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"Cunt-a declaration of independence, by Inga Muscio, Seal Press
When you read a book that changes something fundamental inside of you and you can't stop thinking about it for days and you find yourself referring to it constantly, carrying it with you in your backpack, relaying specific quotes into your journal for safe-keeping-then you know you've tapped into a literary movement of incredible genius. "Cunt: a declaration of independence," is such a nugget.
Ask the author Ms. Inga Muscio if there's a word in the English dictionary as old and universal and deeply rooted in women's factual realities in patriarchal society, which truly conveys the rage and hope of all women, lo and behold, the word is "cunt." This leads into a section on the power of words, her life growing up with a 1965 Random House Dictionary and the result of society's lack of a woman-centered language. When reviewed as a positive force in the language of women, as well as a reference to the power of the anatomical jewel, we are suddenly equipped with a word that describes all women, regardless of race, age, religion, or the degree of hetero or lesbianism we enjoy.
And that's just the beginning. Cunt is broken up into three parts: The Word, The Anatomical Jewel, and Reconciliation. At the end is a reference list of books, websites (like this one), music, women authors, artists called, "The Cuntlovin' Guide to the Universe."
Ms. Muscio interviews influential, provocative women such as Diamanda Galas to point out how society has shaped our view of women. Although the section on Periods and Birth Control may make some twitch in their chairs, the humor and frankness with which she illustrates how society has reviled these things for so long make you yearn for a world where periods are a monthly "blessing." After relating two horrifying accounts of her own abortions, Ms. Muscio takes us down the road less traveled: how she performed a natural abortion. From there, Cunt wanders into the world of Whoredom and Acrimony with quotes, insights, and examples from women artists, musicians, politicians, and writers. Ms. Muscio writes that her very inspiration for Cunt came after she was told-20 years after the fact-that her mother had been rapes when she only 9. "A man could, feasibly, sacrifice his coffee break to rape a woman. That woman would then spend her entire life dealing with it. So would her daughters. So would theirs. This distribution of power is not acceptable."
In the section Reconciliation, we get to see what Ms. Muscio has done to save her own planet. A lot of brilliant women all thinking the same thing at the same time is very powerful. This is how change happens. Applicable examples of taking over her own cunt-centric economy are given.
Some may find the language and subject matter too provocative and blunt to handle. All the more reason, if you ask me, to read Cunt. As for the word itself, by the time you're done with the book, you'll have no problem screaming it from the rooftops or informing your neighbor on the train when asked what you're reading, "Why Cunt, of course!"-Kathleen Gasperini
Inga Muscio is a contributing editor to W.i.g. Magazine and www.wigmag.com. To contact her, please email us at mail@wigmag.com. To read more about the latest controversial "Cuntfest" held at Penn State, go to our story here.
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