I read the Dialetic of Sex not long after it was published in my early days of exploring feminism and when I was becoming more analytical in my understandings of feminism and how I could claim it as my own. Although challenged by the book it was also a revelation that a woman could write such a ground breaking seminal text.
At this time I lived in a small remote mining township in Australia where the ratio of women to men was 1:27 so a book like this was important on so many different levels and in particular for the other women I was able to loan it to and then engage in dialogue with. It refreshed many of us who were yearning for change and ways to take on the patriarchy and who felt often that we did not have the language to do so.
The sadness I feel for Shulamith is that she died alone althogh I suspect that she felt separate for much of her life. It takes courage to live with mental illness as it seems to always be there hovering over you so my hope is that she now is free to be a star shining brightly in a galaxy of feminist stars and that she is at peace.
I read the Dialetic of Sex not long after it was published in my early days of exploring feminism and when I was becoming more analytical in my understandings of feminism and how I could claim it as my own. Although challenged by the book it was also a revelation that a woman could write such a ground breaking seminal text.
At this time I lived in a small remote mining township in Australia where the ratio of women to men was 1:27 so a book like this was important on so many different levels and in particular for the other women I was able to loan it to and then engage in dialogue with. It refreshed many of us who were yearning for change and ways to take on the patriarchy and who felt often that we did not have the language to do so.
The sadness I feel for Shulamith is that she died alone althogh I suspect that she felt separate for much of her life. It takes courage to live with mental illness as it seems to always be there hovering over you so my hope is that she now is free to be a star shining brightly in a galaxy of feminist stars and that she is at peace.
Travel well dear friend.