Kristen J. Sollee

“Like being deemed a witch hundreds of years ago, being presumed a slut today is cause for ostracism, abuse, and death.” . . . Archetypes of “witch” and “slut” have been used to police female sexuality and punish women; now, feminists are reclaiming them as positive affirmations. This book unearths the sex positive feminist legacy of the witch in art, music, politics, and popular culture, connecting the fictional witch we love to emulate and fear with real women, past and present. Kristen J. Sollee is instructor at The New School and founding editrix of Slutist, an award-winning sex positive feminist website.

Conjuring the Sex Positive

Witches, Sluts, Feminists

"A transcendent travelogue with a wickedly delicious, feminist twist," writes Pam Grossman (author of Waking the Witch)--Witch Hunt is a captivating guide to the historic witch hunts and how their legacy continues to impact us today." Traveling through cities and sites across Italy, France, Germany, Ireland, the United Kingdom, and the United States, Kristen J. Sollée--a second-generation witch herself--explores the witch as a figure of female power and persecution. By infusing an adventurous first-person narrative with extensive research and imaginative historical fiction, Witch Hunt captures the magic of travel to make an often-overlooked period of history come alive. Between the 15th-17th centuries, a confluence of political, economic, and religious factors inspired witch hysteria to ignite like wildfire across Europe, and, later, parts of America. At the heart of the witch hunts were often dangerous misconceptions about femininity and female sexuality, and women were disproportionately punished as a result. Today, this lineage of oppression remains an important reference point through which we can contemplate women's rights--and human rights--in the Western world and beyond. Witch Hunt isn't only an exploration of the horrors of history, but also uncovers how the archetype of the witch has been rehabilitated. For witches are not just haunting figures of the past; the witch is also a liberatory icon and identity of the present.

A Traveler's Guide to the Power and Persecution of the Witch

Witch Hunt

Interweaving historical research, pop culture, and original interviews, Kristen Sollée reclaims the cat archetype as a source of feminine identify and sexual power. This is a wide-ranging feminist exploration of the car archetype in myth and magic. The author takes the reader on a romp through feline myth and lore and examines the many ways in which men and women have talked and thought about cats since the dawn of time. Among the chapters are: The Cat Lady (Crazy, Sexy, Queer) The Black Cat Shapeshifters, Tricksters, and Femme Fatales Pussy Hats and Homocats Hello Kitty and the Cult of Cute From the "crazy cat lady" unbowed by patriarchal prescriptions to the coveted sex kitten to the dreadful crone and her yowling compatriot, feminine feline archetypes reveal the ways in which women have been revered and reviled around the world - in Greek and Egyptian mythology, the European witch trials, Japanese folklore, and contemporary film. By combining historical research, pop culture, art analyses, and original interviews, Cat Call explores the cat and its indivisible connection to femininity and teases out how this connection can help us better understand the relationship between myth, history, magic, womanhood in the digital age, and our beloved, clawed companions. Cat Call is a must read for millennial women, queer fold, feminists, witchy femmes, and cat lovers of all stripes. "Just like a cat itself, Sollée has eyes that see the dark corners of civilization others miss. In Cat Call, Sollée uses the cat to claw open aspects of humanity others are too scared to investigate, from kink, to feminist politics, to viral feline stars that demonstrate the cat is still worshipped by humans from all walks of life. She flips the cat call on itself by dismantling patriarchal uses of the feline to discredit the intimidating power of the pussy while gifting us with a book that leaves you eager to embrace your personal cat power." - Sophie Saint Thomas, sex writer, witch, and author of Finding Your Higher Self: Your Guide to Cannabis for Self-Care

Reclaiming the Feral Feminine (an Untamed History of the Cat Archetype in Myth and Magic)

Cat Call

"Travelling through cities and sites across Italy, France, Germany, Ireland, the United Kingdom, and the United States, Kristen J. Sollee explores the places and people significant to the early modern legacy of the witch. Between the 15th and 17th centuries, a confluence of political, economic, and religious factors ignited a wildfire of witch hysteria in Europe and, later, in parts of America. At the heart of these witch hunts were often dangerous misconceptions about femininity and female sexuality, and women were disproportionately punished as a result. Today, this lineage of oppression remains a vital reference point in the fight for women's rights - and human rights - in the Western world and beyond. By infusing an adventurous first-person narrative with extensive research and moments of imaginative historical fiction, Sollee (author of Witches, Sluts, Feminists) makes an often-overlooked period of history come alive. Written for armchair travellers and on-the-ground explorers alike, Witch Hunt not only uncovers the horrors of history but how the archetype of the witch has been rehabilitated. For witches are not just haunting figures of the past; the witch is also a liberatory icon and identity of the present."--Provided by publisher.

A Traveler's Journey Into the Power and Persecution of the Witch

Joanna Dziubińska

Polowanie na wiedźmy Wyrusz w podróż z przewodnikiem po historii polowań na czarownice w Europie i Stanach Zjednoczonych. Kristen Sollee opowiada, jak przez wieki nękano zielarki, akuszerki, szeptuchy, oskarżając je o czary, i jak po pokazowych procesach prowadzono je wprost na stosy. Opisy torturowania wiedźm wymyślnymi narzędziami, takimi jak maski z krucyfiksem, dyby wstydu, koła do łamania kości, dziś przyprawiają o dreszcze. Jednak między XV a XVII wiekiem praktyki te były powszechne i często poddawano im kobiety, które nie chciały ulec męskiej dominacji. Autorka bada historię wiedźm, opisuje czarne msze odprawiane z użyciem krwi niewinnych, sabaty i praktyki czarownic, tłumaczy źródła mrocznych obrzędów. To kronika prześladowań kobiet świadomych i niezależnych, na które za nieposłuszeństwo czekały gilotyna, stos lub kamień u szyi i głęboka woda. W dobie dyskusji nad rolą kobiety, gdy do głosu dochodzą konserwatywni populiści, którzy chcą rozdawać karty, by zabrać kobietom to, o co walczyły przez lata, warto przypomnieć sobie, do czego prowadził strach przed siłą płynącą z wiedzy, kobiecą seksualnością i mocą siostrzanej solidarności. Czas zacząć podróż do źródeł kobiecej siły "Kim były, dlaczego ginęły i ile im zawdzięczamy? Czarownice - kobiety takie jak TY. Czytaj zanim zapłonie stos! Warto!" Paulina Młynarska Kristen Solleejest pisarką, kuratorką i pedagożką badającą powiązania sztuki, seksu i kultury. Pisała dla mainstreamowych i akademickich periodyków, w tym dla „The Huffington Post”, „NYLON”, „Time Out New York” czy „BUST”. Wykładała na uniwersytetach i przemawiała na konferencjach w Stanach Zjednoczonych i Europie. Jest założycielką feministycznej strony internetowej Slutist o charakterze sekspozytywnym oraz wykładowczynią w The New School. Jej doceniona przez krytyków książka Witches, Sluts, Feminists (Czarownice, dziwki, feministki) została wydana latem 2017 roku przez Stone Bridge Press i otrzymała pozytywne recenzje między innymi w „The Guardian”, „NYLON”, „BUST”.

Kristen J. Sollee

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