Please or to access all these features

Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

A book about women and taking up space and how manly men do nature writing

60 replies

Iwrotesomething · 12/06/2024 18:26

I would not, honestly, usually do this kind of self promotion but I am a long time, name changing denizen of this place and in my defence a) I mentioned this on another thread and people were interested and b) @Boiledbeetle is reading it and told me to do it and so I had to. Also, you might like it.

It's called The Hard Way, and the narrative is me walking some of the oldest roads in England, but while doing that thinking about why it is hard for women to walk alone, why they are meant to stay at home while men stride out and write about nature, and all the artists are men too. And then I discovered that there were all sorts of great women but either they had to shell peas for the Male Great Artists or we forgot that they wrote anything.

Also gerbils. But this username will self-destruct after this thread.

OP posts:
IthinkIamAnAlien · 24/06/2024 14:39

Thanks for this, I'd like to read it.

This discomfort about walking alone in the country you describe resonated strongly with me. There are several big commons with long grass and lots of bushes where I live and, having woken at 5.30 am on the day before the solstice, the morning was so beautiful, I couldn't resist going out for a walk.

I met only two men and no other people but both men reacted nervously to me and one said 'you don't usually meet people up here at this time of day' which could have meant anything but it made ME nervous. I love going for walks on my own but feel that a dog legitimises your presence and without one you look odd. It shouldn't feel like that.

LarkLane · 24/06/2024 14:33

My copy of The Hard Way has arrived!
I'm really looking forward to a good read with tea and Tunnocks in a shady corner of the garden.

Iwrotesomething · 22/06/2024 09:44

@YellowAsteroid less so if you live in the South West... I did go to the highest point in Wiltshire for the book though

OP posts:
mach2 · 22/06/2024 03:00

Has anyone read any of Christina Dodwell's books? Her first adventure was to cross Africa from Algeria to South Africa, most of it with a female friend. They started out with two male friends in a Landrover who flogged the vehicle at Kano without warning and sodded off. They did give the two women their share of the proceeds at least and they decided to carry on. Part of the adventure was to canoe down the Ubangui River into the Congo.

I heartily recommend Travels with Fortune – an African Adventure by her.

Moommoo · 22/06/2024 02:13

boiled, I think you’ve just written a poem! This sounds like a Lynn Peters poem=

I'm not a walker.
Unless from the living to the kitchen counts.
Sometimes I even take the scenic route and walk round the dining room table.

Genius.
Sydney carton thanks for showing us this, love her stuff!

LarkLane · 21/06/2024 22:04

This looks like my kind of book. Ordered.😊

WormBum · 21/06/2024 21:59

This looks great. My copy arrives tomorrow 😍

icelolly12 · 21/06/2024 21:55

I also walk and travel alone, and see plenty of other lone female and male hikers. It wouldn't occur to me not to tbh.

YellowAsteroid · 21/06/2024 17:58

ooo thank you for this. Am off out over the weekend to walk up various mountains in Westmoreland, and will add this to my reading list, after I finish Rachel Hewitt's and Kerri Andrews' books on women in nature.

People are always a bit surprised when I say I'm off up a mountain on the weekend - surely it's quite normal to walk up Helvellyn or Skiddaw ?

Insegnante · 21/06/2024 15:14

Looking forward to this. I walk a lot but I also don't walk to places I'd like to due to fear/lack of time etc!

Valeriekat · 21/06/2024 14:54

@ElleneAsanto
If only Rachel Carson had been a and more honest Scientist.

Iwrotesomething · 13/06/2024 21:01

JulesJules · 13/06/2024 18:32

Now on my wishlist, thank you!

I'm currently reading Rachel Hewitt's In Her Nature: How Women Break Boundaries in the Great Outdoors amzn.eu/d/5zjGPqa
which I really recommend

Yes it’s great isn’t it. I got to meet her through a work thing last year and she’s amazing.

OP posts:
JulesJules · 13/06/2024 18:32

Now on my wishlist, thank you!

I'm currently reading Rachel Hewitt's In Her Nature: How Women Break Boundaries in the Great Outdoors amzn.eu/d/5zjGPqa
which I really recommend

Beowulfa · 13/06/2024 09:17

Both my bloke and I would enjoy this, will order.

3DayStockpiler · 13/06/2024 09:00

I've put it on kindle. I'm going away for a week and was wondering what to take to read.

WayOutOfLine · 12/06/2024 22:57

Great idea for a book, one of my dd's is very militant about going walking on her own and travelling alone and it does give me kittens, even though having brought her up in a feminist household, I completely understand why she think's it's important to take up your very small space in the world- she loves the night-time and so walking at night would be her favourite.

Iwrotesomething · 12/06/2024 22:55

Thank you everyone, do let me know what you think!

OP posts:
anunlikelyseahorse · 12/06/2024 22:53

That's Christmas sorted for my nearest and dearest female kin.

weebarra · 12/06/2024 22:12

That looks great!

Boomboomboomboom · 12/06/2024 22:02

Just bought the hardback for my walking sister who'll love it! Thanks

Boiledbeetle · 12/06/2024 21:54

AstonScrapingsNameChange · 12/06/2024 21:51

Sounds right up my street 😍

Right up your street, then turn left at the end, cross the road into the fields on the other side, walk round the field of cows...

AstonScrapingsNameChange · 12/06/2024 21:51

Sounds right up my street 😍

AllProperTeaIsTheft · 12/06/2024 19:28

I used to live near the Ridgeway and go walking or running on my local bit of it. I miss it!

AllProperTeaIsTheft · 12/06/2024 19:26

Sounds great. Straight onto my Kindle - thanks @Iwrotesomething

Boiledbeetle · 12/06/2024 19:21

I approve this thread!

The book is fabulous!

I'm not a walker! Unless from the living to the kitchen counts! Sometimes I even take the scenic route and walk round the dining room table,

But back to the book Susannah's description of her walk along the Ridgeway and then the Harrow way was superb. I'd have enjoyed the book just for that but there is the added bonus of discovering women who went before, including those stuck at home whilst their husband's went out for walks in order to write a books whilst treating their wives like shit that makes it quite fascinating! So many intelligent artistic strong women to discover along the walk!