Andrea Dworkin - 1946-2005
American Writer and Political Activist
Added to the album by a wonderful woman called Esme
Her book Mercy had a massive impact on me... Amazing woman. Some controversial opinions but she stood by them.
Esme
I have never read Mercy or any other work of Andrea Dworkin but Esme's comments about the impact of reading it remind me very much of how I felt after reading Masterpieces by Sarah Daniels (Wonderful Woman No. 26 - http://iamawonderfulwoman.blogspot.com/2012/01/sarah-daniels-wonderful-woman-no-27.html ). Indeed, after learning a little about the work of Andrea Dworkin, I can see many similarities.
As a student, Andrea was arrested and prosecuted for taking part in a protest against the Vietnam War. After her detention for this, she continued to be active in campaigning against the war and also for a number of other causes, including the legalisation of abortion.
After graduating with a degree in literature, Andrea moved to The Netherlands and married. During her marriage, she was subject to constant and severe physical and mental abuse, her husband beat her, raped her, hospitalised her, threatened and harassed her, he told her that if she left him, he would find her and kill her. She did leave him but was then alone, homeless in a country thousands of miles from home. She worked as a prostitute and sheltered wherever she could while she worked to be able to afford to return to the United States.
Eventually, back in her homeland, Andrea resumed her role as a political activist. She demonstrated for peace, for lesbian and gay rights and against the apartheid regime in South Africa. At this time, she joined a group of feminists and soon became a central part of radicalised campaigns against violence towards women. Andrea became well-known for her passionate speeches, for pulling her punches
and for speaking out loudly and clearly on issues of rape and abuse, with rapturous support from some and vehement criticism from others. Perhaps her most well-known activism is her critique and campaign against pornography. Andrea believed that pornography not only objectified women but also encouraged violence and humiliation, she believed that pornography dehumanised sex and encouraged men to fantasise about domination, violence and rape. At this time, there was also the agenda that women within the porn industry were subject to abuse, coercion and violence. In her literary work, Andrea continued the theme of feminist campaign. She wrote eleven non-fiction books about pornography, the treatment of women in society, social expectations placed on women, she condemned incest and paedophilia long before such arguments were at the front of the public conciousness and wrote about sexuality, politics and liberation. In addition to these, Andrea also wrote books of poetry, short stories and a couple of novels. She wrote many articles, gave countless speeches and interviews. She was the subject of much controversy, ignited debate and was loathed and revered throughout her career. There are a great many other things I have learned about this woman, too many to chronical in a blog post but I feel I should point out there is much more to Andrea Dworkin than I have been able to write here.
She was the most maligned feminist on the planet; she never hated men.
Julie Bindel, Fellow Writer and Friend
That these debates took place, that Andrea brought these arguments onto the bookshelves and into the newspapers, was an almighty achievement. I have learned that this woman suffered, survived and then spoke out, shouted out, screamed out all that she saw was wrong in the world and for that she is a very worthy, very wonderful woman.
In a museum, when male supremacy is dead. I'd like my work to be an anthropological artefact from an extinct, primitive society.
Andrea Dworkin
Thank you Esme for this addition.
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