For example!
I’d love to hear your examples of small fires set to the patriarchy, or ways you’ve helped them spread. Here’s one of my favorite stories of a SPARK that turned into a pretty big fire:
And Jenny’s SPARK got some WIND in the form of devoted patrons, media coverage, and ultimately a big financial investment from Alexis Ohanian (who I know only as the wealthy husband of Serena Williams), and is going to start franchising soon.
I believe that books are sparks too. In 2023, I was thrilled to have a book event at the Sports Bra with two other former soccer players-turned-authors telling stories of amazing women and history.
If books are SPARKS, then booksellers, readers, librarians, publishers, & reviewers are the WIND that makes them grow and spread.
We can’t burn down the whole patriarchy all at once, but we can—metaphorically, with words, art, and action—set lots of fires and fan those flames!
P.S. I wanted to add a couple of follow up notes from my last post. At the end, I mentioned that I was going to go to my alma mater Xavier University and would get to meet the current women’s soccer goalkeeper who recently broke my all-career shutout record. And I did, and she was so awesome!
My last post was also a “letter to my first love” on the anniversary of his death. I was so grateful for all of your supportive comments, and I wanted to let you know that, while I was back in Cincinnati, I visited his grave for the first time in years.
Thanks so much for being here.
-Kelcey
A small fire I set against the patriarchy: whenever I play video games online, I play under a girl name. Tbh, I’m a hardcore nerd about gaming and my hope is that, when gamers see “a girl” absolutely destroying them, they’ll think, “wow, girls are good at gaming too!”
It’s not much, but I’d like to imagine it makes a tiny difference somewhere, somehow :)
I read the title in my email box and shout "Let's keep on trying please!!".