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A review by kojali
Wanting: Women Writing About Desire by Margot Kahn, Kelly McMasters
adventurous
dark
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
I’m in the midst of writing a thesis on Early Modern European women, and picked this up seeking to understand more about myself and our sex as a whole. Although not directly related to my research, this book could not have come into my life at a better time.
Initially, I was reading this volume cover to cover. At some point I picked up some other books and returned to this whenever I had the immediate desire. I think this collection should be read in fragments, allowing yourself to dive into these stories one at a time, so you can reflect on the pieces in their own right.
As with any other collection of stories or essays, there are some in here that resonated with me more than others. Despite this, all of the essays were unique and contributed something to the collection that its neighbors didn’t. My favorite pieces are the following: “Pleasure Archive: Notes on Polyamory, History, and Desire” by Dr. Keyanah B. Nurse; “Desire in the City of Subdued Excitement” by Rena Priest; “How I Got Over” by Amanda Petrusich; “There is a Name for This” by Joanna Rakoff; “Halls of Air” by Laura Joyce-Hubbard; “Leaving the Palace” by Ann Tashi Slater; “Notes Toward a History of Desire” by Merritt Tierce; and “Coming to Be” by Sonia Maria David. I will certainly be reading more from these authors, as well as the others within these pages.
All of the essays listed above, along with the rest of those in this volume, were composed by such a beautiful range of diverse authors - the most varied I’ve ever seen. All of these women wrote with an unmatched vulnerability and honesty, with several of these essays being their first public declaration of the stories and emotions within their pages. I commend each of these women.
This volume grounded me, took me below the surface and shot me into space. Even as a longtime feminist, I feel more compassion and empathy for my fellow women than ever before. The conversations in these pages are imperative to be had, among children, women, men, everyone. This is a strikingly important book, and I would recommend this to anyone wanting to feel less alone, anyone who needs a laugh and/or a cry, and anyone who wants to feel more connected to our nuanced, disorienting world.
Initially, I was reading this volume cover to cover. At some point I picked up some other books and returned to this whenever I had the immediate desire. I think this collection should be read in fragments, allowing yourself to dive into these stories one at a time, so you can reflect on the pieces in their own right.
As with any other collection of stories or essays, there are some in here that resonated with me more than others. Despite this, all of the essays were unique and contributed something to the collection that its neighbors didn’t. My favorite pieces are the following: “Pleasure Archive: Notes on Polyamory, History, and Desire” by Dr. Keyanah B. Nurse; “Desire in the City of Subdued Excitement” by Rena Priest; “How I Got Over” by Amanda Petrusich; “There is a Name for This” by Joanna Rakoff; “Halls of Air” by Laura Joyce-Hubbard; “Leaving the Palace” by Ann Tashi Slater; “Notes Toward a History of Desire” by Merritt Tierce; and “Coming to Be” by Sonia Maria David. I will certainly be reading more from these authors, as well as the others within these pages.
All of the essays listed above, along with the rest of those in this volume, were composed by such a beautiful range of diverse authors - the most varied I’ve ever seen. All of these women wrote with an unmatched vulnerability and honesty, with several of these essays being their first public declaration of the stories and emotions within their pages. I commend each of these women.
This volume grounded me, took me below the surface and shot me into space. Even as a longtime feminist, I feel more compassion and empathy for my fellow women than ever before. The conversations in these pages are imperative to be had, among children, women, men, everyone. This is a strikingly important book, and I would recommend this to anyone wanting to feel less alone, anyone who needs a laugh and/or a cry, and anyone who wants to feel more connected to our nuanced, disorienting world.