Published in 2010 (first published in 2000)
464 pages
Jennifer Baumgardner and Amy Richards are the coauthors of Manifesta (2000) and Grassroots (2005) and the owners of the feminist speaker’s bureau Soapbox, Inc.: Speakers Who Speak Out. Both live in New York City.
What is this book about?
This is the 10th Anniversary Edition.
From Lilith Fair to Buffy the Vampire Slayer to the WNBA–everywhere you look, girl culture is clearly ascendant. Young women live by feminism’s goals, yet feminism itself is undeniably at a crossroads; “girl power” feminists appear to be obsessed with personal empowerment at the expense of politics while political institutions such as Ms. and NOW are so battle weary they’ve lost their ability to speak to a new generation. In Manifesta, Jennifer Baumgardner and Amy Richards show the snags in each feminist hub–from the dissolution of riot grrrls into the likes of the Spice Girls, to older women’s hawking of young girls’ imperiled self-esteem, to the hyped hatred of feminist thorns like Katie Roiphe and Naomi Wolf–and prove that these snags have not, in fact, torn feminism asunder.
In an intelligent and incendiary argument, Baumgardner and Richards address issues instead of feelings and the political as well as the personal. They describe the seven deadly sins the media commits against feminism, provide keys to accessible and urgent activism, discuss why the ERA is still a relevant and crucial political goal, and spell out what a world with equality would look like. They apply Third Wave confidence to Second Wave consciousness, all the while maintaining that the answer to feminism’s problems is still feminism.
“Manifesta is a breath of fresh air. At last, Gen X takes on feminism and revamps a feminist manifesto for a new era. A jolt, a resource, a timeline, and a challenge, Manifesta is a readable, well-informed, and necessary to any young woman–or man–who craves gender equality.” ―Naomi Wolf
“[The authors] have sorted out the fruits of this wave of feminism–intended and unintended, media mess and truth–for a new generation. With wit and honesty, Manifesta shows us the building blocks of the future of this longest revolution.” ―Gloria Steinem
“Great news from the front–feminism lives! Bold, independent, generous, and cautionary, Manifesta leaves no doubt that for a new generation of women the F-word is not only speakable but shoutable and singable. To learn the tune and catch the beat, read this book.” ―Alix Kates Shulman
“Manifesta is another step toward the empowerment of women. If caring about women matters, this book matters.” ―Andrea Dworkin
