Name It!

The Erotic: Lorde Have Mercy


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Hey, friends! In this episode we're talking about Audre Lorde's term: the erotic. An idea that names the knowledge, power, and sense of satisfaction encapsulated by the phrase, "this feels right to me." Lorde coins the term to speak back to the European-American male tradition that teaches one to “separate the erotic demand from the most vital areas of our lives other than sex.” What is a life lived erotically?

​Before we give you the tl;dr (too long; didn't read) of Lorde's "The Erotic as Power," we discuss how hard it is to actually hear and listen to yourself. As our case study, we get v vulnerable by answering a recent self-connection survey created by psychologists. We discuss gaps in the study and how hard it is to know and accept yourself when inhabiting spaces founded on the exclusion of you and yours.

​Iman and Kohar share the moments and spaces that make them feel the most aligned with Lorde's sense of the erotic.

As always, we close out with our half-baked thoughts. The segment where we share ideas we haven't fleshed out, but stand fully behind. You'll just have to listen to the episode to hear those. 

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Name It!By Iman AbdoulKarim and Kohar Avakian