It had been communicated to me through the odd, secret whispers of women that a females nose must never shine. In war, in famine, in fire, it had to be matte, and no one got a lipstick without the requisite face powder. I was taunted by the problem: how could someone write something like the Symposium and make sure her nose did not shine at the same time? It didnt matter to me that I was reading a translation. Id read Platos brilliant, dense prose and not be able to tear myself away. Even as a reader my nose shined. It was clearly either/or. You had to concentrate on either one or the other. In a New York minute, the oil from Saudi Arabia could infiltrate your house and end up on your nose. It didnt hurt, it didnt make noise, it didnt incapacitate in any way except for the fact that no girl worth her salt took enough time away from vigilance to read a book let alone write one.
About This Quote
About Andrea Dworkin
Andrea Dworkin was a 20th-century American feminist writer and activist. Andrea Rita Dworkin was an American radical feminist writer and activist best known for her analysis of pornography. Her feminist writings, beginning in 1974, span 30 years. Read more on Wikipedia →