Staff Pick
How has the word "witch" historically transformed and intersected with more modern terms like "slut" and "feminist"? Kristin Sollee brilliantly dissects the histories of these terms as they relate to women's oppression and liberation, demonstrating how within them lies a powerful legacy on which to build a call for a woman's right to her own body; spiritual alternatives to patriarchy; queer identity; and sex positivity. If you need to illuminate why the witch has broken back into the mainstream, look no further than the tumultuous times we live in, and the history that brought us here. Recommended By Cosima C., Powells.com
Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
Witch, Slut, Feminist: these contested identities are informing millennial women as they counter a tortuous history of misogyny with empowerment. This innovative primer highlights sexual liberation as it traces the lineage of -witch feminism- through art, film, music, fashion, literature, technology, religion, pop culture, and politics. Juxtaposing scholarly research on the demonization of women and female sexuality that has continued since the witch hunts of the early modern era with pop occulture analyses and interviews with activists, artists, scholars, and practitioners of witchcraft, this book addresses and illuminates contemporary conversations about reproductive rights, sexual pleasure, queer identity, pornography, sex work, and more. Author Kristen J. Sollee elucidates the ways in which women have been persecuted for their perceived connection with witchcraft, and how they have fought back, harnessing the legacy of the witch for revolutionary means.
Kristen J. Sollee is an instructor at The New School and founding editrix of Slutist, an award-winning sex positive feminist website.
Synopsis
Exposing how "witch" and "slut" are used to police female sexuality, the author rehabilitates these sex positive archetypes.