Welcome to the weekly Fairer Disputations round-up: your one-stop shop for the best in sex-realist feminism. This week: Nina Welsch on why she quit her job as a librarian, Kat Rosenfield on whether divorce makes you hotter, Mary Harrington and Louise Perry in conversation, matrescence, steroids, what Featured Author Katherine Dee is reading—and more!
First, Nina Welsch write about deciding to quit her job as a school librarian, and why librarians are increasingly becoming both activists and censors.
Next, Kat Rosenfield chimes in on why divorce is “trendy” now—and whether celebrating divorce is a victory for feminism or narcissism.
Our third feature this week is a podcast conversation between two Featured Authors: Mary Harrington and Louise Perry.
More Great Reads & Listens:
- The Cultural Roots of Our Demographic Ennui, Patrick T. Brown, Public Discourse
- How to be a Virtuous Woman, Erika Bachiochi, Intercollegiate Studies Institute channel
- Why We Need A “GI Bill for Homemakers”, Katharine B. Stevens & Ivana Greco, Early Matters Podcast (Based on: Protecting the Home Front: Why We Need a “G.I. Bill” For Homemakers)
- “Matrescence,” and the Transformations of Motherhood, Anna Russell, The New Yorker
- Why Is Everyone on Steroids Now?, Rosecrans Baldwin, GQ
What I’m Reading: Katherine Dee
Right now, I’m reading The Distance Cure by Hannah Zeavin. Zeavin examines the history and development of teletherapy, highlighting how psychotherapy has always used various communication technologies, from Freud’s mail treatments to video chats and apps. Though she also raises concerns about the potential ethical implications and the impact on the therapeutic relationship, she challenges the idea that meaningful therapeutic interactions can’t occur without physical presence. We’re not putting the genie back in the bottle with Internet-based solutions — how do we make them work for us instead of against us?
