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I think that considering how to apply feminism and feminist values to a religion can be a good litmus test for how practical and compassionate those values actually are. Setareh: I think they’re largely non-religious factors but I’ve definitely thought about those factors in the context of religion a fair bit. Does your religious background inform your thoughts and feelings about patriarchy, or are they mostly non-religious factors? And what interested you in Breaking Down Patriarchy? I remember you and Lucy doing a project together for your Honors American Literature class where you compared and contrasted your experiences in your faith traditions - Lucy with Mormonism and yours with Islam. I haven’t picked a college yet but I’m leaning heavily towards Mount Holyoke :)Īmy: Awesome. I’m also really into Shakespeare, theatre, and music, and I stress paint quite a bit :) I’m going to be an English major next year (which is mostly exciting but also slightly terrifying) but I’m keeping my options open because I’m interested in a lot of things and I have a hard time picking just one thing. I’ve grown up pretty isolated from Iranian culture beyond my immediate family, so I’m always trying to learn more about it. They’re both atheist and I would say I’m agnostic ? but I’m very very curious about Islam, the Baha’i faith, Zorastrianism, Sufism, and other religions that have influenced Iranian culture in particular.
Both my parents come from religious extended families (Baha’i and Muslim on my mom’s side and Christian on my dad’s) and atheist households. My dad’s family is of European descent, according to 23&Me, he’s mostly British and German and his family came to the US roughly around the same time as the Mayflower, so they’ve been here for quite a while. My mom came to the US from Iran when she was 14 for highschool and then ended up having to stay here due to the Iranian revolution in 1979.
Setareh: Sure thing! I’m 18, I’ve lived in California my whole life, I’m bi, and I’m half Iranian. (I’ll say a little more about you…) Can you tell us some more about yourself? Hi, Setareh!Īmy: Setareh and I know each other through my daughter Lucy, who did the episode on the UN Declarations of Human Rights. But before we get into that, I want to introduce my reading partner, Setareh Greenwood. Interestingly though, Roxane Gay is not primarily a comedian - she’s a writer and public intellectual who has a PhD and is a professor at Yale. Which is a huge relief to listeners and readers.
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If you watched her TED talk, “Confessions of a Bad Feminist” you might think that she’s a professional comedian - she’s so funny and real - and she explains that the title of her essay collection, Bad Feminist refers to the fact that she messes up all the time and falls short of her own ideals… just as we all do. This week’s author is Roxane Gay, and her book, Bad Feminist continues in that bell hooks tradition of being razor-sharp in analysis, but relatable and down-to-earth. I love bell hooks for so many reasons - she is so thorough in her thinking, exploring all sides of every issue, she is always grounded in both truth and love, and she has a manner that is accessible to everyone, whether you have a PhD from an Ivy League or had to drop out of school at a young age to earn money for your family - she is a true humanist. Last week we read “feminism is for everybody” by bell hooks.
Amy: Welcome to Breaking Down Patriarchy, I’m Amy McPhie Allebest.