A lot of "big stuff" happened in 1963 -- including, on this exact date fifty years ago, the publication of Betty Friedan's The Feminine Mystique. Can you dig?
Besides boldly challenging the largely accepted "mainstream" status quo of its time and place, The Feminine Mystique drew a lot of "backlash." From supporters of the status quo. From reactionaries -- those who thought the status quo too "wild." And from critics who thought (or think) it too egocentric, or too ethnocentric, or too neglectful of socioeconiomic "aspects," or of race, of sexual orientation. . . and so on.
Regardless of incoming (and ongoing-incoming) flak, a cool book.
Today's Rune: Defense.
p.s. On the wartime origin of "flak:" it's German -- "Fliegerabwehrkanone," anti-aircraft artillery, ack-ack, dating from the Great War of 1914-1918 aka The First World War aka World War One. In case anyone's forgotten what "aka" stands for, it's for "also known as."
3 comments:
1963 the year I started down this road. Betty Friedan one of my mom's heroes.
One of those I should have read but haven't.
Erik, I remember whispered references to that book. Of course, I read it later while out on a babysitting job!
Post a Comment