Web Correspondent: Emily
Name: Emily
State: North Dakota
Blog: tobestalks.blogspot.com
Favorite Books: I'm a huge book nerd! Some faves: Full Frontal Feminism, Sins of Scripture, Female Chauvinist Pigs, The War on Choice, any Harry Potter book, The Birth of Venus, The Fat Girl's Guide to Life, and The Red Tent (I think I've read that one ten times already)!
Favorite Movies: I'm also a big movie nerd! My favorite type of movie to watch is goofy animated stuff like: The Incredibles and Monsters Inc. Those movies cheer me up like nothing else. But I'm also a sucker for indie flicks. I really enjoyed Driving Lessons, Everything is Illuminated and Dear Frankie. Some of my fave comedies include Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Mystery Alaska, and Saved! Everyone should watch Shawshank Redemption, Thunderheart, and V for Vendetta once.
Favorite Music: I'm not a music snob, I listen to anything that gets my toes tapping. Some of my favorite artists are A Fine Frenzy, Sara Bareilles, James Morrison, Lindsay Mac, Dixie Chicks, Johnny Cash, Miranda Lambert, Willie Nelson, the Temptations, Michael Buble, Rob Thomas/Matchbox 20, Norah Jones, Mindy Smith and YellowCard
Favorite Website: I religiously check Post Secret every week. But my favorite feminist blogs, those I check DAILY! I love Feministing, Feministe and Pandagon
Favorite Reproductive Rights Topic: That's a tough question. I think it's too hard to pick a "favorite." I enjoy studying so many feminist issues, from the beauty myth ideal to rape culture. I feel like all of these seemingly separate issues connect perfectly to the pro-choice dialogue. We must examine these issues, not as microcosms but as reflections of our larger patriarchal culture.
If we outlaw abortion "for women's own good," then we insinuate that women are childlike and need others (namely men) to make decisions for them. This idea essentially says women's bodies are not their own. This makes it easier to treat women like 2nd class citizens, to abuse them, and to feel entitlement to their bodies (sexual abuse, commenting on their body etc). These issues all connect! If we make strides in one area, we will see improvement in another.
Hero: My mother is my hero. The women in my family are so amazing. My grandparents farmed all their life in South Dakota. My grandmother worked right alongside my grandfather. But her social security "worth" was substantially less than my grandpa because she was considered a "housewife" and he was the farmer. My mother raised me as a proud, strong woman and she made me aware of various social justice issues. I credit a lot of my passion to her.
About me: I'm a Midwest girl at heart but I do love to travel. Nothing makes me more proud than proclaiming, "I'm a feminist!" I've worked in abortion clinics, rape crisis centers and I've been part of college demonstrations to rally for reproductive rights. My favorite thing to do is read, write or watch movies (excluding the horror genre because I'm a complete wimp). I can bake but not cook and I'm a night owl who somehow landed a job that begins at 7 am. I genuinely believe that for all the B.S. out there, the world is capable of improving and is doing so day by day. Also... I like penguins ☺
