Bibliofemmes Book Club in Eugene

For March, we will begin to learn about fabric, thread, yarn, and their histories.

Read Chapters 1 (Fibres in the Cave) through 6 (A King's Ransom)

From Goodreads:
From colorful 30,000-year-old threads found on the floor of a Georgian cave to the Indian calicoes that sparked the Industrial Revolution, The Golden Thread weaves an illuminating story of human ingenuity. Design journalist Kassia St. Clair guides us through the technological advancements and cultural customs that would redefine human civilization—from the fabric that allowed mankind to achieve extraordinary things (traverse the oceans and shatter athletic records) and survive in unlikely places (outer space and the South Pole). She peoples her story with a motley cast of characters, including Xiling, the ancient Chinese empress credited with inventing silk, to Richard the Lionhearted and Bing Crosby. Offering insights into the economic and social dimensions of clothmaking—and countering the enduring, often demeaning, association of textiles as “merely women’s work”—The Golden Thread offers an alternative guide to our past, present, and future.

For April, we will continue to learn about fabric, thread, yarn, and their histories.

Read Chapter 7 (Diamonds and the Ruff) through Golden Threads: A Coda

From Goodreads:
From colorful 30,000-year-old threads found on the floor of a Georgian cave to the Indian calicoes that sparked the Industrial Revolution, The Golden Thread weaves an illuminating story of human ingenuity. Design journalist Kassia St. Clair guides us through the technological advancements and cultural customs that would redefine human civilization—from the fabric that allowed mankind to achieve extraordinary things (traverse the oceans and shatter athletic records) and survive in unlikely places (outer space and the South Pole). She peoples her story with a motley cast of characters, including Xiling, the ancient Chinese empress credited with inventing silk, to Richard the Lionhearted and Bing Crosby. Offering insights into the economic and social dimensions of clothmaking—and countering the enduring, often demeaning, association of textiles as “merely women’s work”—The Golden Thread offers an alternative guide to our past, present, and future.

Summer is here, and we want to take it easier, go on vacation, work in the garden, and sit outside in cafes with our friends. So we will take a break from assigned readings and let everyone bring a feminist-relevant selection to share.

Be prepared to spend 7-10 minutes reading aloud a passage of a book/story/poem/song you’ve brought and another 7-10 minutes to field questions or hold a discussion with the group. We each will share a selection. The specific amount of time we each have will depend on attendance.