said_scarlett | (no subject)

(no subject)

So like I said, I picked up Rubyfruit Jungle yesterday. I just finished it. I haven't been able to put it down. Between cleaning and RPing out a wonderful scene with

lovelies, I've been pouring through it.

I've been a fan of Rita Mae Brown's stuff since last year, when I snagged one of her mystery noves at the airport. It was extremely difficult for me to connect this book with any of the Sneaky Pie Brown novels, and that really impressed me. It was an amazing book, and I'm very glad I grabbed it. I'd like to see if I can grab a few of her other books on my next book run.

Next up is the lesbian view on Christianity. That should be, if nothing else, an interesting read.

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You've never read Rubyfruit Jungle? Wow. I first picked that up back in college when I was just a wee feminist. :-)

No, I hadn't! I feel like a horrible lesbian! I only heard about it last year, after I'd been reading Rita Mae Brown for months! and I finally grabbed a copy the other day. I want to find Venus Envy next.

Is it only those of us with 'alternate lifestyles' who feel the need to read about it? I mean, you don't tend to find straight people reading literature/biography/discussion in order to feel good about how straight they are. I suppose straight girls read Judy Blume (or whatever the modern equivalent is) at 12 or so, and then that's OK.

Of course, there's nothing like reading porn for finding sex tips.

You know, when I was about 14 or so every girl in my class (including myself) read 'Rubyfruit Jungle.'

And I think we all read books that make us feel good about the way we are(whatever that may be) on occasion.

That's quite true. Some of it may be transatlantic differences; also, I was exposed to literature containing 'alternate lifestyles' at a relatively late age, as until I was 16 I went to Catholic school. It was when I was at university that I read Oranges are not the only fruit.

I never could stand Judy Blume - *yech* I think I got my version of "what love is to supposed to be" from Dorothy Sayers, with sex tips from The Joy of Sex and the occasional romance novel. And of course my mother, whose only advice was "don't."

*sigh* I've learned so much since then.....

I don't have anything positive to say about the literary qualities of Ms Blume. The books were strictly forbidden at my school, which simply meant that we all read them, despite their deficiencies. I am much persuaded by DLS's view of love, and find her books by far the best description of love for this educated woman, at least.
One of my good friends (also bi) was deeply horrified when she heard I hadn't read any J. Winterson.

I think we just feel the need to read it out of a desire to be able to connect with and relate to the main character. I doubt straight women/girls would read it and go 'oh wow, I know exactly how that is'. Definitely anyone who's dealt with prejudice and oppression can emphathize, but it's a little different.

And then there's the fact that straight people don't go through life being told that it's not good to be what they are, and that they're abnormal.

And then there's the fact that straight people don't go through life being told that it's not good to be what they are, and that they're abnormal

That's true. I suppose there's less need to search for stuff you can relate to if you're straight (though if you're heavily into D/s that might be a different matter). Then again, I almost always identify with men in books, so I never really noticed the deficiency all that much.

Being from a small town in the Deep South and having been a teenager & college student in the Reagan 80s, finding books and films that portrayed women as anything other than happy housewives and mothers was very, very important to me. My family expected me to be a good little Southern Belle who would attend college to get my Mrs, and then devote the rest of my life to keep my husband's house, pumping out 2.3 kids, and giving dinner parties.

It didn't quite work out that way. ;-)

Hmm. It's good ol' cultural differences again. I was lucky, I guess.

Of course, I'm slightly worried that I never noticed that women often got a bad deal in literature; I was too busy identifying with the men to bother about it. But that says something really.

Bleah. Am particularly useless this morning *drinks tea*. I meant to say I'd be interested in hearing what you have to say about the lesbian view on Christianity.
*snoozes over keyboard*

*gives you more tea*

When I've finished with the book, I will definitely post my reactions/thoughts on the subject. I'm not Christian myself, but I have an interest in the religion from a scholastic point of view.

I was brought up Catholic, and though I am 'fallen away', I am actively interested in modern theology. You never know, some of it might stick.

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