My fellow Snowflakes,
At the height of the pandemic, I read (at least) one book a week by a woman author and over 70+ books in all!
This wasn't part of some faux-woke-bro, Silicon Valley trend towards capitalistic enlightenment. Like many women during the pandemic...I had some feelings. But mostly, I felt stretched. There was enough happening with COVID, a poor-man's dictator (i.e. Trump), and an entire social movement to get behind, all simultaneously taking place. Yet somehow, women still got the short end of the stick - shoved with all the emotional/household/extended/family/silent labor, while also being the first ones let go - or quitting - the workforce.
I'm not sure about you, but personally, it was hard to connect and support others when I was having trouble supporting myself. By summer of 2020, I was spending time profoundly reflecting on my emotional boundaries and sense of self-worth. What kind of relationship was I willing to have with others? What kind of relationship did I want from myself? From my life?
The first time I picked up a book in the summer of 2020 it felt so incredibly selfish to indulge in hours of reading. But it felt SO GOOD to nourish myself through the words of women.
Through women's stories, I regained my energy. I found guidance from those who had sorted through the trepidations of herstory. It was a journey into understanding how other women had defined - or redefined - their careers, families, social systems, sexualities, culture, race, abilities, desires, longings, fears, passions, and lives.
As new ways to work and pursue happiness emerge in our era, we continue to realize what makes us happy and unhappy. We continue to seek out our agency, fulfillment, and power. We continue to leave jobs, relationships, and cities when they no longer serve us, ditching old narratives and creating new ones.
We don't have to build these new paths from scratch. And we don't have to do it alone. Other women have navigated epic, sweeping changes and traversed the norms of their day to create their own herstory. For my fellow wanderlusters and self-actualizers, social movement builders and changer makers, and the mom/daughter/wife/sister/aunt/grandmother who wants to be heard (and get a break!), these stories matter more than ever.
This week, I'm softly launching @feminist_mfa, a storytelling community for women to explore their truths through fiction within an intersectional feminist lens.
Through fiction, women often write what can't be expressed as fact but can be understood as truth. These truths help us normalize our experiences, empowering us to move forward through life.
Are you the "only one of your kind" in an affluent, white society that conditionally accepts you? The Chosen and the Beautiful has some hot tips on navigating the politics of the elite.
Debating whether to fall in love with an emotionally distant man who puts down your talent at every turn? Uprooted will help you unearth your true power.
Want to start a revolution? The Mirabal sisters will inspire you to live boldly and love fiercely in The Time of Butterflies.
#FeministMFA is filled with the wisdom left for us by women writers and their heroines, both present and past. This isn't a book club; it's a community—a chance to connect with other like-minded women who exist on the page and in real life, have discussions, and explore worlds that hold answers to the questions we seek. And in the ways of the wise women who came before us and spread knowledge from generation of girls to women, it's totally free.
I hope you'll join me @feminist_mfa.
To the pages - and journeys - we traverse together!
