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Go Read “Cunt”

September 5th, 2006     by Stacey May Fowles     Comments

The good people at Seal Press sent me a copy of Inga Muscio’s celebrated Cunt this week and there’s no way I can properly thank them. It’s as if they knew that the change in weather has got me in a terrible funk of a mood, and that the only possible cure for girls like me is a tub full of bubbles and a library of books that celebrate, among other things, my vagina. Cunt’s been on store shelves now for four years, but this is my personal message to those who haven’t read it to go get their hands on a copy to cure their itchy-fall-sweater-clad blues.

My now bathwater-soggy copy of Cunt is page after page of powerful and empowering wisdom on the word and the “anatomical jewel” we call “cunt,” and as I plow through it I find myself feeling beautiful, lied to, special, sacred, ethereal and royally pissed off- all at the same time. It makes me want to go out and change the world.

Now if only I could only get out of the bathtub…

Among the million and one reasons to feel good about being a woman this wonderful book presents, Muscio gives a nod to none other than Pippi Longstocking (“Swedish rebel and feminist role model”) on the topic of, well, being Shameless:

“The children came to a perfume shop. In the show window was a large jar of freckle salve, and beside the jar was a sign which read: DO YOU SUFFER FROM FRECKLES? “What does the sign say?” asked Pippi. She didn’t read very well because she didn’t want to go to school as other children did. “It says ‘Do you suffer from freckles?” said Annika. “Does it indeed,” said Pippi thoughtfully. “Well a civil question deserves a civil answer. Let’s go in.” She opened the door and entered the shop, quickly followed by Tommy and Annika. An elderly lady stood back of the counter. Pippi went right up to her. “No,” she said decidedly. “What is it you want,” asked the lady. “No,” said Pippi once more. “I don’t understand what you mean,” said the lady. “No I don’t suffer from freckles,” said Pippi. Then the lady understood but she took one look at Pippi and burst out, “But my dear child, your whole face is covered with freckles!” “I know it,” said Pippi, “but I don’t suffer from them. I love them. Good morning.”

Thanks Inga, thanks Pippi, thanks Seal Press- I feel better already.

Tags: bibliothèque

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