<<
Laura: so glad to hear from a younger person... it's absolutely necessary
to hear your voice!!! i haven't read as much as the others on the list,
either... but i'm learning so much by discussion. (i'm 30 and an english
instructor). (double ack.) what have you read? and what did you think
about those works? AND why do you think you and your friends don't read sf?
or at all? do you feel that the females read more or less -- and why? and
one last question: what is going on in the high schools and around younger
people today that makes them think that feminism is so terrible? i'd love
to get your perspective.
-lissa bloomer
>>
I read _The Gate to Woman's Country_ and I loved it. I don't consider that
one part that's been so discussed on the list exactly homophobic, maybe I'll
read it again. I also read _Grass_ and found it really interesting. This is
really randomn but I noticed some strange, kind of abstract similarities
between it and Jewel's music (though not nearly as many as between Tracy
Chapman and _1984_). I just finished Ender's Game, Speaker for the Dead and
Xenocide by Orson Scott Card. At first I was a bit appalled at the
manipulation and violence in Ender's Game, but I really liked them and when
Iread the other two, it conected a lot better in my mind. I can't wait to
read Children of the Mind.
I think a lot of people my age don't read because of the time factor. with
all the books everyone has to trudge through they don't want to deal with any
more even if they'll be fun. I know in middle school I read a little SF, but
I refused to call it that because everyone, including me thought of science
fiction of some awful nerdy thing, I'm not even sure anymore. Most of my
friends hate science except maybe phisiology. They have no interest in the
subjects in science fiction and they don't want to think about it. I think a
lot of it is the whole nerd image, too. They might try sf, but then they
don't want to be laughed at. I think the females tend to read less and I'm
not sure why. Most of my friends are from Girl Scout camp and most of them
tend to be more into humanities, especially major wise. They'll say "this is
a plant" but they won't ask "why is this a plant" or "what makes it a plant".
I'm the one teaching 7 year olds about chemical reactions, while they're
fighting over who can help in Arts & Crafts (I like Arts & Crafts too). This
is getting really irrelevant so maybe I'll ask some people this week and
write more when I get more info.
About Feminism I've never really thought about it, I've rarely even heard the
word used at school, but thinking about it, when it is used there does seem
to be sort of a stigmitism around it. I think feminists are usually looked
at as either a bunch of woman who hate men or a bunch of lesbians. If people
think that by definition they have to hate men, they're going to run away
from the term. It's perception, but a lot about high school is perception,
everyone tries to be what they think everybody else will think is "cool" and
it ends up being quite amusing if you just remove yourself from the situation
and watch the madness of people trying to fit in 100% which is impossible.
It's late and I have a ton of hw left to do, so I think I'll stop rambleing.
(Please excuse my spelling, I have aol and there is still no spellcheck.)
:-)
Laura Sandeen
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Thu May 25 2000 - 19:06:06 PDT