In Stitches: A Patchwork of Feminist Humor and Satire

From Publishers Weekly
Anyone who still says feminists don't have a sense of humor should peruse the hilarious and often insightful pieces assembled here by Kaufman (coeditor of Pulling Our Own Strings ). Teresa Bloomingdale discusses one of the less publicized joys of new-motherhood: sleep deprivation. Alice Kahn offers a test men can take to see if they're genuine NSMs--New Sensitive Males, a blend of "miso and macho in one man." Dave Barry reveals why housework can't be entrusted to men: they'd "hire secretaries and buy computers and fly off to housework conferences in Bermuda"--but never clean anything. Kaufman (writing as Hazel Houlihingle) explores the wonderland of "medical logic" that lets doctors evade responsibility for their actions. Barbara Ehrenreich explodes the "man shortage" myth, noting places where there's a surplus of males, such as the Senate, Harvard (853 tenured men to 45 tenured women) and U.S. prisons. On the language of clothes, Alison Lurie notes that we can lie or try to tell the truth, but "unless we are naked and bald, it is impossible to be silent." Illustrations not seen by PW. Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
In her second volume of feminist humor (she was co-editor of Pulling Our Own Strings , LJ 10/15/80), Kaufman tells us that "feminist humor strives to educate both weak and powerful in order to stimulate change in the direction of equity or justice." This certainly appears to be the case, as many of the selections seem to be more educational than humorous. While pieces such as "My Husband's View of Housework" (Margery Eliscu) and "Five Months Before the Wedding" (Dave Barry) are genuinely funny, others such as "My Man Bovanne" (Toni Cade Bambara) are more a poignant social commentary. Unlike Regina Barreca's They Used To Call Me Snow White ( LJ 3/15/91), there is no analysis in the text other than in the introduction. The authors represented range from Harriet Beecher Stowe to Fran Lebowitz, and the various topics include pregnancy, marriage, sex, dating, aging, and politics. Appropriate for women's studies collections.-- Kathy Ingels Helmond, Indiana Univ.Purdue Univ. at Indianapolis Lib.Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.


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This sequel to the first collection of feminist humor, Pulling our own strings (Indiana U. Press, 1980) includes contributions by Toni Cade Bambara, Dave Barry, Barbara Ehrenreich, Jules Feiffer, Ellen Goodman, Nicole Hollander, Zora Neale Hurston, Jane Wagner, and dozens more. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)


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