We Don't Need Another Wave: Dispatches from the Next Generation of Feminists

by Melody Berger

Book Overview

We Don't Need Another Wave is a critique of the ways in which feminism is discussed in the mainstream media. Today's young feminists are wary of being labeled. They are media-savvy, hyper-aware of being categorized and marginalized, and are here to tell the world that feminists are feminists--diverse in age and experience--and that it's time to drop the labels in favor of proactive agendas and united goals.

Topics that matter to young...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1580051820
• ISBN13: 9781580051828
• Release Date: October 2006
• Publisher: Seal Press (CA)
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 1.02 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 6.0" x 8.8"

Customer Reviews

phenomenal book

i originally purchased this book after picking it up in a store and reading a few pages out of dean spade's essay entitled "for lovers or fighters" where, as part of the essay, he describes the nuanced decisions we all make about how we want to have friendships and relationships and the ways in which we could challenge ourselves to treat our friends more like our lovers (prioritize them in our lives) and our lovers more like our friends (don't have ridiculous expectations of them). This essay remained one of my favorites (and has been interwoven into my thinking about relationships and how i want to have them) even after i read the entire book (twice) and fell in love with many other essays as well. One of the aspects of this book that i loved so much was the ability of each author to examine the complexity of their situations. There were no clear drawn conclusions based on linear, academic arguments. People told their stories, complex as they were, and the subtlties of their lives were picked apart and examined. People decided to make themselves vulnerable and to tell us like it is, it was very real, very genuine. I was honored to read their stories and would have loved to have had extensive discussions with many of them to hear how various projects and experiences turned out for them. There was an incredible diversity of essayists, and i was really excited and inspired by the way that so many people were represented and yet nobody was tokenized. It is difficult to figure out how to make this happen and i was thrilled when i realized this was so. "We Don't Need Another Wave" is a book that i insisited all of my friends read. it is an incredible addition to the growing body of work that represents feminism for what it is and what it feels like and what it actually means to most young feminists today.

Passionate voices from the frontlines of the feminist youth movement

In this wonderful new anthology from the independent feminist publishing company Seal Press, a diverse group of young feminists tackle difficult feminist issues like war, rape, poverty, domestic violence, racism, sex work, pornography, transphobia, eating disorders, abortion, and heterosexism. Especially interesting were the insightful reflections on the March For Women's Lives and the protests against the 2004 Republican National Convention. I also really enjoyed reading about the political work being done by feminists within the DIY punk activist community. For those of you who foolishly believe the media myth that feminism is dead, read this book. It will renew your faith in the next generation of radical feminists.

yay! i love this book!

so, here's the deal: i'm in grad school and rarely get to read for fun, but i bought this book on thursday and was halfway through it by saturday. it's a quick read that's more fierce than fluff. it's also written in a way that's really accessible (i.e., not too high brow or academic-y). but mainly this book screams--through the varied voices of its contributors--that feminism is far from dead, rather it's something that people are enacting in their everyday lives! it's really inspiring. i'm already so in love with several of the essays (and at least one of the writers) that i can't wait to finish it. (i also just ended up buying seven more copies for gifts if that tells you anything!) update: so, i finally found some time over the holiday/long weekend to finish this book. and i have to say i am both impressed and inspired ... and a little bummed that i didn't at least submit something when the call for submissions landed in my inbox a year or so ago. the authors weave humor, sadness, rage, craftiness, and overall "kick a*s"-ness throughout their narratives, which culminates into this great collection of feminist writing that comes at a variety of issues from a variety of approaches--the way feminism should be (at least in my mind)! (i've also quoted two excerpts of pieces from this book in my myspace blog if that tells you anything!)