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LIES: A Journal of Materialist Feminism
LIES is a journal spearheaded by a queer feminist collective based in multiple cities: Oakland, Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York, London. LIES is a platform for certain conversations and critiques that are difficult, impossible or dangerous if cis men are in the room. We attack the legacy of racism and transphobia that has plagued feminist organizing, and strive to develop new autonomous feminist practices that take antagonism to white supremacy and transphobia as essential parts of feminist struggle. LIES came out of our experiences within these struggles. It seeks to embody and develop in print the practice of autonomy that we needed to save ourselves in the midst of movements squared on patriarchy and fueled by the subordination of everyone but white cis men. LIES is a communist journal against communists. We draw our purpose and support from feminist, queer, and trans circles, our friends and comrades to whom this journal is devoted.
250 pages, Unknown Binding
First published January 1, 2012
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111 people want to read
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LIES Journal
2 books4 followersLIES is a journal spearheaded by a queer feminist collective based in multiple cities: Oakland, Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York, London. LIES is a platform for certain conversations and critiques that are difficult, impossible or dangerous if cis men are in the room. We attack the legacy of racism and transphobia that has plagued feminist organizing, and strive to develop new autonomous feminist practices that take antagonism to white supremacy and transphobia as essential parts of feminist struggle. LIES came out of our experiences within these struggles. It seeks to embody and develop in print the practice of autonomy that we needed to save ourselves in the midst of movements squared on patriarchy and fueled by the subordination of everyone but white cis men. LIES is a communist journal against communists. We draw our purpose and support from feminist, queer, and trans circles, our friends and comrades to whom this journal is devoted.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
March 12, 2017
All four stars go to "Against Innocence" by Jackie Wang and "Undoing Sex" by C.E., as I don't intend to read the rest.
"Undoing Sex": A more challenging and worthwhile essay than this I would not have expected the editorial group of a material feminist journal to accept. C.E. does not attempt to revive a second wave feminism (which cannot be said for her co-contributors), rather she demonstrates a willingness to acknowledge, take stock of, the aspects of the feminist tradition that feminists have avowedly abandoned. Generally speaking, modern feminists treat these aspects--e.g. essentialism, separatism, and anti-sexuality--with extreme distance, or pretend they never existed. (One might say the same for any number of other traditions whose adherents wish to distance themselves from the uglier aspects of their forebears). As if (if only) it were so easy to purge some aspects of a tradition while still clinging to the ideology at their core. It seems C.E. has not been afraid to go down this path, and has learned a lesson in doing so. In part, that modern feminists continue to believe in the ideal of a pure sexuality. Disturbing at times, appropriately unsettling, I found much to dwell on. That final image, "the private shaking and groaning," will stick with me. Glad I (finally) read it.
I found Marty's comments on this piece amusing, especially that C.E. reverts to a feminism of the past (which I address above), and comes to "NOT AT ALL materialist" conclusions--Marx forbid. As for essentialism, I considered C.E.'s hope in the 'not-man' terminology as "avoiding the presupposition of a coherent feminist or female subject" rather starry-eyed, but at any rate she departs from essentialism more than the large part of her milieu.
I may add something about "Against Innocence," but not at the moment.
"Undoing Sex": A more challenging and worthwhile essay than this I would not have expected the editorial group of a material feminist journal to accept. C.E. does not attempt to revive a second wave feminism (which cannot be said for her co-contributors), rather she demonstrates a willingness to acknowledge, take stock of, the aspects of the feminist tradition that feminists have avowedly abandoned. Generally speaking, modern feminists treat these aspects--e.g. essentialism, separatism, and anti-sexuality--with extreme distance, or pretend they never existed. (One might say the same for any number of other traditions whose adherents wish to distance themselves from the uglier aspects of their forebears). As if (if only) it were so easy to purge some aspects of a tradition while still clinging to the ideology at their core. It seems C.E. has not been afraid to go down this path, and has learned a lesson in doing so. In part, that modern feminists continue to believe in the ideal of a pure sexuality. Disturbing at times, appropriately unsettling, I found much to dwell on. That final image, "the private shaking and groaning," will stick with me. Glad I (finally) read it.
I found Marty's comments on this piece amusing, especially that C.E. reverts to a feminism of the past (which I address above), and comes to "NOT AT ALL materialist" conclusions--Marx forbid. As for essentialism, I considered C.E.'s hope in the 'not-man' terminology as "avoiding the presupposition of a coherent feminist or female subject" rather starry-eyed, but at any rate she departs from essentialism more than the large part of her milieu.
I may add something about "Against Innocence," but not at the moment.
February 10, 2020
I love this book. My favorite edition.
October 18, 2012
I adjusted my review from 2 to three stars. This deserves a comprehensive reckoning and overall it asks some provocative questions. I can only offer initial impressions at the moment.
The first section "Undoing Sex: Against Sexual Optimism" & "Against the Couple Form" is highly troubling not only in gender essentialism but in many of the assertions made by the authors. I have empathy for ideas behind these essays but the conclusions are hard to justify.
Undoing Sex seems to be more of a critique of the hypersexuality of queer social scenes and spaces, buried in a long historiography of lesbian separatist views on sex and the authors trauma pretending to be universal knowledge. Its conclusions are NOT AT ALL materialist.
I don't understand how after all of this history, the theorization of gender and the many many discussions we've all had over the past decade that we can come back around to theoretical discussions pulled from the 1970's. This first section and the claims made in it almost made both me and other put Lies down for good.
It gets much better in other sections:
There is a long description of a labor struggle of careworkers in an elderly care center. Both very moving and materialist although a little long.
A lot of poetry, mostly decent.
A particularly good piece called "Against Innocence" that interrogates the idea of innocent victims and the discourse of criminal justice.
Still haven't dealt with the final section.
This type of project is admirable and one can hope that it can move certain discourses forward
The first section "Undoing Sex: Against Sexual Optimism" & "Against the Couple Form" is highly troubling not only in gender essentialism but in many of the assertions made by the authors. I have empathy for ideas behind these essays but the conclusions are hard to justify.
Undoing Sex seems to be more of a critique of the hypersexuality of queer social scenes and spaces, buried in a long historiography of lesbian separatist views on sex and the authors trauma pretending to be universal knowledge. Its conclusions are NOT AT ALL materialist.
I don't understand how after all of this history, the theorization of gender and the many many discussions we've all had over the past decade that we can come back around to theoretical discussions pulled from the 1970's. This first section and the claims made in it almost made both me and other put Lies down for good.
It gets much better in other sections:
There is a long description of a labor struggle of careworkers in an elderly care center. Both very moving and materialist although a little long.
A lot of poetry, mostly decent.
A particularly good piece called "Against Innocence" that interrogates the idea of innocent victims and the discourse of criminal justice.
Still haven't dealt with the final section.
This type of project is admirable and one can hope that it can move certain discourses forward
December 6, 2012
I'd give this a higher rating if it weren't for "Against the Couple Form," which was just awful. Definitely worth reading. This is the third journal/anthology in which I've seen "From Tea Lights to Torches" printed, but whatevs.
December 10, 2012
I am a proud contributor to this journal but in no way close to being the author / was not even an editor. Please--whoever posted this--remove my name.
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September 8, 2017This is good fucking politics. This is the warning that our early communization theory needs. This is the knife-to-the-neck rhetoric that contemporary neo/liberal feminism lacks. This makes me want to throw down barricades, this makes me want to be a good comrade. This is canon.
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September 24, 2018Read this over the weekend. These were my favourites
C.E. Undoing Sex: Against Sexual Optimism
SKY PALACE “to be liberated from them (or through them)” a call for a new approach
JACKIE WANG Against Innocence : Race, Gender, and the politics of Safety
WENDY TREVINO from santa rita 128 to 131
C.E. Undoing Sex: Against Sexual Optimism
SKY PALACE “to be liberated from them (or through them)” a call for a new approach
JACKIE WANG Against Innocence : Race, Gender, and the politics of Safety
WENDY TREVINO from santa rita 128 to 131
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews