It has become common practice for columnists from different media to bring together in a collection some or all of their writings, in the hope, perhaps, of keeping a trace of the evolution of their thinking and of bearing witness, in their own way, to a part of the social or cultural history of Quebec.
If the exercise often proves to be short-lived, Marilyse Hamelin demonstrates this, with Solitudes. A decade of feminist reflectionsrelevance and manages, thanks to fair and contextualized feedback, to turn the subject of his thoughts outwards, avoiding the traps that the ego nevertheless eagerly sets for him.
Thus, through his chronicles first published between 2013 and 2024 in the blog La semaine rose and the magazines The News, Chatelaine And The Women’s Gazettethe author looks back on a decade of feminist activism, documenting, by anchoring her writings in the current state of their production, the movements, debates and pitfalls that have led to profound transformations in society with regard to gender equality, as well as the obstacles that still hinder the great march of feminist struggles.
Marilyse Hamelin addresses in turn, often several times rather than once, the studies and consequences linked to gender stereotypes, the under-representation of women in places of power, education on sexual consent, street and workplace harassment, the repercussions of the waves of denunciations #AgressionsNonDénones and #MoiAussi, pay equity, the impact of motherhood on women as well as activist burnout.
Alongside him, thanks in particular to the enlightened choice of delivering the articles in chronological order, we discover or rediscover with amazement certain events – often anecdotal, but revealing – which reflect the evolution of mentalities as well as the blind spots and dead ends which still await us collectively.
Are these columns always well-documented, rooted in rigor, going beyond a simple rant? No. Is the writing always mastered? No, either. At the beginning of the reading, we are surprised to remember the pitfalls of the growing popularity of columnists and bloggers to the detriment of in-depth journalism.
However, we are also witnessing the refinement of a word, the intelligence of an author who is gradually becoming aware of the scope of her voice and who, rather than wasting it on sensationalism, uses it with a real desire to change things, thus skillfully using the emotional power of an opinion and of an activism that finds its source in the factual.
The further we advance in the collection, the less the texts are in reaction and the more anger or indignation becomes productive, anchored in what matters, in an elimination of the superfluous that is not unrelated to militant fatigue and the impression of marking time that emanates from it. Once we have closed the book, we can only note that, even if the road is long, winding, too often frustrating and jostled by the undertows, it leads us resolutely forward, provided that we collectively pass the baton, and this, by including as many people as possible in this interminable obstacle course.