Sara Ahmed, a feminist writer and independent scholar known for her impactful work in feminist, queer, and race studies, discusses her latest book, The Feminist Killjoy Handbook. The conversation reveals the power of the feminist killjoy in fostering community and resistance against oppressive norms. Sara shares personal stories about embracing identity beyond academia, the emotional complexities of diversity work, and the need for genuine activism over superficial engagement. The discussion also highlights the significance of citations as acts of love in acknowledging marginalized voices.
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question_answer ANECDOTE
Auntie Guzara: A Killjoy Touchstone
Sara Ahmed shares how her Auntie Guzara was a killjoy touchstone who inspired her to resist sexism at the family table.
Guzara combined activism with poetry and showed that being willful and obstinate can affirm connection and resistance.
insights INSIGHT
Killjoy Aunties Manage Resistance
The killjoy auntie embodies accumulated resistance, knowing when to fight and when to withdraw.
Withdrawal can be an active refusal, preserving energy while still disrupting harmful dynamics.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Survival Through Limits and Collectivity
Surviving as a feminist killjoy involves knowing your limits and embracing collective action.
Small acts of refusal or naming issues can energize others and ripple through institutions.
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The Cancer Journals is a memoir that chronicles Audre Lorde's experience with breast cancer and mastectomy. The book combines journal entries, retrospective commentary, a speech, and an essay to document Lorde's journey from diagnosis to recovery. It addresses themes such as the politics of appearance, the power dynamics of the patient-doctor relationship, feminism, and social struggle. Lorde rejects the norm of using breast prosthesis and advocates for women with mastectomies to become visible and empowered. The book is a powerful critique of societal attitudes towards health and illness, emphasizing the importance of self-conscious living and community-based activism[1][3][5].
The Feminist Killjoy Handbook
The Radical Potential of Getting in the Way
Sara Ahmed
Living a Feminist Life
Living a Feminist Life
Sara Ahmed
Sara Ahmed, author, scholar, and one of our feminist heroes joins us to talk about her new book, The Feminist Killjoy Handbook!
Sara's work both as a scholar in the academy working on queer phenomenology, on post coloniality, and on emotions, as well as her work after she left the academy has been an inspiration. Her work, Living a Feminist Life, her work on Complaint, and her bold and powerful blog, Feminist Killjoys, taught me so much about how institutions functioned and helped me understand my experiences in the academy.
In this conversation, Sara and I talk about the book, but also talk about the aunties in her life and many other things.
Join us in the Academic Aunties Bookclub!
In December, we're going to gather some feminist killjoy aunties to talk about the book! So after listening to this episode, go out and buy a copy. And then stay tuned in December when we're going to have our very first Academic Aunties Book Club! If you'd like to contribute to the conversation, email us your thoughts or even a voice memo to podcast@academicaunties.com.
Academic Aunties 
