Exquisite Rebel: The Essays of Voltairine de Cleyre - Anarchist, Feminist, Genius [Paperback]

Voltairine De Cleyre (Author), Sharon Presley (Editor), Crispin Sartwell (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 31, 2004

Brings the writings of de Cleyre out of undeserved obscurity.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Emma Goldman called Voltairine de Cleyre "the most gifted and brilliant anarchist woman America ever produced." Yet her writings and speeches on anarchism and feminism-as radical, passionate, and popular at the time as Goldman's-are virtually unknown today. This important book brings de Cleyre's eloquent and incisive work out of undeserved obscurity. Twenty-one essays are reprinted here, including her classic works: "Anarchism and the American Tradition," "The Dominant Idea," and "Sex Slavery." Three biographical essays are also included: two new ones by Sharon Presley and Crispin Sartwell, and a rarely reprinted one from Emma Goldman. At a time when the mainstream women's movement asked only for the right to vote and rarely challenged the status quo, de Cleyre demanded an end to sex roles, called for economic independence for women, autonomy within and without marriage, and offered a radical critique of the role of the Church and State in oppressing women. In today's world of anti-globalization actions, de Cleyre's anarchist ideals of local self-rule, individual conscience, and decentralization of power still remain fresh and relevant.

About the Author

Voltairine de Cleyre (1866-1912) was one of the most original and important anarchist intellectuals of her time. Sharon Presley teaches psychology at California State University. She is the founder and Executive Director of Resources for Independent Thinking and the National Coordinator of the Association of Libertarian Feminists. Crispin Sartwell is Chair of Humanities at the Maryland Institute College of Art and the author of several books. His most recent book is Extreme Virtue: Truth and Leadership in Five Great American Lives, also published by SUNY Press. His political writing appears in The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, and Harper's, among other outlets. He also writes a syndicated weekly opinion column.

Product Details

• Paperback: 350 pages
• Publisher: State University of New York Press (December 31, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0791460940
• ISBN-13: 978-0791460948
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,281,877 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A readable and illuminating book, September 17, 2009

By 

Frederick Bindle - See all my reviews

This review is from: Exquisite Rebel: The Essays of Voltairine de Cleyre - Anarchist, Feminist, Genius (Paperback)

This is one of 3 books about Voltairine deCleyre that appeared in 2004-2005. I've now read all 3 of them and have found some differences. Of the other two Voltairine books, one focused exclusively on her literary works, and was not as interesting (or important) as her political writing. The other one, while containing more political material, made no attempt to organize it into themes or related subjects. It also didn't provide much in the way of analysis or commentary. "Exquisite Rebel" is far and away the most enjoyable and illuminating of the 3.

In "Exquisite Rebel", Voltairine's writings are grouped by various central ideas, such as Religion, Feminism, or Nonauthoritarian Education. (The education section is titled "Not Another Brick in the Wall", an obvious reference to Pink Floyd). Presley and Sartwell wrote a good bit of original material, providing some background on the times and the political environment of Voltairine's era. They also painted a vivid picture of what it was like to be a woman 100 years ago. Knowing what the times were like makes Voltairine's accomplishments even more remarkable. She somehow overcame her brutal childhood and adolescence to become a clear and free thinker, an accomplishment in any age. The bios and other essays by the editors are almost worth the price of the book by themselves. Sharon Presley (any relation to Elvis?) in particular seems to have a real passion for Voltairine and the other late 19th and early 20th century Anarchists.

As for Voltairine herself, her writing has only a minimal amount of turn-of-the-century floridness. She speaks clearly and understandably from a century ago to today's audiences. If you believe the Anarchists were all about bombs and assassinations, this book will open your eyes and mind. Their ideas, especially deCleyre's, were about how society and government box people in and limit their choices and potential. Her essays on the relations between men and women are still ahead of today's thinking. Unfortunately, Voltairine's place in the history of political thought has been obscured by 100 years of neglect and fear of the new. Her place in history is also handicapped by the fact that she died tragically in 1912, while Emma Goldman lived on to denounce the Soviet Union and visit the Anarchists fighting Fascism in the Spanish Civil War. Thus we know much about "Red Emma" while Voltairine has remained in the shadows. This book shines a bright light on a deserving but neglected woman who contributed much to the body of Feminist and Individualist thought and writing.

Yeah, I enjoyed it.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Exquisite Book, September 12, 2009

By 

Quinn Donovan (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Exquisite Rebel: The Essays of Voltairine de Cleyre - Anarchist, Feminist, Genius (Paperback)

This is an exquisite book. I did not know there were women like this in the 19th century. I learned a lot from reading this book. What a memorable woman.