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Quote by Joanna Russ

Work

To Write Like a Woman: Essays in Feminism and Science Fiction

The book delves into various aspects of science fiction, analyzing how feminist ideas shape and challenge traditional narratives within the genre. It includes discussions on female authors, characters, and themes prevalent in science fiction literature, providing a comprehensive look at the evolving relationship between feminism and science fiction. more

Author

Joanna Russ
Joanna Russ

Joanna Russ was an American writer renowned for her science fiction and fantasy novels. Her works are celebrated for their profound themes and critical social commentary, particularly their exploration of gender, power, and culture. Notable works include 'We', 'Sophie's Choice', and 'Kate Delorians'. more

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“Também lembrei de Buddy Williard dizendo com uma voz sinistra e sabichona que depois que tivéssemos filhos eu me sentiria diferente e não mais teria vontade de escrever poemas. E me ocorreu que talvez fosse verdade aquela história de que casar e ter filhos era como passar por uma lavagem cerebral, e que depois eu que você ficava inerte feito um escravo num pequeno estado totalitário.”

“I resisted feminism in my late teens and my twenties because i worried that feminism wouldn't allow me to be the mess of a woman i knew myself to be. But then i began to learn more about feminism. i learnt to separate feminism from Feminism or Feminists or the idea of an Essential Feminism - one true feminism to dominate all of womankind.”

“But as for the rest of you, sisters, when anyone says to you, this, that or the other is natural, then fight. Nature does not know best; for the birds, for the bees, for the cows; for men, perhaps. But your interests and Nature’s do not coincide. Nature our Friend is an argument used, quite understandably, by men.”

“And this is when I realize that perhaps feminism isn't about being morally pure or well-liked, and is more about doing the damn thing. Maybe it's about being a women in her truth, fighting for her cause, her dreams, her vision and doing it exactly as she sees fit.”

“One day we're the storm, loud and unmanageable. One we're the sun, radiating light in every direction. One day we're air, breezing in and out invisibly. One day we're fire, furious and passionate. And we don't need an app to tell us when our anger is justified. Or to shave off our hair to be true feminists. Or unanimous approval to prove we're a trailblazer. Or damn underwear to declare us liberated. And we certainly don't need to devise a new set of feminist rules and specifications that tell some women they qualify and others, 'You can't sit with us.”

“Our bodies are life-growers by nature, tied to the moon by some invisible, yet visceral cord. We get to walk through the world in bodies that are mysterious, majestic even, and our intuition as women is pretty off-the-charts.”