New Books Network Liberation & the Literature of the Women’s Movement with Bess Wohl and Honor Moore
Dec 23, 2025
Bess Wohl, a celebrated playwright known for her impactful works, and Honor Moore, a poet and editor of a significant anthology on women’s liberation, dive deep into the exploration of feminism. They discuss Wohl's play, "Liberation," which intertwines personal stories with the broader women's movement. Key insights include the role of humor in activism, the emotional weight of mother-daughter relationships, and the importance of diverse narratives. Their conversation highlights how ordinary people can drive change, making feminism a collective journey.
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Personal Meets Political Structure
- Bess Wohl realized the play unlocked when she made it both a political history and a personal daughter-mother story.
- Shifting time between past and present created the play's structural and emotional engine.
Theater As Consciousness Raising
- Wohl intentionally framed the theater experience as a form of consciousness raising.
- She aimed for the audience to leave with new awareness like participants in 1970s groups.
Origin Of The Nude Group Scene
- Bess Wohl based the nude consciousness-raising scene on real accounts and an Ms. article by Leti Pogrebin.
- The scene rehearsed cautiously with an intimacy coordinator and became one of the cast's favorite moments.