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Reclaiming Two-Spirits by Gregory D. Smithers
Reclaiming Two-Spirits decolonizes the history of gender and sexuality in Native North America. It honors the generations of Indigenous people who had the foresight to take essential aspects of their cultural life and spiritual beliefs underground in order to save them.
Before 1492, hundreds of Indigenous communities across North America included people who identified as neither male nor female, but both. They went by aakíí’skassi, miati, okitcitakwe or one of hundreds of other tribally specific identities. After European colonizers invaded Indian Country, centuries of violence and systematic persecution followed, imperiling the existence of people who today call themselves Two-Spirits, an umbrella term denoting feminine and masculine qualities in one person.
Drawing on written sources, archaeological evidence, art, and oral storytelling, Reclaiming Two-Spirits spans the centuries from Spanish invasion to the present, tracing massacres and inquisitions and revealing how the authors of colonialism’s written archives used language to both denigrate and erase Two-Spirit people from history. But as Gregory Smithers shows, the colonizers failed—and Indigenous resistance is core to this story. Reclaiming Two-Spirits amplifies their voices, reconnecting their history to Native nations in the 21st century.
Why you should read it: I knew going in that this would be a heavy read, and I also had a feeling it was going to be a really excellent resource. I was right on both counts. This book contains an incredible amount of not just history but contemporary accounts from indigenous communities, and a lot of in-depth analysis in topics that are way outside my scope of knowledge. The author isn't native, but I think does a good job of centering native voices and experiences throughout the book. There's a good balance between the necessary but painful history presented in the earlier chapters, and the fiercely hopeful contemporary conversations in the second half of the book. So many people—in so many different age groups and communities—working to decolonize and reclaim language, culture, history that stand distinct from other kinds of queerness.
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Moby Dyke by Krista Burton
Lesbian bars have always been treasured safe spaces for their customers, providing not only a good time but a shelter from societal alienation and outright persecution. In 1987, there were 206 of them in America. Today, only a couple dozen remain. How and why did this happen? What has been lost--or possibly gained--by such a decline? What transpires when marginalized communities become more accepted and mainstream?
In Moby Dyke, Krista Burton attempts to answer these questions firsthand, venturing on an epic cross-country pilgrimage to the last few remaining dyke bars. Her pilgrimage includes taking in her first drag show since the onset of the pandemic at The Back Door in Bloomington, Indiana; competing in dildo races at Houston's Pearl Bar; and, despite her deep-seated hatred of karaoke, joining a group serenade at Nashville's Lipstick Lounge and enjoying the dreaded pastime for the first time in her life. While Burton sets out on the excursion to assess the current state of lesbian bars, she also winds up examining her own personal journey, from coming out to her Mormon parents to recently marrying her husband, a trans man whose presence on the trip underscores the important conversation about who precisely is welcome in certain queer spaces--and how they and their occupants continue to evolve.
Why you should read it: Travel memoirs are not usually my cup of tea—they tend not to hold my focus—but this one kept me riveted. I love the premise, I love the bits of queer history that sneak in along the way, I love getting to experience these locations and crowds vicariously. The thought of actually participating in a road trip like this (not literally a road trip, but close enough) sounds exhausting and Not For Me, but it was so cool to read about. The author's got a lovely candid writing style, and I legitimately cried (good tears) in the last chapter. Just, all around a fantastic read.
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Disability Intimacy by Alice Wong
What is intimacy? More than sex, more than romantic love, the pieces in this stunning and illuminating new anthology offer broader and more inclusive definitions of what it can mean to be intimate with another person. Explorations of caregiving, community, access, and friendship offer us alternative ways of thinking about the connections we form with others—a vital reimagining in an era when forced physical distance is at times a necessary norm.
But don’t worry: there’s still sex to consider—and the numerous ways sexual liberation intersects with disability justice. Plunge between these pages and you’ll also find disabled sexual discovery, disabled love stories, and disabled joy. These twenty-five stunning original pieces—plus other modern classics on the subject, all carefully curated by acclaimed activist Alice Wong—include essays, photo essays, poetry, drama, and erotica: a full spectrum of the dreams, fantasies, and deeply personal realities of a wide range of beautiful bodies and minds. Disability Intimacy will free your thinking, invigorate your spirit, and delight your desires.
Why you should read it: I've been seeing this title recommended in a lot of places, so I went in with my expectations high, and the book absolutely delivered. It's a fascinating, thoughtful, illuminating collection of essays and articles—and it was incredibly cohesive while covering a much broader range of topics than I expected. There are a lot of areas I'm not very well informed about when it comes to disability advocacy, despite my ongoing efforts to learn more, and I appreciated every insight this collection brought to me. Not always an easy read, given the world we live in and the honesty in all of these writings, but beautiful and worth it every step of the way.
Reclaiming Two-Spirits by Gregory D. Smithers
Reclaiming Two-Spirits decolonizes the history of gender and sexuality in Native North America. It honors the generations of Indigenous people who had the foresight to take essential aspects of their cultural life and spiritual beliefs underground in order to save them.
Before 1492, hundreds of Indigenous communities across North America included people who identified as neither male nor female, but both. They went by aakíí’skassi, miati, okitcitakwe or one of hundreds of other tribally specific identities. After European colonizers invaded Indian Country, centuries of violence and systematic persecution followed, imperiling the existence of people who today call themselves Two-Spirits, an umbrella term denoting feminine and masculine qualities in one person.
Drawing on written sources, archaeological evidence, art, and oral storytelling, Reclaiming Two-Spirits spans the centuries from Spanish invasion to the present, tracing massacres and inquisitions and revealing how the authors of colonialism’s written archives used language to both denigrate and erase Two-Spirit people from history. But as Gregory Smithers shows, the colonizers failed—and Indigenous resistance is core to this story. Reclaiming Two-Spirits amplifies their voices, reconnecting their history to Native nations in the 21st century.
Why you should read it: I knew going in that this would be a heavy read, and I also had a feeling it was going to be a really excellent resource. I was right on both counts. This book contains an incredible amount of not just history but contemporary accounts from indigenous communities, and a lot of in-depth analysis in topics that are way outside my scope of knowledge. The author isn't native, but I think does a good job of centering native voices and experiences throughout the book. There's a good balance between the necessary but painful history presented in the earlier chapters, and the fiercely hopeful contemporary conversations in the second half of the book. So many people—in so many different age groups and communities—working to decolonize and reclaim language, culture, history that stand distinct from other kinds of queerness.
- — - — - — - — -
Moby Dyke by Krista Burton
Lesbian bars have always been treasured safe spaces for their customers, providing not only a good time but a shelter from societal alienation and outright persecution. In 1987, there were 206 of them in America. Today, only a couple dozen remain. How and why did this happen? What has been lost--or possibly gained--by such a decline? What transpires when marginalized communities become more accepted and mainstream?
In Moby Dyke, Krista Burton attempts to answer these questions firsthand, venturing on an epic cross-country pilgrimage to the last few remaining dyke bars. Her pilgrimage includes taking in her first drag show since the onset of the pandemic at The Back Door in Bloomington, Indiana; competing in dildo races at Houston's Pearl Bar; and, despite her deep-seated hatred of karaoke, joining a group serenade at Nashville's Lipstick Lounge and enjoying the dreaded pastime for the first time in her life. While Burton sets out on the excursion to assess the current state of lesbian bars, she also winds up examining her own personal journey, from coming out to her Mormon parents to recently marrying her husband, a trans man whose presence on the trip underscores the important conversation about who precisely is welcome in certain queer spaces--and how they and their occupants continue to evolve.
Why you should read it: Travel memoirs are not usually my cup of tea—they tend not to hold my focus—but this one kept me riveted. I love the premise, I love the bits of queer history that sneak in along the way, I love getting to experience these locations and crowds vicariously. The thought of actually participating in a road trip like this (not literally a road trip, but close enough) sounds exhausting and Not For Me, but it was so cool to read about. The author's got a lovely candid writing style, and I legitimately cried (good tears) in the last chapter. Just, all around a fantastic read.
- — - — - — - — -
Disability Intimacy by Alice Wong
What is intimacy? More than sex, more than romantic love, the pieces in this stunning and illuminating new anthology offer broader and more inclusive definitions of what it can mean to be intimate with another person. Explorations of caregiving, community, access, and friendship offer us alternative ways of thinking about the connections we form with others—a vital reimagining in an era when forced physical distance is at times a necessary norm.
But don’t worry: there’s still sex to consider—and the numerous ways sexual liberation intersects with disability justice. Plunge between these pages and you’ll also find disabled sexual discovery, disabled love stories, and disabled joy. These twenty-five stunning original pieces—plus other modern classics on the subject, all carefully curated by acclaimed activist Alice Wong—include essays, photo essays, poetry, drama, and erotica: a full spectrum of the dreams, fantasies, and deeply personal realities of a wide range of beautiful bodies and minds. Disability Intimacy will free your thinking, invigorate your spirit, and delight your desires.
Why you should read it: I've been seeing this title recommended in a lot of places, so I went in with my expectations high, and the book absolutely delivered. It's a fascinating, thoughtful, illuminating collection of essays and articles—and it was incredibly cohesive while covering a much broader range of topics than I expected. There are a lot of areas I'm not very well informed about when it comes to disability advocacy, despite my ongoing efforts to learn more, and I appreciated every insight this collection brought to me. Not always an easy read, given the world we live in and the honesty in all of these writings, but beautiful and worth it every step of the way.
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Date: 2024-06-30 07:48 pm (UTC)Thanks so much for the Moby Dyke rec -- grabbed the audiobook right away.
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Date: 2024-07-02 03:18 pm (UTC)