I assure you, my intentions are pure.

Here's my formal explanation of what I am trying to accomplish with this space:

In “Choice Feminism and the Fear of Politics,” Michaele Ferguson argues against choice feminism, stating, “ Women have been oppressed not so much because they have been denied the freedom to determine their own life paths, but because they have been denied participation in public life” (251).  To counteract this oppression, women have to move beyond the simple act of making choices, of defending any action taken by a woman as a feminist action. We have to think critically and make judgments – because all of our choices exist within a social and political context, and all of our choices can potentially change this context. Ferguson describes making these judgments as the “exercise of political freedom,” saying, “Women are free only to the extent that they are engaged in the political practice of creating, re-imagining, and transforming the shared world in which they live" (251).

On the surface this may seem to have little to do with a blog dedicated to discussing feminist issues in speculative fiction. However, I would argue otherwise. Science fiction and fantasy have long been yet another realm dominated by white male authors and protagonists. But as women and people of color begin to protest their underrepresentation in these works, the genres are changing. And as a lover of epic fantasy, and as a lady, I hope this blog can be a space where I can intelligently contribute to that discussion, and promote real change. This in an exercise in making my personal political, and an effort to exercise my political freedom, even if the topic may seem silly or superficial to some. Ferguson writes, “Feminists need to publicly make judgments about personal matters…because reimaging our personal lives is an essential component of a feminist reimagining of the world we share,” and I would argue that we also need a feminist reimagining of the worlds we create in our fantasy fiction (251).

My choice of using this particular format also is a result of Ferguson’s call to make these judgments in a public setting: “Politics involves making our uncertain judgments public, submitting them to the scrutiny of others, and trying to persuade these others to share our views” (251). A blog is certainly a public forum, and one that encourages dialogue. Readers are free to respond to my posts, and I can in turn reply to these comments, creating a conversation as opposed to a monologue. I hope by creating this space, using this medium, to cultivate a “practice of judgment,” that involves “becoming aware that we make political claims within a world of others who are differently situated and who need to be persuaded of the validity of our claims” (251). I hope by exercising political freedom and persuasive judgment in this forum, I can apply these practices beyond the scope of speculative fiction, to other areas of my life.