An Invitation to Conversation & Close Reading bell hooks' The Will to Change

I often emphasize the negative aspects of writing on Substack, so — as a little treat, let me emphasize a positive.

One of the loveliest parts of Substack writing versus, say, authoring a book, is the directness of audience/reader contact and conversation with the authors. I’ve connected with several great writers and thinkers, and some genuinely kind people. I have message threats, email exchanges, and phone calls with several (and have met one in person). Often, in the moments when I am at my lowest, the most hopeless about feminism & anti-rape work, I’ll receive a comment from a reader that keeps me doing, restores my sense of purpose and hope.

One of those people is 15thCenturyFeminist, who is doing a slow read group of Christine de Pizan’s The Book of the City of Ladies; a book I purchased and read months ago because of her advocacy for it. In that spirit (and with her permission), I’m also doing a slow read of a very different text, one that is more aligned with feminism for all.

Jacques-Émile Bl…