May 03, 2019

Episode 3.28 Living a Feminist Life with Sara Ahmed

56 minutes

Content warning for discussions of cancer and death.

This episode is an absolute dream come true: I spent a full hour talking to Sara Ahmed about feminism. Can you believe it??? Our conversation focused on Sara’s most recent book, Living a Feminist Life (pictured in this photo!). We talked about public scholarship, practical versus theoretical approaches to feminism, finding your people, sustaining your killjoy spirit, and so much more. The conversation gave me some definite feelings, and I hope it does the same for you. Also, links:

First off, some links to Sara’s work. You can find all of her books as well as forthcoming events (she’s got lots, in the UK and, come next fall, in Canada!) on her website. You can also find a link to her extremely excellent blog, feminist killjoys, which is frequently updated and always necessary.

Here’s a beautiful blog post Sara sent me, about Audre Lorde: The Berlin Years and reading Lorde as a feminist killjoy. It expands further on the scene with the beets, linking it to intergenerational feminist storytelling. While you’re at it, learn more about the film here.

If you aren’t caught up on your Audre Lorde reading (it’s never too late!), here’s a link to A Burst of Light and to The Cancer Journals. I bet your local library has them, too.

Sara also mentioned this new volume about race in the academy (in which she has an essay), Dismantling Race in Higher Education: Racism, Whiteness and Decolonising the Academy.

I also mentioned Moten & Harney’s idea of the undercommons, which was alluding to their work in The UnderCommons: Fugitive Planning & Black Study.

Finally, if you didn’t catch the references to sexual-harassment problems in CanLit, Zoe Whittal’s excellent piece on the topic lays out what’s at stake in believing women.

Read Transcript

The podcast theme song is “Mesh Shirt” by Mom Jeans off their album “Chub Rub.” Listen to the whole album here or learn more about them here. Sara’s theme song is “Thick Skin” by Leona Lewis.

Secret Feminist Agenda is recorded and produced by Hannah McGregor on the traditional and unceded territories of the Squamish, Musqueam, and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations.

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