Julia
Loved this! I appreciate Lewis' warning that if we believe that history repeats itself, then we should be really concerned by certain historical examples, like how British suffragists turned to fascism (literally) after WWI. She is also so clear-eyed and incisive about how so much of feminism is really white feminism, taking turns with racialized capitalism to mutually forward their agendas, and I loved the framing that "enemy" and "comrade" are fluid states we should base on our actual politics, not labels. Also such a great chapter on TERFs. This book was divisive in book club, though - none of my friends disagreed with any of her arguments, but felt the "call out" tone was not their jam (I'm salty, so for better and worse appreciate others' saltiness). There are hints of another world - the one Lewis dreams for, not the one we have - when she talks of cyborgs and "monstrous affinities," and we did all agree that's the book we want to read. I have a copy of "Abolish the Family" I'll read next, which may be exactly that book? Either way, I wish anyone calling them a feminist would read this book.
Loved this! I appreciate Lewis' warning that if we believe that history repeats itself, then we should be really concerned by certain historical examples, like how British suffragists turned to fascism (literally) after WWI. She is also so clear-eyed and incisive about how so much of feminism is really white feminism, taking turns with racialized capitalism to mutually forward their agendas, and I loved the framing that "enemy" and "comrade" are fluid states we should base on our actual politics, not labels. Also such a great chapter on TERFs. This book was divisive in book club, though - none of my friends disagreed with any of her arguments, but felt the "call out" tone was not their jam (I'm salty, so for better and worse appreciate others' saltiness). There are hints of another world - the one Lewis dreams for, not the one we have - when she talks of cyborgs and "monstrous affinities," and we did all agree that's the book we want to read. I have a copy of "Abolish the Family" I'll read next, which may be exactly that book? Either way, I wish anyone calling them a feminist would read this book.