This is the bookstore in Victoria that I am going to be running starting in February next year. I've been working with books for the past six years and I feel like I've found my calling. I've been told many times that "print" is soon to be a thing of the past (http://www.cbc.ca/thehour/video.php?id=969) but I hope they're all wrong. I love books and print culture in general. I also love the Internet and all things digital, but I think there is room in this multi-faceted world for both.
I think that writing and words have always been a source of power for women, and a way for me to find myself. I think women right now have an incredible opportunity with blogs and other devices on the Internet to trancend gender and typical power structures because we can operate without being identified and judged, or restricted in our space for discussion.
This blog exercise is the first time that I have posted information on the Internet on a space that is entirely my own. It's like having a journal, which I've always loved, but with the added stakes that it's in a public place where everyone can read what I have to say. It's much riskier, of course, because it's public, and because it's more permanent than a conversation or class discussion. I think this blog is going to challenge me to take risks and not worry about what other people think. I'm looking forward to it!
2 comments:
So I chose to respond to your blog this week because Metric rocks. I agree with what you said about words as a source of power. Words have always been, and probably always will be, power accessible to, mostly, everyone. Of course, the words that are read and respected by many are available to few. The world we live in today puts too much emphasis on the idea that only those with certain academic credentials have anything intelligent to say. Setting this aside, printed or, as with blogs, posted words are great at reaching the masses to spread new ideas, whether those ideas are good or bad.
Just for the sake of argument I will question the advantage in anonymity of the author. While maybe there is something to be said about who is taken seriously when it comes to publications (i.e. White middle- and upper-class males) there is also something to be said about knowing where certain words are coming from. It could easily be argued that certain words and phrases hold different meanings depending on who is using them. I think this is quite obvious, but as an example, the word ‘dyke’ may be considered positive or negative depending on who says it, and to whom it is addressed. In addition, individuals’ experience and history can change the way people interpret the individual’s word, for better or worse.
I’m not positive what some may think of these ideas; I merely have put them out there for argumental purposes… I myself am not sure what I think of them.
Glad to hear someone else knows who Metric is! So many people in this world are missing out on some rockin music with fabulous feminist lyrics.
You know, I'm so glad we're all doing responses to the blogs, because the discussion aspect of university is how I learn best. I say something like "we can be anonymous on the internet and not be judged as women" and you make me think about it! There is actually a post on Kelly's blog (odie-lover.blogspot.com) about this, too (I think it's from Jordan). And you're both so right. I'm new to thinking about the way the internet works and affects us. Jordan talks about how people are not really anonymous on the Net - the "default" gender is male. Now, I guess I should have known that. Male is the default in print, why not on the Internet?
It's also true that words hold their meaning through context. I think something many feminists have worked hard to achieve is reclaiming words and reclaiming power through their own intentional use of words.
I wonder if it's subversive at all to work anonymously and appropriate that masculine power to be heard more easliy, or if it's something that would just add to the problem? To answer my own question, I think it seems like making myself known as a woman and therefore increasing the presence of women on the Internet is far more useful. Hmmm. September's not even over and I'm learnin' already!
Amber
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