Review of Poverty Safari (winner of Orwell Prize)

[BigotedWoman]

www.spiked-online.com/2018/10/19/poverty-safari-why-class-matters/amp/

I saw this when reading something else on Spiked (oh how my reading habits have changed) and thought it was really interesting. It's not strictly feminism but a topic that comes up a lot on the threads in relation to trans and other stuff so I thought I'd share it here.

It's now on my reading list - has anyone read it?

No, but I heard Darren McGarvey on this about a year ago:

www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/b09drjb7

He starts at about 8.15 and speaks for over 10 minutes.

I didn't expect to have much overlap with him but found it to be an extraordinary listen. My immediate thought was that hearing a voice like his on the BBC was a very rare event. (In the sense of as a person with agency rather than as one of the underclass, in a report to add "local colour".)

Thanks for the reminder, I thought at the time I'd pick up his book.

Darren does excellent work on domestic violence / toxic masculinity.

I don't always agree with him, but he's smart as fuck, refreshingly open and honest and very willing to accept when he's got something wrong in the past.

I follow him on Facebook but haven't seen him mention anything to do with trans issues apart from a couple of nods that he's aware it's a debate.

I'd love to know how well informed he is on this. I suspect not particularly, but would like to think he'd see through the bullshit of the transactivists if he focused on it.

I gave his book to several people at Christmas but haven't actually read my copy yet! Must get round to it...

I've read it. It's excellent and really easy to read (don't read many books these days - too tired/lazy!).

Heard him on radio/TV too. He's unpigeonholeable which makes him a really interesting voice. (And drives all the partisan crew nuts.)

I follow him on Twitter. He's whip-smart.

He gets gip from Scottish lib fems. Although now I'm deep into rad fem territory, my sympathies are more inclined his way.

He's very good on class and the middle class identifying as their representation.

Did manage to pen this priceless piece of patronising twaddle, however:

www.scotsman.com/news/opinion/darren-mcgarvey-gender-neutral-toilets-are-proxy-for-wider-battle-1-4513180

working class

Soz.

Gad, that article's awful. Missed it at the time.

Mind you, in July 2017 (when he wrote it), I might have read it and agreed.

July 2017 seems like a loooong time ago now.

I’ve read it. It’s a great book. Very easy to read. I used to work for a charity in areas of Glasgow like that, and he’s (rightly) scathing about such organisations.