Which story influenced your feminism…

Carolyn, who blogs at https://carolynintheuk.wordpress.com/, a frequent visitor to the Feminist Library, writes below about the book by the American poet, novelist, and social activist Marge Piercy that introduced her to feminism:

It was the poem Joy Road and Livernois that gave me the initial push. Reading it sent me to the card catalogue at the St Clair County Library in Michigan, where I’m from, in search of more by Marge Piercy. And it was reading this poem that started me thinking about things more: not even about the world at large, just as far as the world 45 minutes down the freeway from my hometown.

I cannot remember all the details about the novel Braided Lives. It took place, partially, in Michigan. It’s about two cousins. There was (spoiler alert here) an illegal abortion. The cover of the copy I read had a close up detail of a cable knit sweater.

But I remember, so clearly, laying in the back of my parents’ minivan reading it as we drove to the airport one afternoon.  I think I was 16. I remember my brother’s father-in-law turning and gesturing to me with his thumb, saying, ‘Carolyn’s in her own little world again, huh?’ as I was reading a particularly harrowing section (possibly about that illegal abortion). It was an outwardly benign statement, a simple observation, nothing to be annoyed at. But it was laced with derision and I don’t know if anyone else in the car heard it. I certainly didn’t mention it. I would have been over reacting.

But at that moment everything came together for me. The scales fell from my eyes. The feeling of unease I was only beginning to recognise was suddenly joined up by the combination of book and adult derision. It wasn’t a dramatic moment, but it was my moment. It put things together in a way I hadn’t been able to see before. And looking back I can see that that was the moment I realised I was a feminist even if I didn’t have the word for it yet.

It’s also the first time a dude has interrupted my reading and I still really hate it when they do that.

Which story inspired your feminism? Book / film / story / play?  Email us at admin@feministlibrary.co.uk or tweet us at @feministlibrary with the hashtag #MomentIBecameAFeminist

This article is a guest post and as such it represents the views of the author and not necessarily those of the Feminist Library.