The Feminist Pub is Open - Chat, Rant, or pull up a chair here!

[LRDtheFeministDragon]

This thread started when we all decided to imagine what the perfect local for feminists would be like. So far, it has taps with plenty of good real ale, and some decent non-alcoholic alternatives too. There are comfy chairs and there's a feminist film night, as well as lots of nice feminist-friendly books on the shelves and space to curl up and read. The open-mic nights are attracting feminist singers and comedians, and we're just sorting out the feminist creche.

Please come along, draw up a stool, and have a good chat about whatever you fancy - as serious or as trivial as you like.

For starters, I have a half-pint of lemonade. What can I get anyone?

It was me, yes!

I am loving them

I must say, Gaudy Night is special.

Gaudy night is indeed brilliant.

I've read some Ngaio Marsh, and I've read the Fever Crumb and Mortal Engines series (so so so good), and I've got a light Elizabeth Peters Vicky Bliss book at the moment. V. funny. They all help to keep me sane. :)

Sane does help.

I've not got into the other authors you name - I must. Do you know Jill Paton Walsh?

Jill Paton Walsh - she finished some of the DLS plots or something, didn't she? I read one and didn't like it. I'm very fussy about what keeps me sane.

Sara Paretsky is one of the recent authors I read. Her books are definitely more realist than DLS, but her protagonist is a woman private detective in Chicago. You wouldn't (or perhaps you would) believe the kind of treatment she gets.

I'm glad you like Gaudy Night, LRD - it is the Great Feminist Novel as far as I'm concerned. I admire The Women's Room, etc, but DLS is just so brilliant in the way she lays out the options for women and their advantages and disadvantages.

Oooh, now I want to eat chestnuts and reread all the DS/LPW books .

We are at my parents, 'tis all good, but I have to bite my tongue quite a lot. They are getting old, set in their ways and increasingly reactionary. This is quite an adjustment to make for me as my dad in particular has always been quite an openminded, liberal, actually scrap that, socialist man. No longer .

Anybody for ? I'm having some [hic]

I love Sara Paretsky books.

I need some intelligent conversation. The rest of mumsnet is making me despair, and DP is watching the football.

Oh, football here too; Sweden vs Germany and Sweden just scored

I am not sure about 'intelligent' conversation.

I just read one of Ruth Rendell's novels from the early 70s and it's v good, but, my, it's dated .

Here's somebody from 'tinterweb who did NOT like 'Gaudy Night' (I have to confess that I cannot remember a single thing about it):

"When poison pen letters and rude messages start appearing at Harriet Vane's old Oxford College, the lady dons ask Harriet if she could help solve the mystery rather than involve the police. Some hopes. After several months at the college, HV has made no progress except to accumulate a list of incidents - no analysis, no attempt at reducing the number of suspects through establishing alibis, she hasn't even a suggestion as to tbe identity of the culprit.

So she hands over the entire portfolio to Lord Peter Wimsey (LPW), who solves the problem in about 10 minutes.

In other words, empty-headed women are helpless until a man comes along. Is that the message DLS is trying to put across?

564 pages to tell this story. What else happens? well, there's a romance involving Miss Vane and LPW, that's pretty dismal stuff too. Meanwhile undergraduates declare their love for Miss V as if she was Zuleika Dobson. Sounds like a sexual fantasy for DLS, who like La Vane is ex-Oxford, a write of detective fiction and thirty-ish. But DLS didn't marry LPW, she had an illegitimate son by an unemployed motor mechanic. Hardly anybody knew the truth about this son until DLS died in 1957.

DLS isn't that bad a writer, but approaches all aspects of this novel in a half-hearted way. The plot is poorly conceived, the romance is dull, the characters are not properly thought out (so that it's difficult to remember who is who, especially the lady dons). Could have done with some severe editing, a reduction in the number of characters, some analysis of motive and actions.

Did anybody else lol when LPW gets Harriet to wear a heavy collar (as if she was a dog?). Has the woman no self-respect?"

I am currently downloading GN on my Kindle to judge for myself.

That plot sounds awful. Who is DLS?

Dorothy L Sayers.
I don't know what the 'L' stands for.

I used to devour her books in my early 20s.

I like Sara Paretsky too. And Elisabeth George (although I went in a huff with her for killing Whatserface off). And Ruth Rendell and the aforementioned Margaret Atwood.
Although my current obsession is with David Mitchell who strikes me as a Good Egg (I don't know were he stands on Feminism, mind), but I struggled with Number9Dream.

I spend too much of my time reading fiction, don't I?
And on MN.
Crap.

LOL pacific I have some sympathy with that reviewer with respect to the plot. I guess what struck a cord with me in GN was the search for equality in a relationship. But mustn't give away too much ...

Evening. Please may I have a large stone's ginger wine?
I love reading. Haven't had the mental space in the last few years.
So I'm eavesdropping on all your book talk. Hope that's ok.
I might doze off in this comfy chair.

this may be useful for expressing your feelings about horrid pump clips and beer names. Particularly hate Bobby Dazzler. Awful picture.

Genuine question to the real ale drinkers, what would be a good feminist beer name? Can't do Dworkin as there's a brewery called Dawkins. But if you come up with a good one I'll use it for the name of my first solo brew.

Mine's a pint of Old Smiler. Let me know if you want any barrels changed.

The L in DLS stands for Leigh.

I am feeling quite nostagic for an English pub now.

"Let me know if you want any barrels changed" - music to my ears.

When I was 19 I spent 4 months in the US as part of my college course. Right at the end I visited someone who took me to an 'english pub'. IT was kind of american diner meets british pub, but they had proper pumps at the bar. I just sat there and watched pints being pulled.

I don't even drink beer, I just like the nostalgia.

We have a microbrewery here where in the attached pub, there is a glass window through to the big barrels where they make the real ale.

Real Ale Feminist Vest

I do not like beer in any shape or form (unless it's really light and v cold stuff that I might drink at 30+ degrees temperature. If there was nothing else available...), but I'd have that top.

No clue re the name though... hmm.

Or would 'Disgruntled Barmaid' be a good name? Too negative?

I rather liked 'Angry Bird' tbh

Or how about this:

"Oh, and the sumerian goddess? The name Ninkasi is that of the ancient Sumerian goddess of beer who is believed by many to have created the original recipe for beer some 4,000 years ago. She has been referenced by several Real Ale brewers in all parts of the globe. One brewer went so far as to use her as the poster girl for their Real Ale campaign."

Ninkasi?

Quite like Ninkasi as a name. Hate that CAMRA campaign though. Why they think pictures if sexy women will sell beer to women I do not know. Oh wait, yes I do, they're a bunch of beardy throwbacks. I have actually noticed an increase in young women drinking real ale and they are becoming more knowledgable about it. I do love it when I convert them at the farmers markets we do. I make a point of telling them what they need to ask for in pubs so they get a pint that they like.

As a rule, my brewery's pump clips are just words with no pictures of barmaids' cleavages. We also have a ban on puns. We're doing literary names at the mo.

Name of pub or name of beer?

I'd like to call the pub The Woman In Her Prime. And have a real ale in it called Mother of All Beers.

Beer I think. Mother of All Beers is a superb name. If you ever want to see it in real life PM me!

Bottle of Greer?

Germaine Beer?

"The Women's Place"? (as in, not in the home.....)

Quite like The Women's Place, good one.

The Fairy Hopmother?
The Bonny Greer?
The Stout Party?
(can you tell I don't want to get down to work today?)