<< ¡ VOLTAIRINE ! >>

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"Humanity can not be made equal by declarations on paper. Unless the material conditions for equality exist, it is worse than mockery to pronounce men equal. And unless there is ... equal chances for every one to make the most of himself, ... freedom, either of thought, speech, or action, is equally a mockery."

Educated at a convent and put on track to become a nun, the young Voltairine de Cleyre (1866-1912) rebelled by identifying as a freethinker, and was eventually drawn towards anarchism in the aftermath of the 1886 Haymarket incident. Emma Goldman would later eulogize her as the "most gifted and brilliant anarchist woman America ever produced." Her ideas about gender roles, marriage, and the state have made her influence felt among modern women's movements, far beyond those that would label themselves as "anarchists".

Let's get acquainted with Voltairine through the materials suggested below. Then, we'll exchange reactions/thoughts/feelings, enjoy hot local drinks, bear witness, chillax, and bask in solidarity and/or comradely disagreement. There's absolutely NO need to have any special prior knowledge, strong opinions, or street cred to join in the fun; "We are all morons." - Anonymous Regular Attendee.

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TEXT (and AUDIO) :

The Making of an Anarchist by Voltairine de Cleyre from The Anarchist Library (8 pages); audio reading (20 minutes) courtesy of LibriVox
They Who Marry Do Ill by Voltairine de Cleyre (10 pages) at marxists.org; audio reading (35 minutes) courtesy of LibriVox

( Note : The Voltairine de Cleyre Reader, ed. A.J. Brigati, contains the above essays in a format that might be nicer to read; PDF courtesy of libcom )