The Labrys Reunion by Terry Wolverton

The Labrys Reunion

Terry Wolverton

In the latest work from poet and novelist Wolverton, the rape and murder of a female art student in a Manhattan nightclub in 1996 leads to an exploration of the generational divide in feminism. The murder victim, Emma Firestein, is the daughter of a famous feminist, Dana Firestein, who in her 1970s heyday founded a radical feminist think tank called Labrys. Emma’s memorial brings the group back together to consider the differences that have grown between them, and the promise of Emma’s circle of friends, the next-or lost-generation of feminists. A confusing, crowded cast of characters, each with her own hot-topic issue (anorexia, alcoholism, racism, welfare, affairs), defy character development by their sheer numbers, and often overwhelm the plot. Wolverton’s poetic tendencies often result in unnecessary flourishes, especially in numerous, often unexpected sex scenes. Wolverton’s rich subject-the conflict between two generations of feminists-is ill-served by endless side stories and a dissonant last-act plot twist.

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Product Description

New York performance artist Gwen Kubacky thinks no one cares about feminist art anymore, until young art student Emma Firestein approaches her to become a mentor. Gwen agrees, hoping this legacy can be passed on to a new generation. As it happens Emma’s mother, Dana Firestein, is a woman who co-founded a legendary radical feminist school in the 1970s–Labrys–which Gwen attended.

Gwen’s tutelage of Emma has barely begun when the young woman is raped and murdered during a night out clubbing. Dana’s comrades rally from far and near, as do friends of Emma’s, and they gather in the only possible space, Gwen’s warehouse loft.

The young women disdain the judgmental old fossils they’re cooped up with. And to the women of Labrys, this alien new generation, with its ignorance of its radical roots and birth in feminism, appears ungrateful if not worthless.

But heretical challenges to old beliefs surface among Dana’s contemporaries, as do truths long held secret. And among the younger women are those who possess more than enough rage and radical belief to take action to avenge Emma’s murder.

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