Labrys Reunion

by Terry Wolverton

New York performance artist Gwen Kubacky thinks no one cares about feminist art anymore, until young art student Emma Firestein approaches her to become a mentor. Gwen agrees, hoping this legacy can be passed on to a new generation. As it happens Emma's mother, Dana Firestein, is a woman who co-founded a legendary radical feminist school in the 1970s--Labrys--which Gwen attended.

Gwen's tutelage of Emma has barely begun when the young woman...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1935226029
• ISBN13: 9781935226024
• Release Date: August 2009
• Publisher: Spinsters Ink Books
• Length: 235 Pages
• Weight: 0.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.4" x 8.1"

Customer Reviews

Generational Clash In The Feminist World

Reviewed by Olivera Baumgartner-Jackson for Reader Views (08/10) Every now and then I challenge myself to read something that is clearly out of my usual comfort zone. The results of such endeavors are a mixed bag at best. We are creatures of habit, and all too often pushing the boundaries of familiar leaves us quite ill at ease. Here and there though, such a detour into the unknown and usually slightly scary world leaves me enchanted and enriched. This was definitely the case with my latest foray in the field of lesbian and feminist literature, namely the utterly brilliant "The Labrys Reunion" by Terry Wolverton. Let me start by saying that this was not an easy, nor a pleasant book to read. It was intense; it was gritty and full of tension. Quite honestly, I do not think I could have read it in one or two days, a few chapters a day was quite enough. In spite of that, or maybe because of it, I loved every page of it, and if I could give it six stars, I would. While my taste usually runs more towards sunny and happy books, or those of the fantasy genre, there is simply something about really good writing that transcends those personal preferences. I couldn't even identify myself with any of the extremely believable, detailed and nuanced characters, yet even that did not bother me any. Without giving away too much of the story, let me just say that "The Labrys Reunion" deals with a reunion of a group of feminists who were part of a 70s collective called Labrys. One of them, Dana, has lost her young daughter, Emma, and her former colleagues have come to support her. They are joined by Emma's friends, and a clash of generations is inevitable. I've never considered myself a feminist, although I am sure many of my friends and acquaintances, not to mention my husband, would disagree with that statement, yet I found the insights into the feminist beliefs and the generational differences stunningly interesting. As I've mentioned previously, the cast of characters was superbly drawn, as was the dialogue. The story pulled me in quickly, and definitely did not let go. Ms. Wolverton has a masterful way with words, and the world she draws, as foreign and still scary to me as it was when I first started reading the book; it definitely put me under a spell. I was looking forward to each new scene and I kept marveling at the exquisite details she managed to weave in the story. While not for the faint of heart, "The Labrys Reunion" is definitely a book that would appeal to the discerning reader who loves a well crafted story and a book with strong messages, delivered in a clear and distinctive voice.

Between the generations and Insights into feminist activism

I enjoyed The Labrys Reunion. Thank you, Terry, for writing this and giving this insight into feminist activism and politics. I thought the characters were really well-developed. I loved the detail about each of them. Wolverton has always had a knack for filling in very specific real details that nuance a character's life. They really conflicted with each other, and their agendas shown through in each scene. I like the way the overarching question of what happened to these people and their cause overlays the whole story. And how the story moved right along. The ending was very exciting and to the point, very effective. Wolverton has a strong ability to structure a scene so that there is conflict, and she brings the reader in and up-to-date in a very no-nonsense way. I have to say that there was a line that just floored me. "She could never understand how the daughters of moon travelers could be content to explore no further than their own scraps of ground." It is a stunning statement that sums up the whole generational problem. What a great writer Wolverton is. Give us more!!