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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

Hags Review

38 replies

Igneococcus · 24/02/2023 07:15

Janice Turner review of Victoria Smith's "Hags" in the Times today:

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/c13e6b5c-b38b-11ed-bc64-f71663a88018?shareToken=fc421d24f71e0d2817ef2cf21c66049a

OP posts:
midgemadgemodge · 24/02/2023 07:31

So true !

Birdsweepsin · 24/02/2023 07:39

Excellent review. And a hello to MN!

PriOn1 · 24/02/2023 07:47

Sounds brilliant! I embrace my hagdom while recognising the pain of having an increasingly scarred and enfeebled body.

TanteRose · 24/02/2023 07:55

Excellent review!
have just pre-ordered Kindle Smile

CampervanKween · 24/02/2023 08:02

Ah the joy of being a Hag 😆 i truly embrace the liberation it offers. Completely spot on every word of that. I look forward to reading the book.

EsmaCannonball · 24/02/2023 08:24

Glosswitch is my favourite current feminist writer. Fuck it, I'm splashing out on the hardback!

bellinisurge · 24/02/2023 08:35

I wince when my daughter talks about Karens. I wince at how dismissive I was about older women when I was younger.
But I'm proud of being a Hag. And we have to hold on because the hags who came before us, that we ignored or dismissed, won us our sex based rights. Im not going to be the hag that lets those rights go. The women and girls who came after us still need them.

RoyalCorgi · 24/02/2023 08:43

Can't wait to read this. Victoria Smith is one of the best feminist writers around. Also, you can watch her talk about her book next Friday at a free online event:

womansplaceuk.org/event/a-womans-place-is-celebrating-hags/

Blister · 24/02/2023 08:50

bellinisurge · 24/02/2023 08:35

I wince when my daughter talks about Karens. I wince at how dismissive I was about older women when I was younger.
But I'm proud of being a Hag. And we have to hold on because the hags who came before us, that we ignored or dismissed, won us our sex based rights. Im not going to be the hag that lets those rights go. The women and girls who came after us still need them.

😎

TrombonesAreNotBones · 24/02/2023 08:56

Thank you Igneococcus.

Floisme · 24/02/2023 09:11

Thanks for the link. Extra applause from me for Victoria Smith for having the clear sightedness to write this at 48 - I see so many women under 50 who visibly bristle at the idea that they're middle aged.

ArabellaScott · 24/02/2023 09:20
Star
BernardBlacksMolluscs · 24/02/2023 09:25

Thank you for the link 👍

ISaySteadyOn · 24/02/2023 09:31

Is it actually out yet? If so, am off to my nearest shop to get it.

HagoftheNorth · 24/02/2023 09:35

Definitely going to get this. Really hoping I can persuade my feisty dd to read it too!

Ereshkigalangcleg · 24/02/2023 09:40

Glosswitch is wonderful.

IcakethereforeIam · 24/02/2023 09:45

Thank you for the share token. I remember when I was younger, and read a lot of celtic inspired fiction, thinking about the maiden, mother, hag trope. The disguiet I felt at moving from one to the next, mother but, especially, hag (calling it crone made it sound no more appealing).

Well, I'm here now or teetering on the brink and it's not so bad. Not that it really matters how I feel about it because it's unavoidable or the alternative is worse. I'm older than my mother was when she died.

My youngest rolls her eyes at the idea of becoming a woman. Unlike too many other mothers, I'm lucky. She'll go no further than mangling grammar, though she's not asked yet. I hope I've installed enough of a sense of the ridiculous in her that she won't bother. And becoming a woman is not something I've made up to annoy her, biology/aging/growth won't be denied.

I've already got a small digital mountain of books but if this shows up on the Daily Deal I don't think I'll resist it.

beastlyslumber · 24/02/2023 09:51

"the dumbest thing about joining a witch-hunt is you’re only burning your future self"

That's brilliant. I might need to read this book.

BernardBlacksMolluscs · 24/02/2023 09:55

Smith writes of “the spite that arises when men deem us to have served our purpose and wonder why we are still here”.

spite is such a good word for the attitude you get off some men who have no sexual interest in you whatsoever

BernardBlacksMolluscs · 24/02/2023 09:56

Just spent an audible credit on this!

Buzzinwithbez · 24/02/2023 10:01

It feels like I've just missed any change of attitudes around various things to do with our lives by a fraction. I didn't get to have the easy conversation around periods that my daughter's generation enjoys, we just had to accept wolf whistling when passing building sites and if we didn't play along with sexist comments we had no sense of humour. Finally at mid 40s I feel like I've caught the wave of embracing the hag/crone archetype, with slightly older women showing the way and embrace it I will.

StephanieSuperpowers · 24/02/2023 15:00

I have this on preorder on my kindle, but I'm also getting it for my Mum for mother's day. I'm sorry Mum. I understand now.

Chevyimpala67 · 24/02/2023 15:06

Pre ordered
👍

hoochyhag · 24/02/2023 15:16

Brilliant! Thanks for the link.

ResisterRex · 24/02/2023 15:27

"They gather in covens"

It's true. Here we are. Talking about our rights and saying no to dangerous nonsense.

🧙‍♀️ 🧹 🐈‍⬛