Dmetri Kakmi of Corporate Capital wrote a post on the Australian Women Writers challenge in which I am a participant. If you are up for it check out the entire post here. Warning though, if you are past trying to explain feminism 101, give it a miss.
I have posted here due to a blogger glitch that was preventing me from posting at Dmetri’s site.
Thus my extended comment begins:
An interesting post. The cynic in me thinks you might be poking the hornets nest to attract some hits but I’ll take it as read that you are genuine, mind you this technique has worked – I had no idea who you were.
I am taking part and a quick refresher on the wordpress site doesn’t mention that men should join, the post refers to readers - it’s fairly gender neutral in that respect. The point is to challenge gender bias, which can be largely subconscious. Because it’s subconscious there needs to be a structured and systematic response.
Now statistics can be misrepresented, there can be errors in collection etc. The statistics quoted carry more weight than your opinion, regardless of your assurances that you do indeed read quite widely, for a couple of reasons. First you are a sample of one and second your selection/memory will be hindered by confirmation bias.
I conducted a gender audit of my reading in March. I was fairly widely read, didn’t care weather the author had dangly bits or not and thought that the split would come out fairly even maybe 60/40 in favour of men – the actual result was 72 /18.
You know there is a gender bias bingo card with stock standard response that men and some women come up with when somebody complains about gender inequality? This comes close to ticking one of those boxes. All things being equal yes all anybody has to do is write a damn good book. But things aren’t equal. Women can both write good books and challenge gender inequality. Maybe you need to go to a different coffee shop or slum it.
Another tick box. “Quit your complaining there are people less fortunate than you.” Yes, let forget about gay rights in Australia at least it’s illegal to kill gays here. You could be in Iran.
The challenge runs for a year. You have a year to read the books and you can choose the level you want to challenge yourself at. You’re so widely read that you’d probably romp in the lower levels. This is a personal challenge, if you don’t want to celebrate don’t. I mean FFS you’re complaining about striking postures above. The original post at Australian women writers carries none of the bra burning, vagina examining feminist weirdness you are attributing to it.
Ignoring that the challenge is about readers and challenging reading behaviour. Peter has privilege.
With readers it quite obviously does. If you or Sonya Hartnett don’t want to be pigeon-holed that’s your prerogative. This is probably the one point that has any merit.
Authors want to be accepted for the quality of the work. Yes, some good work does float to the top but if you or Sonya or any author out there doesn’t think there are barriers that are based on a multitude of biases, subjective opinions - then well let’s just say the evidence doesn’t seem to be in your favour.
The point I think authors need to take to heart is that you must write the best book you can, and consider when apportioning blame for failure whether there are internal reasons rather than external.
But again when talking about gender bias we are talking about something that is observed and is external to the writer.
One of the AWW’s complaints is that men don’t read women. I’m a man and I read women
Yes sample of one. Pretty sure you can find a person to fit any exception to any rule.
Why not just support the challenge. Women can present just as “authors” without reference to their pink bits, write a good book and challenge inequality all at the same time.
You seem to be casting the challenge authors/ women writers participating in the role of victim playing, wicker burning harpies, who all need to shut up and write a good book. That’s disingenuous to say the least.
For the record I usually reserve punching people who are actually physically trying to hurt me. Still I suppose it’s a way of ensuring positive reviews or an assault charge.
Missing the point. It’s challenging an observed problem of inequality, it’s voluntary. You missed the 90’s and EEO didn’t you?
They are not complaining(well not in the sense that you are attributing i.e. chronic complaining), and they have written something worthwhile. It’s an entirely positive campaign and still a man has to come in and beat it down with his trouser snake.
The challenge is about levelling the field not giving the women a two goal lead.
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1girl2manybooks 43p · 690 weeks ago
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Tansy RR · 690 weeks ago
It always makes me sad when a wholly positive project like the Australian Women's Writer's Challenge 2012 is shot down by people who feel threatened or angered by... what? People trying to do something positive about the very real issue of gender bias?
It's not as if this challenge is telling people not to read work by men, or saying anything negative about male writers except that, you know, privileged! Anyone who thinks otherwise has had their head in the sand for the last 12 months as this discussion has moved out of feminist critical circles and into mainstream book discussion in the media.
This is especially sad because often in these Feminist 101 discussions, people with an interest in the issue of gender bias are so often told to shut up, stop whinging, and do something POSITIVE instead of complaining all the time. Gosh, like a writing challenge?
I keep thinking up t-shirt slogans. Something like 'My Feminism Isn't Hurting You - So Step Off It' comes to mind.
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deborahb · 679 weeks ago
Or is that 'misreads very widely indeed'? Seems he's intent on putting words in other people's mouths.
Hilarious comeback, well done.
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digireado 22p · 679 weeks ago
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SB Wright 110p · 679 weeks ago
It's perfectly possible for men and women to be be supportive of women writers and yet support structures and arguments that perpetuate the bias.
I really wish I could find some detailed studies on gender bias in publishing/writing. We can extrapolate from gender bias studies done in the employment sector but it would be nice to get some specific studies, otherwise I fear the conversation won't move on form - we're pretty sure there's gender bias vs don't be silly we judge a book on its own merits
vikii · 306 weeks ago
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David · 80 weeks ago
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