Lineage of Thought

Written by Elora, founder of Femina Books

As a white woman, and as someone who is actively building a publishing company built on the principles of matriarchy, it is vital for me to share the ways in which I have learned from individuals. I grew up under the programming of patriarchy and white supremacy, and while I have yet to eradicate every last thread—I believe it is my duty to listen, learn, and adjust.

At Femina Books, we recognize that men have been overwriting the stories of women for thousands of years. It goes deeper than this, because as women—as white women—we are also complicit in this game. You see the same story in publishing that you do in every other space: consistently, BIPOC people are siphoned of their power and words and magic. The result is a white-washed industry with no regard for the ways in which their peers of color have been overlooked, ignored, ridiculed, and stolen from in order to get ahead.

My lineage of thought, deeply celebrated and revered, is constantly shifting as I grow and change and loosen the knots of empire and capitalism. The following individuals have been instrumental in helping me shift into the woman I am today.

Madison Morrigan, Stephanie Greene, Daje Aloh, Brandy Walker, Twitchy Witch, Terry Tempest Williams, Joy Harjo, Perdita Finn, Sophia Strand, Nikita Gill, Clarissa Pinkola Estes, Sean Kane, Meggan Watterson,
Cole Arthur Riley, Rilke, Teresa Robinson, Mandy Steward, John Steinbeck, Rob Bell, Thecla, Glennon Doyle, Audre Lorde, Octavia Butler, Sharon Blackie, Tamiko Beyer, Destiny Hemphill, Lisbeth White, Trista Mateer, Jen Hatmaker, Jean-Yves LeLoup, Tara Mohr, Sue Monk Kidd, Alex Elle, Julia Cameron.

I share this, so that you know the roots of all we say and do here.