August 2014: Men Explain Things to Me (Solnit)

Post date: Aug 24, 2014 10:21:25 PM

Jane hosted 10 alums, classes ranging 1948-95 for a discussion of Rebecca Solnit's Men Explain Things to Me. We appreciated the content of essays and her sharp thinking, ideas, and poetic yet razor clear way with words. Discussion interesting as everyone had examples from life to contribute to the discussion, even if we had not read the book! (says Jennie)

Last night's book may have been short but it was thick in content, all of it ripe for discussion. As usual, we began with the book: discussing Sandy's experience with a guide on her recent trip to France who spoke confidently of Hemingway in a way Sandy knew was false. When she located the truth online (because don't we often doubt ourselves?), the guide then claimed never to have said it!

Sandy spoke about the insidious ways women back out of the conversation or begin in the conference room with an apology or veiled apology ("this may be wrong but...")

We loved the anecdotes about marriage equality meaning the threat to conservatives definition of marriage, was not about same sex but actually about having equal partners in a marriage. It was the concept we hadn't realized was so subconscious and walked hand in hand with the continuing march of feminism.

In addition, Karen talked about her own experience when her mother was telling her that her body was changing (around age 14) and she would need to watch what she wore. Karen's questions were answered with "men can't always control themselves" to which Karen replied "then they should be caged". This story was directly related to Solnit's pages about women on campuses being told not to go out at night when surely it made just as much sense to tell the MEN not to walk on campus after dark!

Somehow we got into discussions of police work and recent events but I think we ended with an appreciation of Solnit's "Pandora's jar" which represented hope. All of the radical ideas of feminism and equality, no matter what the backlash or setbacks (like recent abortion laws) - those ideas can't be put back in the jar. They're out and they're not going anywhere.

Links to commercials discussed:

Throw like a girl (Always) http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=XjJQBjWYDTs

(It's a trend: http://mobile.blogs.wsj.com/cmo/2014/07/01/viral-video-of-week-an-ad-that-challenges-what-it-means-to-throw-like-a-girl/?mg=blogs-wsj)

I'm sorry/Stop apologizing (Pantene) http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=rzL-vdQ3ObA

Also mentioned: Confidence Gap Atlantic article http://www.theatlantic.com/features/archive/2014/04/the-confidence-gap/359815/

-- Jennie & Catherine contributed to this write-up.