"Seditious grandmothers enabling Rogues...what's up with that?"

[idiosyncreant]

Draft of Seditious Intent done! Though it's a really crappy one, I've decided that's okay. I've got Story, we're good for the moment.

Two books I think everyone who ever drops through here should read:

The Face in the Frost (John Bellairs)
one line press? I just finished reading this and am now insanely eager to OWN a copy. Munnies must come first, munnies must come first...

Women Who Run With the Wolves (Clarissa Pinkola Estes)
a book about love, life, and stories from all over that teach us (especially women) about it.

I'll add reasons here once I'm done reading the chillens more Skulduggery Pleasant.
ETA~ I's back! So, without any further ado,

The Face in the Frost was recommended to me and the ViableParadiseXI group more than once. When my pet librarian (NoDisrespectedIntended) had it in her smorgasbord (NDI) of YA-interest fantasy/SF, I knew I should pick it up. Then I read the first page.
Hooked.
It took me a while to pick it up once I had it home, because something else took precedence and I forgot why it snagged me so neatly.
But it's got the very homey/real-life sort of humor in it's main characters juxtaposed with terribly drastic magic and some gothic wonders of event. It's like the Hobbit in humor and juxtaposition like that--and the zany wizard hero reminds me of Harry Potter 'verse, only more grounded in reality.
I hope Amazon has a preview of it, and I hope you read it, too.

Women Who Run With the Wolves is a work by a psychologist who seems to truly love folk-tales. Each chapter dissects the wisdom (Woman Wisdom, particularly) of stories from a wide array of cultures and how it applies to being a whole person and healing from hurt. It also speaks to men, because so much of this is tied up in the life-partner relationship and the ways families interact.
I'm quite a few chapters in and each seems to bring to light a new truth.
I also love the abstract approach, the focus on the elements of the story being the truth-carriers. Even when initially the ideas really weird me out.

I can deal with being weirded out--sometimes that's the only way to learn something new, something you need to know.

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

I disagree that the world is feminist, what with all the many nasty things happening to women around the world--not to mention your friends whose life choices are questioned because of their gender... but not to get bogged down in your premise.

In my travels through feminism (30+ years), I've never gotten that feminists pre, present, or post don't honor matriarchs. However, there are people, feminist or not, who can't deal with others making different life choices. Someday after having kids, these same people will be looking askance at people who *aren't* trad moms. Sure, it's skewed, and irritating, but not worth feeling bad about it.

Anyway, the point you might be snagged on is the feminist insistence that the path of the matriarch is not the *only* celebration and affirmation of being a woman. A gay woman, a child-free straight woman, a nun, a matriarch: we're all fully and gloriously women.

PS It's been years since I looked at Women who Run with Wolves. I'll see if I can hunt it down on my shelves. By all means, post your thoughts!

[jeanhuets.livejournal.com]

Oops. I didn't realize I was logged out. That was me.

[idiosyncreant.livejournal.com]

Oh, just looking at your first line by "world" I don't mean globe. I don't mean anything but the cultural context I was raised in.

I'm not snagged on any point, per se--I just am not a "feminist" in most senses of the word. I am more concerned with lack of awareness of a woman's nature and the neglect of the powerful community in a family unit than having women being able to get jobs anywhere they want. I'd rather see families healed as families so that men affirm women as valuable where they are.
The heart change, rather than civil change, maybe? Because I've been in a foreign culture where the outer manifestations of women's liberation were all present and the underlying culture of exploitation both sexually and as the house servant was still alive and well. (As far as I could tell.)

And I know I'm very lucky to be in a place and time where I can write and not worry about my gender getting in the way. It breaks my heart to know what women suffer around the world. I'm so glad to support women working among peoples where oppression and cultural norms drive women to desperation and suicidal depression.

I'm very much GenY, though and torn between the paradoxes of reality. By all means we want to free Muslim women, but the way Western feminism approaches is only making things worse.

Anyway. I hope that clears up any misunderstanding, though I'm sure I've opened myself up to a LOT of criticism.

[jeanhuets.livejournal.com]

I'm with you on paradoxes. The biggest paradox being that men and women really do have different strengths and predilictions: it's how to honor each fully that's where we get stuck.

I'm still not with you on "Western" (whatever that is!) feminism not honoring family and hearth. On the contrary, feminism has improved the domestic situation for many women, and actually strengthens families. Here's a link from Terri, VPX, a venerable feminist mom. bogwitch from VPX

[idiosyncreant.livejournal.com]

Yes, you struck on it: "how to honor each fully".

By Western Feminism I mean feminism as incarnated in a "Western" context: coming out of Greek rationality and humanist development of philosophy. An cerebral-emphasis approach, where education and civic action take focus. Many cultures of the Middle-East and Asia have other foundations to their worldview, and are "non-Western", or at least that's the way I've learned to use the terms.

I understand that feminism can't be defined by one set of characteristics, since it's made up of individuals who have embraced a broad ideal. And I will NOT say it hasn't improved anyone's lives.

All I meant is that I do think efforts to export the American incarnation of it wholesale is a mistake, and as likely to muck up good attributes in other cultures as it is to bring about the kind of healthy balance we'd like to see. Cultural sensitivity is my soapbox, though--don't mind me.

It's been fun discussing something important off the thread of my reading--I don't always get to dialogue about it. Thanks! ^_^

[jeanhuets.livejournal.com]

My pleasure! Keep on exploring and fighting the good fight. The sound of feminists debating is sweet!