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Quiet Rumours: An Anarcha-Feminist Reader
From consciousness-raising groups to hair-razing punk rockers, a fascinating window into the development of the women's movement, in the words of the women who moved it. Spanning the century, these classic essays contextualize feminism as a larger politics of liberation and equality. Whether it's Emma Goldman's attack on suffrage, the infamous Second Wave debates, or armed struggle group Rote Zora's call for direct action, critical analysis and biting polemic connect the dots to show not just how anarchism influenced feminism, but how feminism changed—and continues to change—the political landscape around it. Includes key essays "The Tyranny of Structurelessness" and "The Tyranny of Tyranny" which broke open the feminist debate on organizing in the 1970s.
120 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2002
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1223 people want to read
About the author
Dark Star Collective
2 books12 followersThe Dark Star Collective was a UK-based anarchist group dedicated to keeping small anarchist-oriented pamphlets and publications available "from your local bookshop." The are perhaps most well known for their two anthologies, both originally published in the UK by Rebel Press, and later reprinted by AK Press, Beneath the Paving Stones: Situationists and the Beach,and Quiet Rumours: An Anarcha-Feminist Reader.
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
February 25, 2015
What the blurb on the back doesn't make clear is that this anthology was originally a collection of second wave radfem pamphlets from the 1970's, heavy on white feminist theory. By the third edition, a handful of responses have been thrown in to "update" the volume. That's just not enough to push back against an awful transphobic gender essentialist core of the collection. Nor is a fringe mention of intersectionality enough to make our feminism intersectional. These are the largest problems of the anthology. Additionally, the essays lack organization and are only sporadically contextualized.
Quiet Rumors does have some historical value, in preserving some writings of second wave white anarchist feminists and UK anarcha-feminists of an indeterminate time frame (again, inadequately organized and contextualized). There's a few bits by Emma Goldman and Voltairine de Cleyre included, and short snapshots of the specific tactics of some German and Bolivian anarcha-feminist groups. I did learn a few things I didn't know. But it is not a good overview or introduction to anarcha-feminism.
Quiet Rumors does have some historical value, in preserving some writings of second wave white anarchist feminists and UK anarcha-feminists of an indeterminate time frame (again, inadequately organized and contextualized). There's a few bits by Emma Goldman and Voltairine de Cleyre included, and short snapshots of the specific tactics of some German and Bolivian anarcha-feminist groups. I did learn a few things I didn't know. But it is not a good overview or introduction to anarcha-feminism.
May 7, 2017
“I am nothing when I am by myself… I only know that I exist because I am needed by someone who is real, my husband, and my children" – Meredith Tax
"In traditional anarchist dialogue the site for revolution has been the workplace; from a feminist perspective the family and the body are additional sites of conflict. This is our literal “means of production” which we should be determined to seize" – Revolutionary Anarcha-Feminist Group Dublin
This book quite loosely collects a number of essays on anarcha-feminism and related topics, some very old (pre 20th century), most seemingly "second wave" era, and a few newly written.
The essays here tended to blur together for me despite the fact that they took rather diverse positions, so while I was generally feeling along with the arguments, it was sometimes slightly startling to arrive at something that seemed to contradict a previous statement (in someone else’s essay!) More could have been done by the editors, I felt, to provide context at least by ordering the work chronologically and dating it, since the overall effect is somewhat scattershot although often very inspiring and heartening.
"Oppressions, no matter how pervasive, how predictable, almost always are donw to us by someone – even if that person is acting as an agent of the state, or as a member of the dominant race, gender or class" – Carol Ehrlich
"To separate the process from the goals of revolution is to ensure the perpetuation of oppressive structure and style" – Peggy Kornegger
The most precious takeaway from the book for me was a feeling that I must shake off my sense of helplessness and crippling disgust with the political system as it stands, and look harder for places to start. Wendy Doniger asks us to imagine history; here in the slogan “all power to the imagination”, we are inspired to imagine a better present and ways to bring it into being that we can actually do, however small and slight.
"In traditional anarchist dialogue the site for revolution has been the workplace; from a feminist perspective the family and the body are additional sites of conflict. This is our literal “means of production” which we should be determined to seize" – Revolutionary Anarcha-Feminist Group Dublin
This book quite loosely collects a number of essays on anarcha-feminism and related topics, some very old (pre 20th century), most seemingly "second wave" era, and a few newly written.
The essays here tended to blur together for me despite the fact that they took rather diverse positions, so while I was generally feeling along with the arguments, it was sometimes slightly startling to arrive at something that seemed to contradict a previous statement (in someone else’s essay!) More could have been done by the editors, I felt, to provide context at least by ordering the work chronologically and dating it, since the overall effect is somewhat scattershot although often very inspiring and heartening.
"Oppressions, no matter how pervasive, how predictable, almost always are donw to us by someone – even if that person is acting as an agent of the state, or as a member of the dominant race, gender or class" – Carol Ehrlich
"To separate the process from the goals of revolution is to ensure the perpetuation of oppressive structure and style" – Peggy Kornegger
The most precious takeaway from the book for me was a feeling that I must shake off my sense of helplessness and crippling disgust with the political system as it stands, and look harder for places to start. Wendy Doniger asks us to imagine history; here in the slogan “all power to the imagination”, we are inspired to imagine a better present and ways to bring it into being that we can actually do, however small and slight.
July 28, 2012
I'll definitely be re-reading this when the new version comes out September 11th! The esteemed Abbey Volcano and I have an article in it. :)
May 6, 2018
You can find more reviews like this on my blog.
Neither God, nor masters, nor husband, nor party
I'm pretty new to anarchism and political theory in general, so this was my first foray into a book dedicated to the subject. I found it really informative and a good jumping-off point, it helped me to compile a list of further reading materials. It was sort of loosely put together and probably could have used a little more context for each of the essays/pamphlets and seemed a bit outdated, so that's why I knocked off one star. I definitely plan to check out some more AK Press releases, though!
Neither God, nor masters, nor husband, nor party
I'm pretty new to anarchism and political theory in general, so this was my first foray into a book dedicated to the subject. I found it really informative and a good jumping-off point, it helped me to compile a list of further reading materials. It was sort of loosely put together and probably could have used a little more context for each of the essays/pamphlets and seemed a bit outdated, so that's why I knocked off one star. I definitely plan to check out some more AK Press releases, though!
June 20, 2020
No longer using this website, but I'm leaving up old reviews. Fuck Jeff Bezos. Find me on LibraryThing: https://www.librarything.com/profile/...
Quiet Rumours seems like a work in progress, not a finished product. The essays inside are hit-or-miss. I loved some, and I was unimpressed by others. Some challenged me, others didn't. Spanning a century and a globe, they are not consistent, and they are poorly organized: neither by chronology nor theme.
For the most part, the book includes anarchist writings about feminism, and feminist writings about anarchism. But the book failed to demonstrate a synthesis of the two, and instead contented itself on showing a symbiosis. Whereas I was reading the book to learn about the intersection of the two concepts, I came away with what I already brought: that they were paralell, and both necessary for a just society.
The essays in the beginning did a lot of insisting that anarchism and feminism were interrelated without explaining why or how. The two-essay debate about structure and tyranny were practical looks at trying to synthesize at least a practice of their intersection if not a theory, but when presented together, they merely contradicted one another. The most inspiring and wonderful articles that came close to this synthesis were written by those, such as the Bolivian Mujeres Creando ("I've said it and I'll say it again that we're not anarchists by Bakunin or the CNT, but rather by our grandmothers, and that's a beautiful school of anarchism"- FUCK YES.) who were not trying to self-consciously define their anarchism as exclusionary or individualist. But several of the articles uncompellingly emphasized, in order for the authors to self-consciously differentiate themselves from other Socialists, the individualist tendency of anarchism.
Emma Goldman's "A Woman Without a Country," though a great text, mentioned nothing of feminism, let alone anarchist feminism. It seems it was included because the author was both an anarchist and a feminist.
AK Press and Dark Star made matters far worse for this book. First of all, there were typos in the text, one unfortunate and notable one being the word "his" where it should have said "has." Secondly, The book felt more like 400 pages than 116 pages. The type was *way* too small, sans-serif, and divided into two columns per page. This made every page take an eternity to read, and I spent a good while after every time I put the book down trying to find where I was (4 columns and 47 lines to check!). No one could call this book a page-turner. Thirdly, the pages were so large that the binding broke apart while I was reading it, which distracted greatly from the final essays, which I read while gingerly holding the book so that the wind wouldn't carry them away.
Don't get me wrong, the topic is very worthy, and many of the articles within the book are really quite amazing. But I look forward to a more thoughtful collection of anarcha-feminist works in the future.
Quiet Rumours seems like a work in progress, not a finished product. The essays inside are hit-or-miss. I loved some, and I was unimpressed by others. Some challenged me, others didn't. Spanning a century and a globe, they are not consistent, and they are poorly organized: neither by chronology nor theme.
For the most part, the book includes anarchist writings about feminism, and feminist writings about anarchism. But the book failed to demonstrate a synthesis of the two, and instead contented itself on showing a symbiosis. Whereas I was reading the book to learn about the intersection of the two concepts, I came away with what I already brought: that they were paralell, and both necessary for a just society.
The essays in the beginning did a lot of insisting that anarchism and feminism were interrelated without explaining why or how. The two-essay debate about structure and tyranny were practical looks at trying to synthesize at least a practice of their intersection if not a theory, but when presented together, they merely contradicted one another. The most inspiring and wonderful articles that came close to this synthesis were written by those, such as the Bolivian Mujeres Creando ("I've said it and I'll say it again that we're not anarchists by Bakunin or the CNT, but rather by our grandmothers, and that's a beautiful school of anarchism"- FUCK YES.) who were not trying to self-consciously define their anarchism as exclusionary or individualist. But several of the articles uncompellingly emphasized, in order for the authors to self-consciously differentiate themselves from other Socialists, the individualist tendency of anarchism.
Emma Goldman's "A Woman Without a Country," though a great text, mentioned nothing of feminism, let alone anarchist feminism. It seems it was included because the author was both an anarchist and a feminist.
AK Press and Dark Star made matters far worse for this book. First of all, there were typos in the text, one unfortunate and notable one being the word "his" where it should have said "has." Secondly, The book felt more like 400 pages than 116 pages. The type was *way* too small, sans-serif, and divided into two columns per page. This made every page take an eternity to read, and I spent a good while after every time I put the book down trying to find where I was (4 columns and 47 lines to check!). No one could call this book a page-turner. Thirdly, the pages were so large that the binding broke apart while I was reading it, which distracted greatly from the final essays, which I read while gingerly holding the book so that the wind wouldn't carry them away.
Don't get me wrong, the topic is very worthy, and many of the articles within the book are really quite amazing. But I look forward to a more thoughtful collection of anarcha-feminist works in the future.
July 19, 2015
That was amazing!
August 7, 2008
It's been a few years since I've read theory that's supplemented and pushed what I'm doing in my real life. I read Quiet Rumours over the past weekend while simultaneously participating in Port Militarization Resistance and supporting those doing direct action against the war. Before the last couple of months, I thought of anarchists as punky white guys into a dumpster diving with a poor analysis of the intersections of oppression. Now I'm comfortable calling myself an anarchist to complement my commitment to radical politics and ending oppressive hierarchies.
This is an anthology of essays, articles, and pamphlets that bring together anarchism and feminism from Emma Goldman to the contemporary Mujeres Creando of Bolivia. "Anarchism: The Feminist Connection" by Peggy Kornegger is my favorite essay in this anthologist. If I ever teach a women's studies class, this is going on my syllabus. It's online here: http://www.anarcha.org/sallydarity/Pe...
Drawbacks of this book: poor editing made it feel more like a 'zine than a published text. And even though most of the writings are accessible, I still was a bit confused on some of the jargon. This isn't really a primer. Most these essays didn't have any context introducing them: what year were they written? Why were they picked for this anthology? Lastly, some of the essays seemed under-developed in race analysis, but I guess that's something we can help bring to anarcha-feminism now. These flaws kept me from giving this book five stars.
Why don't I ever read anarchist theory in the academy? I'm going to start writing this stuff.
This is an anthology of essays, articles, and pamphlets that bring together anarchism and feminism from Emma Goldman to the contemporary Mujeres Creando of Bolivia. "Anarchism: The Feminist Connection" by Peggy Kornegger is my favorite essay in this anthologist. If I ever teach a women's studies class, this is going on my syllabus. It's online here: http://www.anarcha.org/sallydarity/Pe...
Drawbacks of this book: poor editing made it feel more like a 'zine than a published text. And even though most of the writings are accessible, I still was a bit confused on some of the jargon. This isn't really a primer. Most these essays didn't have any context introducing them: what year were they written? Why were they picked for this anthology? Lastly, some of the essays seemed under-developed in race analysis, but I guess that's something we can help bring to anarcha-feminism now. These flaws kept me from giving this book five stars.
Why don't I ever read anarchist theory in the academy? I'm going to start writing this stuff.
January 11, 2008
I remember reading this for the first time in my senior year of college and being utterly blown away. It was my first reading on the subject of anarchism and it was so inspirational. I credit my friend Em for turning me onto it. I remember having discussions about federated communities and industries at Nana's Japanese Cafe in Alfred, NY. Years later, I attended a book group with some friends of mine at the time who critiqued it pretty hard. I still find it has incredible value for what it can offer in terms of examples of anarchism--specifically anarcha-feminism--in action.
June 10, 2017
This is mainly of historical interest, and in the meantime probably all of the documents collected here are freely available online. The layout is terrible, with tiny print and then lots of white space. The collection itself is very uneven, and leans heavily towards insurrectionist stuff while ignoring cool anarcho-feminists groups like Mujeres Libres or the Syndikalistische Frauenbund. The articles from the 1970s, which ought to be the most interesting since they are from new left feminists discovering anarchism... are all kind of icky like most new left stuff. There is weird infighting, and no one seems all that comfortable with their own homosexuality, let alone any one else's. There is one bang on, totally awesome piece in here, though, at least in my opinion, and that is the one from Alice Nutter who worked on the Class War newspaper in the '80s. I really feel like AK Press didn't do the work here. I already griped about the layout. I think there was some spell-checking or fact-checking stuff too that seems wrong to me. Also, alongside the introduction, it would have been cooler to have little intros before each piece, explaining the context and giving some relevant biographical facts about the authors. I mean, the point isn't to relive these old debates so much as to meet the sheroes of the past, right? So who were they? Yeah, I am disappointed, but I still liked it enough for 3 stars.
May 2, 2021
Algunos ensayos están súper buenos, otros ya están medio obsoletos pero conservan valor histórico.
Es una especie de libro-fanzine que trata de ser diverso, hay info sobre grupos alemanes, bolivianos, gringos, ingleses, de diferentes épocas.
Algunos ensayos están súper útiles para entender el anarco feminismo, cómo se diferencia del feminismo socialista, qué busca y qué no, etc.
Frente a algunos temas se queda corto en el análisis, por ejemplo el grupo aleman habla de cómo ha boicoteado tiendas porno, etc. pero no ahonda en el análisis del porno, o del trabajo sexual.
Creo que un par de estos ensayos proyectados al presente podrían entrar en la categoría TERF, ew.
Es una especie de libro-fanzine que trata de ser diverso, hay info sobre grupos alemanes, bolivianos, gringos, ingleses, de diferentes épocas.
Algunos ensayos están súper útiles para entender el anarco feminismo, cómo se diferencia del feminismo socialista, qué busca y qué no, etc.
Frente a algunos temas se queda corto en el análisis, por ejemplo el grupo aleman habla de cómo ha boicoteado tiendas porno, etc. pero no ahonda en el análisis del porno, o del trabajo sexual.
Creo que un par de estos ensayos proyectados al presente podrían entrar en la categoría TERF, ew.
April 8, 2020
Some of the classical stuff was kinda boring. The best parts were the Bolivian women at the end
August 17, 2020
A very uneven collection, and poorly framed. Some gems, but also some quite dreadful 1970s nonsense.
October 20, 2013
This book is one of the few published works that deals with anarcha-feminism. As such, it offers an important contribution to the anarchist canon and is to some degree essential reading. It has writings from Emma Goldman and Voltairine de Cleyre (two of the most famous feminist anarchists) as well as a number of pieces from the 1970s and beyond when anarcha-feminism experienced a resurgence. They provide a good introduction to the origins of modern anarcha-feminism as an outgrowth of women's liberation at the end of the 1960s. Most of these pieces still have something to offer, especially for their insights on organizing and the importance of feminism to anarchism. That said, the pieces are a little dated and sometimes lack the necessary context to properly situation them.
This book has been revised several times with each of the editions containing all the articles from the previous one plus newer pieces. The most recent 3rd edition has two great essays that look at the relevance of anarcha-feminism to contemporary anarchist practice as well as a critical look at the theory of intersectionality. If you are going to read this book, definitely try to track down the third edition.
This book has been revised several times with each of the editions containing all the articles from the previous one plus newer pieces. The most recent 3rd edition has two great essays that look at the relevance of anarcha-feminism to contemporary anarchist practice as well as a critical look at the theory of intersectionality. If you are going to read this book, definitely try to track down the third edition.
December 23, 2007
This book has a lot of great work in it. I was a little thrown off by the lack of context for most of the essays: the forward states that the book seeks to reprint older works and "preserve and pass on significant works to younger/newer comrades", and many of these were first reprinted as single pamphlets by the Dark Star Collective. Unfortunately, only three or four of the included works provided dates of original publication, and no bibliography exists to promote the further reading that the book hopes to spark. Whereas a couple of the essays have nice introductions which shed light on them, many others are presented without notes or any background, leaving (I imagine) many "younger/newer comrades" wondering what the authors are referring to. But it certainly is, as stated inside, more of a sampling than a thorough anthology, and ought to be read and shared widely.
Also, illustrations by Miriam Klien Stahl!
Also, illustrations by Miriam Klien Stahl!
September 12, 2007
A great book to challenge your world view. I particularly suggest the essays by Rote Zora and Emma Goldman. What is the difference between legal violence and illegal violence? Have women really be emancipated and why has the feminist movement been repeatedly over shadowed? If you think that you're a free woman this book will challenge that and if you already know you're not this book will give you some leverage in debates.
On the other hand, some of the essays were utterly dull and unenlightening and some of them were downright mysandronist. (Not sure this is a word but I mean man-hating.)
On the other hand, some of the essays were utterly dull and unenlightening and some of them were downright mysandronist. (Not sure this is a word but I mean man-hating.)
September 18, 2007
I was excited to read this book, as there is little anarcha-feminist writing available in the book world. Unforutanely I found much of Quiet Rumours boring and/or inaccessible. Carol Ehrlich's essay is particulary redeeming in Ehrlich's discussion of the spectacle, which I frequently contemplate. "Rebellious acts, then tend to be acts of opposition to the spectacle, but seldom are so different that they transcend the spectacle" (49). What to do!
The pieces on Mujeres Creando in Bolivia and Rote Zora, also were interesting in their applications of anarcha-feminism to action. Are they transcending the spectacle? I don't know.
The pieces on Mujeres Creando in Bolivia and Rote Zora, also were interesting in their applications of anarcha-feminism to action. Are they transcending the spectacle? I don't know.
March 24, 2009
like masturbation, anarchism is something we have been brought up to fear, irrationally and unquestioningly, because not to fear it might lead us to probe it, learn it and like it. for anyone who has ever considered the possibility that masturbation might provide more benefits than madness, a study of anarchism is highly recommended...(cathy levine)
December 16, 2016
So, I am mostly talking about Jo Freeman's "the tyranny of structurlessness" here, though "the tyranny of tyranny " was also included; It is weak, though; I mean It's no insult to say that Levine was completely outclassed here; it's like sending Hayek up against Keynes; regardless of what you feel about the viewpoints involved, it's just not a fair fight.
July 7, 2008
The essays (mostly) start with a good, strong thesis, but seem to fall apart in as the argument turns more to 70's radical feminism infighting. More a primary source document on historical anarachism/ feminism.
August 23, 2007
Its really hard to come across anarcha-feminist literature! This book is a great collection of pieces written by anarchist feminists from all different backgrounds and perspectives. Some of the writing I found inaccessible, but most of it offered a lot of great insight.
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September 18, 2008Trying to quench my total curiosity about anarchism and feminism. Yeah, I know.
January 14, 2012
A lot of different types of feminism were represented here. I loved the anarchist viewpoint. Very inspiring.
January 16, 2013
Really good update of a classic book. I especially like, of the newer stuff, the great chapter on intersectionality and the stuff at the end on Latin America. A must-read.
October 4, 2013
An absolutely must-read for anyone who makes the distinction between anarchist feminism, and liberal feminism.
April 18, 2015
Good, varied essays on anarchism and feminism. I look forward to reading more.
June 6, 2016
The essays overall were sort of hit or miss, although the book displays itself as an anarcha-feminist reader it's not particularly intersectional in other ways.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews