So, I just learned that Women and Authority by my friend Maxine Hanks is soon to be available in its entirety on the web. For those of you who've never heard of this book, it's one of the ovunal (as opposed to seminal) texts in Mormon feminism.
I really wonder why Signature is putting the book on the web, where no one will have to pay for it. Yes, the web makes a great archive, provided you've got a working computer and internet access. And documents on the web can be printed out, although it takes incredible amounts of energy. And I also suspect that this means that from here on out, Maxine will receive NO ROYALTIES for her work.
There is plenty more I could say about Signature Books and the way it treats women. But I think this pretty much sums it up: if you scroll down to the bottom of the page, you'll see a link to "Mormon Housewives." The site linked to is actually a blog of Feminist Mormon Housewives, but the good ol' tools of the patriarchy at Signature just erased the word feminist. It makes for a pretty significant difference, especially since the link comes right after one for "Mormon Polygamy."
Way to go, boys.
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