This book has grown out of the series of seminars presented at St. John's College, Cambridge. Its theme is the space between men - their ideas and aspirations - and feminism, the realm of women and the possible way forward for men. The 'space' that exists between theory and practice is welcomed as a place for meditation on the personal experiences of the writers. As a consequence it is not easily pigeonholed, and the book is a little uneven. Nevertheless it makes an interesting and illuminating read.
The book draws together a diverse group of contributors and covers topics ranging from Naomi Segal's question 'Why can't a good man be sexy? Why can't a sexy man be good?' to Martin Humphries, 'A gay man's reflections on the men's movement', which is a candid look at the early workings of Achilles Heel, Clause 28, and Homophobia more generally. Other contributors include Joseph Boone, Andrea Spurling, Joseph Bristow, Greg Bredbeck, John Forrester, Jeff Hearn and the Cambridge Men's Group.
This is a positive and welcome contribution to the debate on the relevance of feminism to men and change, offering many valuable insights into the theoretical and structural underpinning of patriarchal relations. As with all good books there are no easy answers, rather an understanding that for change to occur questions need to be asked. Men need to develop their voice, sharing experiences and acknowledging the part played by feminism and gay politics in shedding light on the male experience more generally. Between Men and Feminism recognises this and David Porter has assembled a collection which offers much food for thought and discussion.
Nigel Larcombe
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