Jessica Valenti: Why Feminism Matters

According to author Jessica Valenti, feminism has stopped being perceived as cool. While it's probably safe to say that she's not a fan of the new wave of "female chauvinists" raunching it up in the media, she assures us that feminism is far from dead. In Full Frontal Feminism: A Young Woman's Guide to Why Feminism Matters, she explores modern-day health care, pop culture, and political activism among other subjects with a smart (and smart-ass) tone, moving beyond the blame game and the sentimental, 1960s myopia that has dominated some recent writings. The 29-year-old, proudly self-proclaimed feminist writer has also written for publications such as The Guardian, Salon, and Bitch. Further proving that feminism can move into the future, she regularly posts on her blog, feministing.com, and, inspired by a few Hillary-hecklers who asked the candidate to iron their shirts during a speech, on the night of the New Hampshire primary Valenti launched a "24-Hour Hillary Sexism Watch." In room 205.
Fri., Jan. 18, 2 p.m., 2008