This morning I re-read an excerpt from Borderlands/La Frontera - the section about the new mestiza - how collectively if we just stand on the "opposite river bank" of the oppressor and react, nothing will happen. It's time to react. To do the hard work of challenging the patriarchy. To do the inner work in ourselves/ to do the inner work in our communities/ to come together across communities to do larger work of changing the institution of patriarchy. All this is to say, that I stand with you, in solidarity and ready to do the work we need to do.
Love you back, Amber! (Assuming you are my beloved college roommate, since your last name is not on your Substack… but even if not, love back! We need all the love right now!!)
Dear Emily. Thank you for this. And this has everything to do with Sylvia Plath. She lived in a time when women were expected to give up on their careers, their dreams and their selves in exchange for being a house wife and a mother. She married a serial cheater, moved to an even more misogynistic culture with him, and he was abusive to boot. In a way, he was the Donald Trump of the literary scene of their day. And there was soooo many others like him. What is so tragic about Sylvia's life goes beyond what she did, how she reacted, and seeps from the women of her day into the women of today. My mother was the same age as she was. My mother grew up one town away from her. My mother went to Wellesley College. My mother became a professor of botany. When my mother got pregnant, she was asked to step down. Her 6 month pregnant stomach was too suggestive, the dean at the college she was teaching at (a catholic one). My mother was a married woman. She went on to raise four children and in the process, spent the rest of her life trying to reimagine who she was and who she could be. She got into medical school - but was too afraid to follow though. She met my dad, a wonderful man, who would have supported her in everything. But society of 1960-1972 - didn't want women to be anything but barefoot and pregnant. So many women like Syvlia had nervous breakdowns. So many women either committed suicide or, like my mother, spent years blanking themselves out. For Sylvia's sake, let's refuse to allow women - any of us - to go backwards. She gave us a voice - let's use is - singularly - loud, and clear.
Hmmm... when does coalition building become institution building? If you and your coalition succeed, then you'll be in charge. And then you'll want to perpetuate your system that you built, then you'll need institutions of your own. If you want your work to go on after you retire. Institutions are the things that last down through the generations. Otherwise, each new generation will have to rebuild coalitions from scratch every time. Seems to me that figuring out how to keep institutions responsive and responsible is the job at hand.
I will. But I'm just one guy. We need as many people as possible thinking about it. If you want to make any lasting changes that is. You sound like someone who dissatisfied with the status quo. It's gonna take a lot of work to change course here. More than just being flippant with me.
Well, when you show up and comment on an essay about the ways institutions do deliberate harm to people in precarious positions that we just need more institutions, maybe you might expect some flippancy.
No, I'm not a hater. I just have very little patience for this kind of pedantic nonsense which is dressed up as a good faith argument. Also, I just wish the men could be quiet, for one moment. Just one moment.
This morning I re-read an excerpt from Borderlands/La Frontera - the section about the new mestiza - how collectively if we just stand on the "opposite river bank" of the oppressor and react, nothing will happen. It's time to react. To do the hard work of challenging the patriarchy. To do the inner work in ourselves/ to do the inner work in our communities/ to come together across communities to do larger work of changing the institution of patriarchy. All this is to say, that I stand with you, in solidarity and ready to do the work we need to do.
❤️💜❤️💜
Let’s start with the coalitions Thank you for your post and thoughtful response to now.
Thanks, Elizabeth!
❤️🥚💙❤️🥚💙🙏🏻🙏🏼🙏🏽🙏🏾🙏🏿
Love you, Em.
Love you back, Amber! (Assuming you are my beloved college roommate, since your last name is not on your Substack… but even if not, love back! We need all the love right now!!)
Dear Emily. Thank you for this. And this has everything to do with Sylvia Plath. She lived in a time when women were expected to give up on their careers, their dreams and their selves in exchange for being a house wife and a mother. She married a serial cheater, moved to an even more misogynistic culture with him, and he was abusive to boot. In a way, he was the Donald Trump of the literary scene of their day. And there was soooo many others like him. What is so tragic about Sylvia's life goes beyond what she did, how she reacted, and seeps from the women of her day into the women of today. My mother was the same age as she was. My mother grew up one town away from her. My mother went to Wellesley College. My mother became a professor of botany. When my mother got pregnant, she was asked to step down. Her 6 month pregnant stomach was too suggestive, the dean at the college she was teaching at (a catholic one). My mother was a married woman. She went on to raise four children and in the process, spent the rest of her life trying to reimagine who she was and who she could be. She got into medical school - but was too afraid to follow though. She met my dad, a wonderful man, who would have supported her in everything. But society of 1960-1972 - didn't want women to be anything but barefoot and pregnant. So many women like Syvlia had nervous breakdowns. So many women either committed suicide or, like my mother, spent years blanking themselves out. For Sylvia's sake, let's refuse to allow women - any of us - to go backwards. She gave us a voice - let's use is - singularly - loud, and clear.
Hmmm... when does coalition building become institution building? If you and your coalition succeed, then you'll be in charge. And then you'll want to perpetuate your system that you built, then you'll need institutions of your own. If you want your work to go on after you retire. Institutions are the things that last down through the generations. Otherwise, each new generation will have to rebuild coalitions from scratch every time. Seems to me that figuring out how to keep institutions responsive and responsible is the job at hand.
Yeah, well, if you figure that out, Keith, let me know
I will. But I'm just one guy. We need as many people as possible thinking about it. If you want to make any lasting changes that is. You sound like someone who dissatisfied with the status quo. It's gonna take a lot of work to change course here. More than just being flippant with me.
Well, when you show up and comment on an essay about the ways institutions do deliberate harm to people in precarious positions that we just need more institutions, maybe you might expect some flippancy.
Wow. A hater. Hm.
No, I'm not a hater. I just have very little patience for this kind of pedantic nonsense which is dressed up as a good faith argument. Also, I just wish the men could be quiet, for one moment. Just one moment.
Ha ha ha that’s a nice wish!