The Witches Are Coming is a collection of essays dealing with various aspects of feminism, mostly, with other topics such as whiteMy Blog | My Twitter
The Witches Are Coming is a collection of essays dealing with various aspects of feminism, mostly, with other topics such as white nationalism and climate change added as well. West is a terrific writer, making her arguments succinctly, pointedly, and with a lot of humor. I had not read any of her work before, nor have I watched Shrill on Hulu. So I don’t know how much of this collection is repetitive from anything she’s written previously, but it was all new to me.
Well, the topics themselves were not new, and I’m not really sure West added any new points to them that haven’t already been said. But her own take on them was new for me, and I enjoyed her writing voice a great deal.
She wrote about some things I’ve said for years, among which is we need to stop praising people, especially mediocre white men, for doing things normal adults are supposed to do anyway. You went to work! You should not get a ‘yay for you!’ for that. Adults are supposed to go to work. No, you cannot babysit your own children. Taking care of your own children is called parenting. Babysitting is what you pay the teenager across the street to do. Praising mediocre white men for doing things normal people are supposed to do is partly why we are stuck with Trump in the White House and his troglodyte followers in positions of power they are in no way qualified to hold.
Also, stop talking about how charming and handsome Ted Bundy was. He murdered women and everyone is still hung up on how nice he was. No he fucking wasn’t! He liked to kill people. Murderers by definition are not nice. If it takes a while to catch them, it’s not because they are so nice or blend in so well with society, it’s because they snowed everyone around them and used their gullibility to get away, literally, with murder. That’s not charming, that is creepy.
Also, abortions are health care and modern day fucked up rape culture needs to stop.
So yeah, I guess a lot of it is preaching to the choir and all, but I still think most of the essays included are excellent and this is yet another book that should be required reading. ...more
I’ve meant to read this book the split second it hit the shelves, and I haven’t got around to it until just now. Fail. But that doesn’t change the facI’ve meant to read this book the split second it hit the shelves, and I haven’t got around to it until just now. Fail. But that doesn’t change the fact that this is a book I feel should be compulsory reading for every young person entering high school, and given as a graduation gift to every graduating student as well. I don’t mean just handing it to them and hoping they read it. I mean requiring active and participatory discussion. Make them think about what they read. Make your husbands read this with you. Make your daughters and sons read it with you and make them pay attention and make sure they understand that men as well as women can, and should, be feminists. Make sure they know that it is not unmanly, and indeed is a requisite life skill, to be able to cook and feed yourself, not something to depend on another person to do for you. Do not thank a father for participating in the caregiving of his own child – it’s called parenting, and it’s required. Do not ignore a woman when she enters with a man, as though she is a non-entity. Demanding these things does not make a woman an angry feminist or a man-hater. It means she respects herself and her sister women enough to expect that others treat her with respect as well. It is not acceptable that so many people do not understand this, or worse, do understand but simply don’t care or feel it is worthy of consideration. As Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie states, we all must do better....more
Jensen and her late husband, WWII veteran Rudy, have diametrically opposite personalities, but the combination makes for excellent travel stories. JenJensen and her late husband, WWII veteran Rudy, have diametrically opposite personalities, but the combination makes for excellent travel stories. Jensen’s travel memoir highlights her husband’s list of rules he developed for travel, and over the course of their marriage and global adventures, he teaches her how to apply those rules to all things in life. The tales span from side-splittingly hilarious to utterly heartbreaking. All showcase the spectrum of the human condition and highlight Rule #11: “Relax - Some kind stranger will appear.” Throughout, readers are introduced to Rudy’s adventuresome spirit and absolute optimism. The book journeys from Scotland to Mexico, Egypt to Indonesia. The stories have the effect of teaching readers not necessarily about the places themselves, but rather how to live life to the fullest. “We don’t travel to have comfort...we can have comfort at home. And we don’t travel to meet Americans. We can meet Americans at home.” Traveling, according to Rudy, is for learning about a new culture and meeting people from that culture. To do that, you must “ride with locals, not tourists.” In Oaxaca, for example, the Jensens, eating at a tiny local taqueria, get swept up in a crowd headed to celebrate Holy Thursday in an unplanned local tradition. They would have missed the opportunity to participate in the ceremony if they had gone to the recommended tourist destinations, and indeed Jensen looked up “to see tourists in the two restaurants above us … straining to see, to understand what has happened on the streets below. I see what they had missed.” Other stories are laugh out loud funny, such as when the Jensens had to decide between one of two death-trap modes of transportation in Puerto Escondido. When in Egypt, the Jensens are faced with one of the most heartbreaking experiences of their travels, yet it also shows the generosity of people in a community when a family’s cow is killed by a car. The cow is the only thing they own and the villagers are trying to collect items from their own limited provisions to help. [118-119] Not a lot of time is spent at any given location in each section. Instead, readers are taken to many places, each vividly but briefly described. In this way, Jensen is able to provide many examples for how Rudy’s Rules apply to a variety of scenarios.
Eh. I liked most of the essays well enough. I think it is a topic that needs to be addressed, for sure. I do not think anyone is selfish for not wantiEh. I liked most of the essays well enough. I think it is a topic that needs to be addressed, for sure. I do not think anyone is selfish for not wanting to have children. I think if anyone is hesitant, they should NOT have children. It is too big a deal, and can mess up a kid too badly, not to be sure you want them. And I think it is absolutely wrong for anyone to give anyone else shit about a decision that is entirely personal. The gall of some people is remarkable. I enjoyed the essay by Geoff Dyer, “Over and Out.” It was funny and insightful and just what I have thought a lot of the time. I didn’t want kids for a long time, until I did, and realized it wasn’t the kids I didn’t want, it was the man and the marriage. So there.
I did NOT care for the narration, though, on any of this. The lady narrator in particular sounded about as old as God and just robotic. I know they were essays, but that doesn’t mean they should be dry and boring and read without much feeling. I almost quit listening a few times because of the narration. It would have been faster and easier to eyeball read this one, but I had a bunch of other books to read, so I just kept on. ...more
Between this book, The Nature Fix, and general work stress, I'm about to say fuck it and just go join the Forest Service and live in a look-out in theBetween this book, The Nature Fix, and general work stress, I'm about to say fuck it and just go join the Forest Service and live in a look-out in the woods. ...more
I know so many people, men and women both, who need to read this. But I'm sure they won't. Of course, that's part of the problem, and the reason the eI know so many people, men and women both, who need to read this. But I'm sure they won't. Of course, that's part of the problem, and the reason the essays collected in the book exist in the first place....more
I like the way this (used) book smells, like leather and old flowers, like it came from somewhere interesting.
The stories themselves are typical Wil WI like the way this (used) book smells, like leather and old flowers, like it came from somewhere interesting.
The stories themselves are typical Wil Wheaton - thoughtful, reflective, sometimes a touch whiny but mostly sweet or funny and in a style I very much enjoy and would like to emulate in some of my own writing....more
I really like Wil's blog, and his writing style. I frequently laugh out loud when going over some of his stuff. He is also very engaging in person. AtI really like Wil's blog, and his writing style. I frequently laugh out loud when going over some of his stuff. He is also very engaging in person. At the Vegas Con 2007, I accidentally found him at his table in the vendors' room and it must have been during a few large panels or something, because there was hardly anyone in there. Wil spent probably 20 minutes talking to me about various authors we've read, ones he recommended (Kelly Link was one, during the magical realism part of the conversation) and was very gracious in taking a couple different pictures with me. I really, really like him as a person, from the little bit of time I got to spend chatting with him.
That said, this book, while still the same style of his that I like and have become accustomed to, was sort of whiny and self-indulgent. That's ok, we're all entitled to be that way on occasion. But it kind of struck me as more whiny rather than introspective. Wil said as much himself in the book, so I don't feel too bad writing it out here, but it's for that reason I can't give it 4 stars.
I would still recommend it for his fans, and I always recommend his blog, which fucking rules. ...more
This was a terrific little collection. I confess I have a soft spot for AC Grayling, not a little bit because he tickled Shannon's feet and made her gThis was a terrific little collection. I confess I have a soft spot for AC Grayling, not a little bit because he tickled Shannon's feet and made her giggle. But I really enjoy his writing and what he has to say, and I respect him tremendously for his academic work.
This was not his typical gentler* tone because these were short essays and he was trying to make a point quickly, which he admits. But they were very readable and made excellent points (what else would I expect?).
I highly recommend this collection to anyone wanting an introduction to Grayling's work, with the caveat that it is a bit more strongly worded than his usual style.
*Grayling has a remarkable ability to be soft spoken and gentle while utterly eviscerating irrational beliefs. It's pretty much the awesomest thing ever....more
First book of this kind that I've ever read, but it was cool. I love tattoos anyway, and I really enjoyed the layout of this book. I like the Gothic sFirst book of this kind that I've ever read, but it was cool. I love tattoos anyway, and I really enjoyed the layout of this book. I like the Gothic sort of style, the snippets of handwriting, different scripts. It gets kinda boring to read an art book that has all the same font throughout. It's so clinical. This really felt organic and like a genuine, honest glimpse into the life of Kat Von D and the world of tattooing. ...more
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