to be real

I've been thinking a lot about feminism lately, so I picked up to be real: Telling the Truth and Changing the Face of Feminism, a collection of essays edited by Rebecca Walker. This collection is full of diverse perspectives and covers a range of topics. There is an essay about hip-hop and women (though the writer of the essay still enjoys the music of male hip hop artists with lyrics that are demeaning to women), an interview with Veronica Webb about being a feminist and a model, and the story of a daughter whose Indian parents were wed as part of an arranged marriage and whose mother fled the loveless marriage and moved to Australia to reclaim her identity. I especially enjoyed an essay written by a male feminist who reflected on his experience trying to throw a bachelor party without strippers, as well as one about a couple who created a new last name when they married rather than each keeping their own or having the woman hyphenate hers. I found this collection interesting and very thought-provoking. I look forward to checking out more of Rebecca Walker's work.