Where to start?

[adeo1929]

Hi everyone, hope I'm in the right place!

Could anyone point me towards any 'beginner' feminist reads (journals, books, etc. Preferably web-based to begin). There's so much out there that I don't know where to begin.

Thank you!

Where to start indeed! Especially as nowadays there is quite a lot on the web masquerading as feminism which in many women's view is no such thing...

I'm sure there's a thread somewhere (not sure if here or on the feminist theory topic) with a good reading list but I'm having trouble getting search to work today... I'll dig a bit more.

geekfeminism.wikia.com/wiki/Feminism_101. Don't know if this is any good?

Darn... I found the thread I was thinking of but many of its posts were by someone no longer on MN who's had her posts deleted.

Hi OP

I think I sort of discovered I was a feminist, and then later a GC one rather than choosing to be by reading up on feminism 101

I have been on MN a long time and NC often so nobody really knows who I am (although they might think some posters have very similar posting styles and they'd be correct in wondering if I'm one and the same - but I prefer to keep anonymous due to some life experiences hence the frequent NCing) and I found I joined in on a thread here or a thread there which over time helped me work out who I was, what I stood for and why

You can of course decide to read up and make a choice... or just join in and see where you end up over time

Good luck!

ErrolTheDragon
Thank you for looking!

ABitCrapper
Thank you for the link, it is helpful.

interesting debate today
I would definitely consider myself a feminist already, but I would like to read up and become more active in feminist theory. I appreciate your post and will definitely take that on board, and try to participate in threads.

I started by reading threads on here, then by reading lots of books. I'm watching lots of feminist things on Netflix too (there's a current thread for Netflix recommendations).

I particularly like books about contemporary feminism (although I also appreciate the value in learning from more historical feminism):
Feminism, Margaret Walters
Fight like a girl, Clementine Ford
Inferior: How science got women wrong – and the new research that’s rewriting the story, Angela Saini

I am not the best for web based sources, but as Christmas is coming up, I would recommend this book for your stocking - I think it is good to dip in and out as feminism is not one thing or set of beliefs, but a corpus of writings and views from different perspectives.

Er... I don't think you said which book, @KataraJean

I personally don't know much about "proper feminism." Feminism tackles such a broad variety of topics, with all these different types of feminism. Personally, I find it intimidating. I tend to read stuff online and then follow people whose points of view I find super interesting.
If you haven't done so already, a great website to spend some time on is Feminist Current, run by the inimitable Meghan Murphy:
www.feministcurrent.com/
They have lots of news, interviews, etc, with sections for book reviews, feminist therapy, and feminist theory.

Sorry, it is Estelle Freedman The Essential Feminist Reader. It’s an anthology but with some commentary.
I was going to add to my post but then my phone was messing about with the text and I forgot to come back.

I really want to read Mary Beard’s book Women and Power, it is on my Christmas list for myself. I haven’t read it yet through so not a recommendation as such.

I've not read it, but an anthology sounds like a good starter as presumably it can give idea for who you'd like to read more of.

HumourlessFeminist
I noticed the Netflix thread earlier, I'll be watching a few of those. Some look really good.

KataraJean
Thanks for the recommendation - I love reading, so I'll add that to my list! *ErrolTheDragon" I agree, it does sound useful and looks like a good read.

Thank you everyone for the recommendations and advice :)

Thanks for the link heresyandwitchcraft . It's saying server down at the moment but I'll check back on that.

Feminist Current and Meghan Murphy get attacked often by those opposed to sex-based women's rights. It's an absolute disgrace. But they often feature a range of feminists and never get cowed.

If you want any other material, here are some sites I find interesting:
sisteroutrider.wordpress.com/
www.thejuliebindel.com/journalism-1/
filia.org.uk/podcasts/ (great interviews)

If you haven't done so already, a great website to spend some time on is Feminist Current, run by the inimitable Meghan Murphy:
https://www.feministcurrent.com<a class="break-all" href="http://go.mumsnet.com/?xs=1&id=470X1554755&url=www.feministcurrent.com/" target="_blank">/
They have lots of news, interviews, etc, with sections for book reviews, feminist therapy, and feminist theory.

Second this. She's under huge attack currently by TRAs and their allies trying to silence her voice which should give you a clue about how important it is.

Meghan Murphy cancels Vancouver talk due to complaints
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3440400-Meghan-Murphy-cancels-Vancouver-talk-due-to-complaints

Spoiler: she hasn't cancelled.

Spoiler: she hasn't cancelled.
She's amazing.

PS to any feminists: please sign the petition to get Meghan re-instated to Twitter, if you haven't already!
www.change.org/p/twitter-re-instate-meghan-murphy

There are many free downloads here:

Sheila Jeffreys, Unpacking Queer Politics :radfem.org/unpacking-queer-politics/

The Sexual Liberals and The Attack on Feminism:
radfem.org/the-sexual-liberals/

Andrea Dworkin, the complete works: radfem.org/dworkin/

SEXUAL LIBERALS and THE ATTACK ON FEMINISM

Introduction – Dorchen Leidholdt (PDF)
Part I: Feminism and Liberalism
Liberalism and the Death of Feminism, Catharine A. MacKinnon (PDF)
Sexology and Antifeminism, Sheila Jeffreys (PDF)
Woman-Hating Right and Left, Andrea Dworkin (PDF)
Part II: Family Structures: The Patriarch and the Pimp
Making an Issue of Incest, Louise Armstrong (PDF)
Taking Our Eyes Off the Guys, Sonia Johnson (PDF)
Family Matters, Ann Jones (PDF)
Confronting the Liberal Lies About Prostitution, Evelina Giobbe (PDF)
Part III: The New Reproductive Liberalism
The New Reproductive Technologies, Gena Corea (PDF)
Mothers on Trial: Custody and the “Baby M” Case, Phyllis Chesler (PDF)
Sexual and Reproductive Liberalism, Janice G. Raymond (PDF)
In the Best Interest of the Sperm: The Pregnancy of Judge Sorkow, Pauline B. Bart (PDF)
Abortion and Pornography: The Sexual Liberals’ “Gotcha” Against Women’s Equality, Twiss Butler (PDF)
Part IV: Sexuality
When Women Defend Pornography, Dorchen Leidholdt (PDF)
Eroticizing Women’s Subordination, Sheila Jeffreys (PDF)
Resistance, Andrea Dworkin (PDF)
Sex Resistance in Heterosexual Arrangements, A Southern Women’s Writing Collective (PDF)
Toward a Feminist Praxis of Sexuality, Wendy Stock (PDF)
Sexual Liberalism and Survivors of Sexual Abuse, Valerie Heller (PDF)
Part V: The Male Backlash
The Many Faces of Backlash, Florence Rush (PDF)
Liberals, Libertarianism, and the Liberal Arts Establishment, Susanne Kappeler (PDF)
You Can’t Fight Homophobia and Protect the Pornographers at the Same Time—An Analysis of What Went Wrong in Hardwick, John Stoltenberg (PDF)
A View from Another Country, Susan G. Cole (PDF)
Women and Civil Liberties, Kathleen A. Lahey (PDF)
Part VI: Politics and Possibilities
Be-Witching: Re-Calling the Archimagical Powers of Women, Mary Daly (PDF)
Not a Sentimental Journey: Women’s Friendships, Janice G. Raymond (PDF)

DWORKIN

Non-Fiction

Woman Hating
Heartbreak: The Political Memoir of a Feminist Militant
Intercourse
Letters From a War Zone
Life & Death: Unapologetic Writing on the Continuing War Against Women
Pornography: Men Possessing Women
Right-wing Women
Scapegoat: The Jews, Israel, and Women’s Liberation
Our Blood: Prophecies and Discourses on Sexual Politics
Pornography and Civil Rights: A New Day for Women’s Equality (with Catharine A. MacKinnon)
In Harm’s Way: The Pornography Civil Rights Hearings (with Catharine A. MacKinnon)
Fiction
Mercy: A Novel
Ice And Fire
The New Womans Broken Heart

Sheila Jeffreys, Unpacking Queer Politics :radfem.org/unpacking-queer-politics/

Not basic feminist texts but I like Jessica Eaton's straightforward discussion of what feminism is and is not:

Feminism is the liberation of women and girls all over the world from the patriarchy and misogyny that continues to harm and oppress them as a class of people. Feminism centres women unflinchingly and unapologetically. Feminism is the conversation about women’s issues in the world; without having to add some tokenistic sentence at the end acknowledging that men also experience some things too. Yah, we know. But we are talking about women right now, so hush.

The problem with saying that we are working towards women becoming equal to men is that it frames men and male cultures as being the optimum culture or the ideal goal that women should reach to become equal.

victimfocus.wordpress.com/2018/08/04/why-i-dont-want-to-become-equal-to-men/

Oh arranbubonicplague, I don't think I could actually like that any more than I do 🤔. Thanks 🙌🏻.

I really want to read Mary Beard’s book Women and Power

I read it on holiday after a recommendation on here and the magnificent Mary Beard herself popping over for a visit

anyhow the book was short, punchy and really readable. I passed it straight onto my mum who also devoured it!

as a slight aside, even though Jodie Whittaker is doing a good job, in my head Mary Beard was the first female doctor who. just the right persona I think.

Ah, thank you BernardBlacksWineIceLolly - I shall definitely add it to my Christmas list now. I need short, punchy and readable

Thanks everyone! These recommendations are great and it looks like Feminist Current is back up too.

arranbubonicplague thank you, that's a really good and interesting read.