The Sydney Feminists

The first time I ever heard Caitlin Moran’s ‘How to Be A Woman’ mentioned was in the postscript of Holly Bourne’s ‘Am I Normal Yet?’ – the book that was my gateway into feminism. It was funny and relatable to me as a young teenager, and managed to deal with the delicate topics of mental illness and misogyny in a way that kept me turning pages. Bourne says that Moran’s work ‘really did change [her] life’ in regards to feminism, so I was super excited to read it when I found it in a bookstore. Yet, it turned out to be different from what I was expecting.  Image of Caitlin Moran. She has long dark hair with a blonde area near the top of her head. She is wearing a red and blue button up flannel shirt. https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/05/books/review/moranifesto-caitlin-moran.html  Being a woman who grew up in the 2000s, I found it difficult to relate to Moran’s 1980s childhood, and found more similarities in Bourne’s books which I loved. Moran argues that humour is necessary for de...

“#MeToo: Stories From the Australian Movement” is the must-read, women tell-declaration against sexual exploitation every woman should own. This powerful collection, edited by Natalie Kon-Yu, Christie Nieman, Maggie Scott, and Miriam Sved offers a variety of articulate and gripping accounts of sexual abuse against women. Ranging from short stories to poems, “#MeToo” effortlessly blends the voices of multicultural Australian women from numerous walks of life. Image Description: Image of the front cover of "#MeToo: Stories from the Australian Movement." The background is a pale cream color. At the top of the image the words "Stories from the Australian Movement" are written in bold, black lettering. Beneath this, there is a quote from Tracey Spicer in smaller black lettering which reads "An extremely important anthology." Along the right side, written from the bottom to the top, are the names of the editors in purple, bold lettering. The rest...

Now more than ever, the need to discuss traits traditionally considered feminine, is paramount. Luckily for us, Amy Stanton and Catherine Connors have opened up the dialogue in a strong and welcoming way. ‘ The Feminine Revolution ’, serves as a great introductory text for anybody looking to learn more about gender theory and how these archetypal feminine traits came to be. Framed around 21 core traits that any female should embrace, ‘ The Feminine Revolution ’ celebrates female modes of being which include, but are not limited to: crying openly, being a dreamer and unleashing your wild woman. This piece of literature can be commended for a multitude of reasons but ‘ The Feminine Revolution ’ should primarily be celebrated for its unapologetic stance for acknowledging a wide range of ways to express feminine power. Stanton’s and Connor’s book is a great example of a passion project gone right. By making the point to ensure that the concepts discussed within this book are coupled ...

The table is ... categorised in waves. Caitlin Moran has said we’re "post wave" and Julie Bindel once said "there’s enough waves in the sea, we don’t need them in feminism," but it wouldn’t be feminism if everyone was happy. Bate has put this in the breakdown of how the book is laid out. I wanted to point this out first, because I love it. This idea is lost these days. Feminism isn’t a garden party; we don’t have to be agreeable. It’s society that tells us we are homogenous, it’s society that tells us we can’t argue. But feminism is a political movement, made up of (mostly) women with differing views. I see feminism as a tree: we sit on different branches, looking back at the trunk in slightly different ways, we all have our own perspective, and we’re all trying to figure out how best to make it grow stronger. Feminism is a ...political endeavour to make women’s lives better. That mission is the only constant - the method, the expression, the arrange...

Image Source: luxalptraum.com “… lies are strategic. Whether we are faking our orgasms or inventing boyfriends or concealing our pasts, women lie for specific reasons, ones that are often deeply connected to our very survival” (p. 224) Alptraum’s debut book Faking It is a provocative and progressive analysis of the restrictive stereotypes of female sexuality in our society. She writes in a passionate yet academic tone peppered with personal anecdotes and quotes from women from a variety of backgrounds. The central theme of Faking It revolves around the concept of women habitually lying as a means of protecting ourselves and attempting to embody impossible expectations. Alptraum’s arguments are thoroughly researched from a myriad of sources including historic scientific studies, TED Talks and legal statutes with pop culture references from When Harry Met Sally to South Park . The author demonstrates a breadth of knowledge of contemporary feminist theory with allusions to s...

Author: Dr Jen Welter with Stephanie Krikorian Published by: Seal Press Reviewer: The Sydney Feminists  Reviewer comment:  After I volunteered to do this book review, I discovered it was about triumph in American Football! I was reluctant. Not my genre! How wrong I was. Anyone who reads Play BIG will understand how ironic my pre-conceived judgement was. This story is riddled with pre-judgement, prejudice and historic notions of what women can’t do.   (The review copy was provided courtesy of the publisher). Play BIG is the trail blazing story of Jen Welter, a sports mad kid who despite being told she couldn’t, shouldn’t and wouldn’t make it in sports ....Did! But Play BIG is far more; it’s a story of an inner burning passion that left Welter open to derision, due to her seemingly disparate interests. Despite outward opposition, she did the hard yards and tapped into her unrelenting drive to follow her dreams. Even when she wasn’t sure what he...