Tuesday, 4/22/97 Focusing on what counts Author, activist bell
hooks discusses her work, and what it is to be a feminist
By Michelle Navarro Daily Bruin Contributor Man-hater,
ball-breaker, dyke, barking dog, femi-nazi, wild girl from hell …
The labels feminists and women activists receive when examined
through the critical lens of the public microscope are far from
flattering, not to mention a long stretch away from those given to
their male counterparts. Why are women so lucky to be donned with
such titles? Why is it that feminists are seen as less feminine?
Are these names altogether accurate? Author of such controversial
books as "Ain’t I a Woman: Black Women and Feminism" and "Outlaw
Culture: Resisting Representation," bell hooks spoke to a full
audience in Ackerman Grand Ballroom Monday afternoon, relating what
it was really like living the life of a famed black feminist. What
stepped up to the podium wasn’t an angry, loud, screaming,
man-hating woman. Instead, hooks entered the stage with a casual,
confident air as well as a smile and a sense of humor that
commanded the attention of the crowd. "I’m not here because of UCLA
or because of any department. I’m here because of a student at UCLA
who feels strongly that I need to be here to have others listen to
what I have to say," hooks said. The students who patiently waited
in line to hear the dynamic speaker confirmed that idea. "Bell
hooks is one of the most articulate and flagrant people out there.
She doesn’t mince words, she’s very vocal about what she thinks.
She’s a deep woman and I just want to hear what she has to say,"
said Tanarra Schneider, a first-year African-American Studies
graduate student, as she waited outside the auditorium. Hooks began
her talk by discussing the fame that has followed her writing and
how it has affected the treatment she has received from the media.
"What’s important is my work, but critics usually don’t discuss
that. Instead, they talk about my personal life," hooks said. "Many
issues I’ve raised in my work make readers uncomfortable. The
public acclaim I’ve received in the media has most often sought to
turn readers away from the work. The attention is not on my work,
it all comes back to some personal reading." Hooks went on to tell
of how people were more concerned with who she was – "if I was a
lesbian or not" – rather than with her ideas and thoughts. She
stressed that talking about the personal aspect wasn’t important,
that the harm comes instead from how the personal is used. "You can
talk about the personal in many ways so as to add to the
scholarship – not to use it to bludgeon people, especially
dissident women," hooks said. Knitting her eyebrows, hooks
questioned why everyone found it easier to criticize a woman. One
example she used to illustrate how large the difference between the
criticism of male intellectuals and the approach towards female
intellectuals was how critics noted that hooks had reprinted
earlier essays in a more recent work. Yet when a male scholar had
done the same, no mention of the act was made in any of the
criticisms made of him. "Another thing is that we’re attacked for
writing so much. I remember as a young girl sitting around dreaming
of when we’d be able to write and write," hooks said, recalling
when black women weren’t readily given a voice. "It’s fascinating
that only 20 years later, I’m writing too much." As a scholar,
hooks says her goal has always been to write something
"meaningful," that her focus has always been on "quality, not
quantity." She also noted how stardom could affect such goals by
creating a divergence. "One’s capacity to work can be sabotaged if
maintaining one’s status takes the time away," hooks said. Fame
hasn’t been too much of a distracting factor for hooks, but other
obstacles involved with being a "dissident female" have made it a
challenge. Despite those difficulties, she says, her "work remains
exciting." "Feminism is not for women, it’s for everyone," hooks
said. "One of the mistakes we’ve made is saying feminism is about
women, but it’s always been about patriarchy, about eradicating
patriarchy, eradicating sexism. Men could be major advocates." One
male student walked away doing just that. "It was interesting to
get a kind of clear understanding of the black woman, of how black
feminists come under attack in scholarly circles. It makes me
appreciate more how difficult it is to have a dissident voice,"
said Kuame Scabazz, a third-year anthropology student. Photos by
JUSTIN WARREN/Daily Bruin
Author, activist and social critic bell hooks discusses herself,
her work and the acceptance of both by the "mainstream" Monday.
Cauleen Smith, a third-year film student, questions hooks about her
recently-published essays. Hooks addresses a large crowd in
Ackerman Grand Ballroom. Dionne Bennett, an anthropology graduate
student, persuaded hooks to speak on campus. As a scholar, hooks
says her goal has always been to write something "meaningful," that
her focus has always been on "quality, not quantity." Bell
Hooks