Invisible Women: wilfully insisting on being female
Well hello there my dear GFPs!First up this week I have a little request for you. This past year I've taken a mental health break from thinking about my next book, but as we settle into 2022, I am finding myself thinking about it again. I won't lie: I'm nervous. The last time I was working directly on the book I suffered a breakdown. So I'm approaching it this time as if it were a skittish horse. Or as if I am a skittish horse. Maybe as if we both, I and the book, are skittish horses, liable to bolt at any sudden movement. So I'm approaching it sideways, never looking at it directly. I'm reaching out, very gently, very cautiously, hoping that if I move slowly enough, maybe The Book, because that's what it has become in my head, simply won't notice that I'm trying again. Maybe *I* won't even notice.And what I've found myself thinking about recently is change: changing minds, and making change happen. I've been fascinated by the idea of the former ever since I had my own mind changed so radically about feminism back in my mid-20s: what was it about that moment that made it possible for me to have my mind changed? How can I replicate that for other people (writing Invisible Women was part of my answer to that question, but of course it's not a full answer).As for the latter, well, that's what I've been in the business of doing for the past decade or so, and it's the question I'm asked most commonly by readers: how do we take action with the knowledge we now have? How do we make the changes we now know we need?And so, GFPs, here comes what I'm asking of you. What I'd like to know is: did reading Invisible Women change your mind? Or did it change the mind of someone you know? If so, I want to hear from you! (One woman told me her partner actually APOLOGISED to her after reading IW as he realised that he hadn't been pulling his weight in the unpaid care work department 😯)And as well as telling me if your mind was changed, I'd love to know, if you know yourself, how your mind was changed. What was it in the book that convinced you? Do you think there was anything unusual about your personal circumstances that made you more open to having your mind changed? For example did someone you trust give you Invisible Women as a present; were you in an environment where curiosity was rewarded (ie not on twitter 🤪)?For example, for me, I was at university as a mature student, I was THIRSTY for having my mind opened. The book I read was on my university reading list, so it came on good authority. And the example that sparked my lightbulb moment had personal resonance for me. After analysing my moment of having my mind changed I feel pretty sure I can narrow it down to those 3 key points.But what were yours? I'm really interested to hear the GFP community's experiences -- can't wait to see what you have to say!
