The Shrinking Goddess
Power, Myth and the Female Body
Published on 16. July 2024
352 pages
978-1-908906-60-1 (ISBN)
Description
Wild and strange stories have been told about the female body since antiquity. While tales of poisoned hymens and witches with multiple breasts circulated, the first creation figure, Mother Earth, fell out of popular culture. Ranging from the empowering to the absurd, ancient myths about women's bodies have not only survived into the twenty-first century but continue to influence modern discourse.
The Shrinking Goddess brings together myths about the female form and traces subsequent male efforts to 'tame' it. Mineke Schipper explores how women's bodies have been represented around the world, from the demon daughter of New Mexico with a toothed vagina, to the Japanese supermarkets and European festivals where 'breast puddings' are considered delicacies
Drawing from the vast reservoir of writing and art that shape how women are seen in today's world, The Shrinking Goddess reclaims the female body as a source of power.
The Shrinking Goddess brings together myths about the female form and traces subsequent male efforts to 'tame' it. Mineke Schipper explores how women's bodies have been represented around the world, from the demon daughter of New Mexico with a toothed vagina, to the Japanese supermarkets and European festivals where 'breast puddings' are considered delicacies
Drawing from the vast reservoir of writing and art that shape how women are seen in today's world, The Shrinking Goddess reclaims the female body as a source of power.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Saqi Books
Illustrations
100 b&w illustrations; 100 Illustrations
File size
16,54 MB
ISBN-13
978-1-908906-60-1 (9781908906601)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Book
06/2026
Saqi Books
€25.00
Shipment within 3-4 weeks
Book
approx. 02/2026
The Westbourne Press
€14.00
Not yet published
Book
07/2024
The Westbourne Press
€24.00
Shipment within 3-4 weeks
Person
Mineke Schipper is a cultural historian and writer. She is the author of seven critically acclaimed works including Never Marry a Woman with Big Feet: Women in Proverbs from Around the World and Naked or Covered: A History of Dressing and Undressing Around the World. Her writing has been published in The Times, El Mundo and the Los Angeles Times, among others. Schipper was foreign secretary of Dutch PEN, chair of Index on Censorship Nederland and currently serves as Emeritus Professor of Intercultural Literary Studies at the University of Leiden. She received a Royal Order of Knighthood for her contribution to social and cultural studies. She lives in the Netherlands.
