Naomi Wolf: live webchat TODAY, Thursday 6 September, 12pm to 1pm

[RachelMumsnet]

Naomi Wolf is joining us for a live webchat on Thursday 6 September at 12 noon. Naomi's latest book, Vagina - A New Biography, has attracted major media attention this month and we're delighted she's joining us to tell us more about the book and answer your questions.

Described as 'exhilarating and groundbreaking', Vagina combines cultural history, physiology and personal memoir to explore the role of female desire and how it affects female identity, creativity and confidence.

Naomi Wolf is author of seven books including the bestseller, The Beauty Myth. She travels regularly to speak about gender equality and social justice. She lives in New York and is working towards a doctorate at New College, Oxford University.

Please post your question to Naomi in advance, or set the date in your diary to join us this Thursday at midday to chat to Naomi 'live'.

Hi Naomi,

You were interviewed by Ali G a couple of years ago - did they tell you afterwards that it was a farce? Did you want to hit him?

Are we allowed to ask questions about Jn A*e?

Hi Naomi,

I know you were a consultant for Al Gore in the olden days. I wondered if there are any current politician's you would like to consult for?

Thanks.

Hello Naomi,

Do you wish you were taken more seriously in the UK?

Hello Naomi,

Do you think that it's a good idea to introduce younger teenagers to the idea of a "beauty myth" (e.g. by having them read your book) or do you think it might sometimes cause more problems instead of solving them?

Hi Naomi

You received (rightly, IMO) so much praise for The Beauty Myth but then so much criticism for Fire with Fire. None of your subsequent books have been so well-received.

How do you handle this? Do you feel the weight of expectation to be unrealistic? Do you feel demoralised by negative reviews?

Oh! One more question....

I read the extract from your new book in The Guardian about the cuntini party held by your friend "Alan".....why did you not just walk out when you realised what the salmon fillets represented?

Hi Naomi

After reading your article in the Sunday Times it struck me that your sudden lack of sexual feeling may have,been peri-menopause related, perhaps shared by a large cohort
of women nearing 50?

Dear Naomi.

I've looked in the dictionary, "no" is not a synonym for "yes". Could you please explain how you came to the conclusion that "no" doesn't always mean "no"?

Dear Naomi,

Why did you decide to go back to school to do a doctorate? Are you enjoying that? Has it made a difference to your other writing?

Welcome Naomi! The popular misconception that we have reached equality and feminism's work is done troubles me; but I have difficulty explaining this simply when asked. Can you please give some pointers as to the most simple, effective things that may be said in conversation to make the points? Thank you.

Hi Naomi,

How does a woman say 'no' if she's asleep?

thanks.

Hello Naomi
Your book 'Misconceptions' helped me through pregnancy and my dd. Now my dd is at primary school (first day back today) was wondering if you had any thoughts on the competition between mothers at the school gates?

MN- please could we have a vagina pasta emoticon?

Blimey, Naomi, you were fantastic on Woman's Hour. Here.

I'll come back with a question when I've had another listen.

Hi Naomi

Do you think we should be bothered by the demise of the bush and the growing trend for women (and teenagers) to remove all their pubic hair?

and

is access to online porn screwing with people? (i.e. making anal sex, group sex, violent sex seem like the standard way to shag).

Thanks.

Dear Naomi

Why do you speak so authoritatively on Swedish law when you can't read Swedish and are not a lawyer?

Do you have a response to these criticisms of your statements about the Assange matter? You got so many things factually and legally wrong:

samtycke.nu/eng/2012/09/checking-naomi-wolfs-8-big-problems-in-the-assange-case-and-coming-up-empty/

Thanks!

Do you agree that the pornification of contemporary society is the biggest challenge facing women, ahead of the pay gap and the glass ceiling?

How should we counter the pornification of society and young people's lives?

Naomi

The short passages in Vagina that refer to the prehistoric 'Venus' figurines are, archaeologically, beyond parody. Is there some strange rule in the world of Pop Fem Bestsellers whereby writers such as youself and Camille Paglia are not allowed to read actual archaeological textbooks and analyses?

Hello naomi, just wondering if you would consider donating your time to rape crisis and womens aid so that you can get a better understanding of rape and the effect it has on survivors?

I look forward to your response.

I am also troubled by the invitation extended to Ms Wolf to publicise her new book, when she has consistently defended Julian Assange.

Ms Wolf
I would like to ask about your assertion, made on Women's Hour, that Sweden has the highest reported rate of rape, and yet one of the lowest conviction rates in Europe.

According to the Swedish government this is partly explained by the fact that many crimes which would not be recorded as rape in other countries, are termed so in Sweden. The Swedish justice system also records individual incidents of rape separately so if a woman is raped by a man several times it is recorded as several rapes.

The rate of conviction is 10%, which when you compare with UK is almost double, and compared with US of around 13%, is in line with other countries (still atrocious but not remarkable).

I am very surprised that you base your objection to the transfer of Assange back to Sweden to face rape charges on dubious statistics, and disappointed that you would lend your voice to such a campaign.

I would like to ask you how you reconcile the defence of an alleged rapist with your feminist ideals, and would like to ask MNHQ how they reconcile the invitation of someone who defends a rapist with the We Believe You campaign.

linerunner
The short passages in Vagina that refer to the prehistoric 'Venus' figurines are, archaeologically, beyond parody.

Please can you explain this for those of us unfamiliar with the passages you are referring to? Thx

Greythorne
Have you got the book handy? I'll be doing this from memory. I think the botton line for me is that there's a huge corpus of primary sources and analytical literature by prehistorians which examines the meaning of palaeolithic and later prehistoric 'things', which Wolf just ignores. She 'does' prehistory in a few hundred words, referencing only a couple of secondary ultra-interpretive sources. To me, it's just lazy.

From my reading of extracts and reviews, the book is essentialist (it argues for an essential femininity located in the nervous system) and also heteronormative (there is a lot of emphasis on sexual-romantic relationships with men and the importance of male pheromones in women's lives).

What does your book have to say to women who are lesbian, single (by choice or circumstance) or who just don't see their sexual relationships with men as a primary part of their identity?