Tuesday, March 8, 2011

International Women's Day/Link Collection

This is a little sad but I had no idea about International Women's Day until 2006.  I was studying in Italy at the time and my Italian professor asked the class if we had plans for March 8th. The entire class just looked at her confused.  Plans for what? (At least I wasn't alone.) She looked around the class with a look that was just as dumbfounded as the one we were giving her. "Festa della donna, certo!" "Women's day, of course!" I think there was an implied "Duh" in there as well. The town celebrates the day, though primarily with flowers and cake. I like both of those things, especially free, so that was pretty sweet. Of course the day should be more than that, a reflection of things women have accomplished and the strides we still need to make towards equality. And since this blog focuses on books, here are some (not enough) posts I've written about books by female authors.

Sloan Crosley I Was Told There'd Be Cake
As most New Yorkers have done, I have given serious and generous thought to the state of my apartment should I get killed during the day
One day you turn around and "social studies" has become "Chilean fiefdoms of the fourteenth century" and that's when you know you're in college

Susanna Clark, Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell
In short, he wished to know why there was no more magic done in England
As everybody knows, no one with red hair can every truly said to be handsome
I believe Mr Strange will do very well in the war, sir. He has already out-manoeuverd you
"I am sure you are a very different sort of magician from Mr Norrell," [Stephen] said. "I hope I am," said Mr Segundus, seriously
Think of me with my nose in a book!

Octavia Butler, Lilith's Brood Trilogy: Dawn, Adulthood Rites, Imago
A cancer growing in somebody's body will go on growing in spite of denial
Humans persecute their different ones, yet they need them to give themselves definition and status
Helpless lust and unreasoning anxiety were just part of growing up

Jessica Valenti, Full Frontal Feminism
Boston Book Festival, Full Frontal Feminism and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Marisha Pessl, Special Topics in Calamity Physics
Dad always said a person must have a magnificent reason for writing out his or her Life Story and expecting anyone to read it
We are under an invincible blindness as to the true and real nature of things

Chelsea Handler, My Horizontal Life
I prefer to do my walk of shame in the evening, when it's not so bright

Laurie Halse Anderson, Speak
I am getting better at smiling when people expect it

Toni Morrison, Sula
Outlaw women are fascinating
But she had gone on a real trip, and now she was different

Emma Donoghue, Room
If Room wasn't our home, does that mean we don't have one?