The Portable Feminist Reader

December 15, 2024
A compendium of feminist perspectives. Essayist, memoirist, and fiction writer Gay represents the history, scope, and challenges of feminism in a judicious selection of 65 pieces, some written by iconic feminist writers (bell hooks, Audre Lorde, Susan B. Anthony), others by collectives, and still others by lesser-known voices. Citing "dynamism" as her guiding principle, Gay has chosen works that are articulate, diverse, and hard-hitting. "I believe there is a feminist canon," Gay writes, "one that is subjective and always evolving, but also representative of a long, rich tradition of feminist scholarship." The pieces are grouped into eight thematic sections. Foundational texts include a statement of guiding principles for the 2017 Women's March; early feminist texts begin with 16th-century scholar Henricus Cornelius Agrippa's defense of women's superiority and includes Charlotte Perkins Gilman's "The Yellow Wallpaper" and Anthony's argument for women's right to vote. Other well-known pieces include Judy Brady's wry "I Want a Wife," a 1970 essay reprinted in the first issue ofMs. magazine; Rebecca Solnit's "Men Explain Things to Me"; and Gloria Steinem's "If Men Could Menstruate." There are also fresh surprises: "The Woman-Identified Woman," a manifesto written by six women calling themselves Radicalesbians, argues that lesbianism is central to feminist politics "as an identity of political, cultural, and erotic resistance to patriarchy." In "Girl," novelist Alexander Chee reflects on gender fluidity, remembering being mistaken for a girl when he was growing up and revealing the beauty he finds when he puts on drag. With its capacious perspective, the collection speaks to a range of feminist concerns, past, present, and future. As Gay notes, "women's bodies, movements, and choices are contingent on the whims of men in power. We have made progress but we are not yet free." A timely, spirited collection.

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Starred review from January 1, 2025

For Gay (Opinions: A Decade of Arguments, Criticism, and Minding Other People's Business), feminism is a both/and proposition--something that defines her, even as she defies, denies, or denudes it. In her introduction to this collection of historical and recent feminist texts, she suggests that such complexity is woven into the stories people tell themselves about feminism and feminists. Designed to be an expansive--not definitive--feminist canon, the volume includes writings from various genres and authors of varied backgrounds. Highlights of the book include Kimberl� Crenshaw's "Demarginalizing the Intersection of Race and Sex" and Peggy McIntosh's "White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack." The book also situates texts by widely recognized feminists, such as bell hooks, Gloria Steinem, Audre Lorde, and Angela Davis, alongside standout essays by less-0famous authors, such as Franny Choi's "To the Man Who Shouted 'I Like Pork Fried Rice' at Me on the Street." This book makes feminism urgent, perhaps more than ever before. VERDICT Worth picking up for Gay's introspective yet inclusive introduction alone, this new collection provides accessible entry points into feminism and offers even advanced scholars new ways of viewing the complex, intersectional histories of feminist thought, literature, and action.--Emily Bowles

Copyright 2025 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 1, 2025
Noted cultural critic and essayist Gay (Opinions, 2023) assembles a new canon of more than 50 pieces of feminist work by renowned and lesser-known writers in this excellent, expansive collection. Acknowledging that canons are often static and invariably subjective, Gay argues the feminist canon is "always evolving" and hopes her selection launches "a vibrant and vigorous conversation about historical and contemporary feminist thought." She has certainly succeeded in choosing pieces by a wide array of intelligent and compelling voices, covering topics from sexual politics and gender roles to labor, ecofeminism, and disability politics. Split into nine sections, the works range from essays to poetry to manifestos; they are deadly serious, unsettling, and raucously funny. Readers will recognize iconic activists including Ida B. Wells, Gloria Steinem, and Angela Y. Davis; beloved literary figures like Audre Lorde and bell hooks; and contemporary writers such as Rebecca Solnit, Alexander Chee, and Samatha Irby. They sit alongside emerging writers including Franny Choi, Johanna Hedva, and Gabrielle Bellot. Readers will be engrossed by this dynamic and engaging collection.

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