Nancy VanArsdall shares thoughts and reflections on feminism, activism, and spirituality in her online journal, Musings of a Feminist Writer.
I never thought I’d have a blog…until I discovered Robin Morgan’s. How could I not follow hers? She’s one of my sheroes. Not that I can even channel Ms. Morgan, but I can certainly be inspired by her to write my own.
Why? Why not! I am a writer—a published author—and certainly I am a feminist and have been for more than four decades. Throughout those years, our voices—our feminist voices—have waxed and waned. At this time, however—through these dark times—our voices, our very beings as women, are systematically being silenced…and erased.
Yes…there are more women in Congress than ever before. And I am grateful…and hopeful. More women are governors! I celebrate that! And, at the same time, Planned Parenthood is being eviscerated while state [gerrymandered] legislatures are chipping away at woman’s right to make choices about her own body.
Some of us believe we are in the Age of Aquarius, that patriarchy is, in fact, on a path to its own demise. I hope that is true, that the pendulum is swinging back to sanity.
In the meantime, simply stated, I want my voice to be one that will not be silenced, that is added to the chorus of those who will be heard, who will persevere, who is willing to say Look! Don’t you see what is happening? The emperor has no clothes!
I want to be one who calls out the ideology that is doing all it can to make us women powerless and invisible….erasing our history; there are women who don’t know what a suffragist is; don’t know who invented mathematics, don’t know that the Great Mother was ALL: not god, but Goddess.
So, this feminist writer insists on justice for all and speaks truth and reminds us not only of our history, but honors a covenant that respects women and is actively fighting against patriarchy…in language, in action, and spirit.
— Nancy VanArsdall, January 2019
Nancy VanArsdall’s Online Journal Archives
Why I Identify as an Ecofeminist
Ecofeminists share the conviction that a profound shift in perception and practices is essential to the survival of our planet, as well as to the healing of our dis/eased society.
Feminism Revisited
While some of us have been more affected than others, the reality is that we are all products of a sexist/racist/capitalist culture and have been politically alienated and disenfranchised.
A Fairy Tale of Light and Dark
Once I arrived at that Victorian seaport nestled in a forest of cedar and fir, I fell under a spell of creativity. This is where A Fairy Tale of Dark and Light was created.
The Journey to Feminism
To be a radical feminist, to become politically active, to join the fight for the passage of the Equal Rights Amendment was a far cry from the Total Woman precept!