2 comments

LapisLazuliDecember 29, 2024

Wish we still had the bookstores instead. Anyone have an idea on how to find them, if they exist now? Feel free to DM me if we're trying to be discreet.

ActualWendy [OP]December 30, 2024

Feminist bookstores never made enough money even at a time when people bought books in stores. The industry has changed, obviously, but even at their height, feminist bookstores didn't have a large enough market to survive. Herland, a women's cafe and bookstore in Santa Cruz in the 90s couldn't make a living for the women who devoted their lives to making a go of it.

I posted this to show what we are capable of. These stores filled a need at the time, using the infrastructure of the time. We can't go back to that. What we could have is something like Feminist BookTok, if TikTok's algorithm promoted feminist works. I don't know if it does or doesn't. We need to use the technology of our own time, not try to go back to the past.

Or maybe Ovarit could be a platform for this? Ovarit needs our support if it is to expand to be everything it could be. I notice that it makes its funding goal every month, but just barely. Imagine what could be done if we supported Ovarit with ten-times that amount?