Hard To Do: The Surprising, Feminist History of Breaking Up
""Exploded Views" series" series
by Kelli María KorduckiFrom Jane Austen to Taylor Swift, a look at the surprising politics of romantic love and its dissolution. Whatever the underlying motives – be they love, financial security, or mere masochism – the fact is that getting involved in a romantic partnership is emotionally, morally, and even politically fraught.
In Hard To Do: The Surprising, Feminist History of Breaking Up, Kelli María Korducki turns a Marxist lens on the relatively short history of romantic partnership, tracing how the socio-economic dynamics between men and women have transformed the ways women conceive of domestic partnership. With perceptive, reported insights on the ways marriage and divorce are legislated, the rituals of twentieth-century courtship, and contemporary practices for calling it off, Korducki reveals that, for all women, choosing to end a relationship is a radical action with very limited cultural precedent.
Contributors
Kelli María Korducki, author
Kelli María Korducki is a journalist and cultural critic. Her byline has appeared frequently in the Globe and Mail and National Post, as well as in the New Inquiry, NPR, the Walrus, Vice, and the Hairpin. She was nominated for a 2015 National Magazine Award for Tiny Triumphs, a 10,000-word meditation on the humble hot dog for Little Brother. A former editor-in-chief of the popular daily news blog Torontoist, Korducki is based in Brooklyn and Toronto.
Reviews
- What "Hard to Do" does [is] take aspects of modern-day relationships that are rarely considered and put them in a historical context that sheds an entirely new light on them. - Anne Theriault, Literary Review of Canada Link to review
- Out of personal turmoil came Korducki’s thought-provoking debut book, "Hard to Do: The Surprising Feminist History of Breaking Up", published by Coach House Books, which examines how western traditions around romantic partnerships are interwoven with our economic, social and legal systems. - Sue Carter, The Toronto Star Link to review
- "Hard To Do" is a tiny gem of a book, both careful and glorious in its revelations. - Amanda Leduc, Quill & Quire Link to review
- Korducki, it must be noted, is a superb writer: articulate, engaging, polished. This debut is well thought out and impressively researched, with some truly compelling moments. - Tara Henley, The Globe and Mail Link to review
Rights Holder
Rights Holder: Coach House Books
email: alana@chbooks.com
website: https://chbooks.com/
rights available: World
Additional Information
number of pages: 144
publication date: 05/22/2018
Original language of pub: English
Materials Available: finished book