Feminist Read-Ins Give Me Life

Last week the Women's Leadership Initiative at my school (of which I am a series regular) had their last event of the year. The event was a feminist read-in, and an opportunity for everyone to come together and read aloud from a work of literature of her choosing. At first, I thought it sounded fun. I guess it's not a surprise to anyone that this nerdgirl loves to read. Then when my week got so crazy with final projects, I was afraid I wouldn't have time to go. However, I decided that because it was the last one (and since I'm graduating next month it's my last one forever) I should go and be with my friends. The club has given me a community to be a part of for the last three years, and I wanted to appreciate that one last time.

I'm so glad that I did because it turned out to be the best thing I did all week. Sitting around with other empowered women, reading from our favorite books was interesting, funny, and refreshing. It took away all the stress I was feeling from my classes. I read an essay called "1995" from the book Sex Object by Jessica Valenti. As a fellow Italian American woman, feminist, and writer, I identify so strongly with a lot of her writing, and I wanted to pick something that felt like it could have been written about me.

Other women in the group read from their favorite books: Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay, feminist Theory From Margin to Center by bell hooks, the Nasty Woman poem, my best friend read a few poems from Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur. It really started a conversation about all that feminism encompasses and how everyone has a different perspective. I had more fun than I had had at our production of The Vagina Monologues on Valentine's Day. It felt fitting to me that we read from books, because I have always felt that if women dominate any place in the media, it is literature. As we were leaving, we decided to curate a summer reading list for everyone before school starts in the fall. I won't be there obviously, but I still can't wait to start that list. The whole experience was so refreshing and it inspired me to buy peruse the Women's Studies section of Barnes and Noble when I was there today. I got All The Lives I Want by Alana Massey (I'll let you know how it is). It made me want to do this again.

So to anyone who has just felt beaten down by life and the patriarchy lately, you are not alone, fam. My advice is to invite your friends over, and read from your favorite feminist works. It will restore your feminine powers and inspire you to keep resisting. God knows, reading can be one of the most subversive forms of rebellion.