graduation time means book time!
Did I mention that I finally am done school?! Yes, it's true. I officially graduate on the 17th.
I stumbled into Macondo the other day after the market and found two used books that put a smile on my face.
Carol Adams came to the school a year or two ago and gave a very interesting presentation about how "food" animals are viewed by dominant society and how women are viewed by dominant society. The part that sticks out in my memory the most is her slide show, which was a compilation of advertisements she'd collected (or been sent) over the years. The illustration on the cover of the book is an example of one (yes, that was an actual advertisement!) It was appalling but eye opening, and it's refreshing to see people acknowledging that oppressions are linked - in this case, through the othering and then the objectification of both women and animals.
The other book I found (and was ecstatic to!) was this one:
I absolutely love this artist! These comics are probably the only books that have made me actually laugh while reading. The characters are awesome. I also really love the little extras thrown in, like book and newspaper titles ("Harry Potter and the Gigantic Royalty Cheque" was one, haha). The first book in this series got published when I was just a year old, and the last strip of it was published in 2008. This might seem trivial to those of you who feel you know your own history, but for us who never got taught our histories in classrooms or rarely see ourselves represented in books & films, stuff like this is so valuable. As I grew up oblivious to the fact that there was a whole culture of queerness that existed (with many many subcultures), these were documenting (and poking fun at) them - and were delivered in this witty, hilarious and honest way, they're pretty darn irresistible.
I'll stop gushing about Alison Bechdel now.
PS: I started reading Carol Adams' book tonight, and a receipt fell out of it. The receipt is from a Parkdale (Toronto) grocery store. I really like the idea that the books in my hands have their own histories and have touched other people's lives. For those who are wondering, the receipt was for a vegan grocery list, with the exception of some yogurt. :)
I stumbled into Macondo the other day after the market and found two used books that put a smile on my face.
Carol Adams came to the school a year or two ago and gave a very interesting presentation about how "food" animals are viewed by dominant society and how women are viewed by dominant society. The part that sticks out in my memory the most is her slide show, which was a compilation of advertisements she'd collected (or been sent) over the years. The illustration on the cover of the book is an example of one (yes, that was an actual advertisement!) It was appalling but eye opening, and it's refreshing to see people acknowledging that oppressions are linked - in this case, through the othering and then the objectification of both women and animals.
The other book I found (and was ecstatic to!) was this one:
I absolutely love this artist! These comics are probably the only books that have made me actually laugh while reading. The characters are awesome. I also really love the little extras thrown in, like book and newspaper titles ("Harry Potter and the Gigantic Royalty Cheque" was one, haha). The first book in this series got published when I was just a year old, and the last strip of it was published in 2008. This might seem trivial to those of you who feel you know your own history, but for us who never got taught our histories in classrooms or rarely see ourselves represented in books & films, stuff like this is so valuable. As I grew up oblivious to the fact that there was a whole culture of queerness that existed (with many many subcultures), these were documenting (and poking fun at) them - and were delivered in this witty, hilarious and honest way, they're pretty darn irresistible.
I'll stop gushing about Alison Bechdel now.
PS: I started reading Carol Adams' book tonight, and a receipt fell out of it. The receipt is from a Parkdale (Toronto) grocery store. I really like the idea that the books in my hands have their own histories and have touched other people's lives. For those who are wondering, the receipt was for a vegan grocery list, with the exception of some yogurt. :)