocking that so many women still live in conditions like this all around the world.  Norma Khouri is daring and brave to leave her life behind in order to tell her story with a hope of helping other women find freedom.  

Young Wives’ Tales: New Adventures in Love and Partnership edited by Jill Corral and Lisa Miya-Jervis