When did you know you were a feminist? Whether it happened at school, at work, while watching TV, or reading a book, many of us can point to a particular moment when we knew we were feminists. In Click a range of writers—including Jessica Valenti, Alissa Quart, Amy Richards, Shelby Knox, and Jennifer Baumgardner—share stories about how that moment took shape for them. Through these diverse narratives, editors Courtney E. Martin and J. Courtney Sullivan tackle the questions of what makes a feminist, what it means to be one, and how that identity shifts and grows over time—and they emerge with an honest picture of the role of feminism in the lives of young people today. 

Sometimes emotional, sometimes hilarious, this collection gives young writers who already identify with the feminist movement the opportunity to be heard—and it welcomes into the fold those new to the still-developing story of feminism.

 

PRAISE FOR click: when we knew we were feminists

“You know how little kids say, ‘It’s not fair!’ and ‘You are not the boss of me!” That innate sense of fairness is the earliest source of every revolution—including feminism. As more little girls grow up without being schooled or shamed out of this sense, more women, and many men, too, are having “Clicks!” Read this diverse, touching, and entertaining anthology of Click! stories to find a fairness that is all your own.”
—Gloria Steinem

“This book is important because it allows young women who have feminist tendencies to finally realize that they are, in fact, feminists. Younger generations of females are afraid to associate with feminism because of negative stigmas attached to the word. Do not fear any longer, fellow comrades — cool chicks like Shelby Knox, Winter Miller and Allisa Quart write about their own “click” moments in Martin and Sullivan’s new anthology.”
—Kristie Yandoli, The Daily Orange

“Each generation of feminist women describes that “click!” moment, that realization that some personal struggle was part of a much larger, systemic struggle. The essays in this book provide compelling testimony from a new generation of young women; their experiences will serve as a touchstone for others—including some young men!—who seek to enter the feminist conversation.”
—Michael Kimmel, Professor of Sociology, SUNY Stony Brook, author of Guyland: The Perilous World Where Boys Become Men


“If you think feminism is dour, dreary, or dead, think again. This collection of sassy, witty, and brilliant essays by young feminists proves that feminism is alive and well, taking on new challenges in a new era. Whatever wave you rode or witnessed, you will be moved and heartened by Click.”
—Elaine Tyler May, author of The Pill: A History of Promise, Peril, and Liberation

Salon.com Q&A with J. Courtney Sullivan

Q: Based on the essays, it seems that people develop their feminist beliefs gradually but the actual act of taking ownership of the word is a lot more sudden and weighted than, for example, the first time they call themselves a Democrat. Why is that?

A: It can be a loaded term. I know a lot of women who embody what it means to be a feminist but do not want to use that word. The misperceptions about what it’s all about have gotten into their heads. To me, it’s hugely important to claim the word, because it makes you a part of something. It makes you a part of this bigger community, which is a powerful thing.

>>Read the rest here