Menopause: The Anthology E-Book

• Herausgeber: Arachne Press
• Kategorie: Poesie und Drama
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2023

Seitenzahl: 84

Beschreibung

The subject of Menopause is just beginning to break the barrier of taboo, and become a mainstream discussion point, but that discussion has until now been very serious, medical, and, we would argue, heterosexual and white. This anthology of poems and short fiction aims to address that, with wild and wonderful writing from humour and anger, relief and distress, by women who have experienced menopause, whether naturally or as a result of surgery; with a healthy dose of views from the global majority and the lesbian, bisexual and trans communities.

Leseprobe

Contents

Introduction Catherine Pestano and Cherry Potts

From Menarche to Menopause – Top FAQs – Cath Holland

Pause – Rachel Playforth

A Sudden Ending – Anne Macaulay

My Wild Fires – Marina Sanchez

The Grandmother Hypothesis – Genevieve Carver

Be Cool – Tina Bethea Ray

more the use the womb is put to than the womb itself – Jane Ayres

Flashes of Kindness – Victoria Bailey

Women of Your Age – Erica Borgstrom

Night Sweats – Julie-Ann Rowell

Red Clover and Black Cohosh Days – Anne Caldwell

A Cabin in the Woods – Lucy Lasasso

Washing Mary – Jane Ayres

Déjà Vu – Sian Northey

Shape-shift – Alyson Hallett

Obit: My Last Egg – Susan Bennett

Woman’s Work – Cheryl Powell

Relieved – Victoria Bailey

The Other Side of Nowhere – Jessica Manack

Flush – Anne Caldwell

Foreign Land – Ellesar Elhaggagi

Fairy Tales for the Over Fifties – Alison Habens

Black Armour – Joanne Harris

Breakup Helen Campbell

my vulva & i used to be friends – Jane Ayres

Menostop – Kim Whysall-Hammond

Shamans in Luburbia – Kavita A Jindal

A Summer Prematurely Here – Victoria Ekpo

Nuclear Tingle (no one told me how my heart would feel) – Karen F Pierce

Ruby-Red Jewel – Martha Patterson

HUM PBA CK – JP Seabright

Over the Bloody Moon – Adele Evershed

You have been this country I have known – Jane Burn

Dried – Susan Cartwright-Smith

Evorel – Clare Starling

The Change – Ginger Strivelli

China – Anne Caldwell

Natural Wastage – Anne Eccleshall

Gutsy Menopausal Woman – Chloe Balcomb

O Womb – Mary Mulholland

Silver Swans / Срібнілебеді – Amanda Addison / Irina Forostyan

Monthly – Tessa Lang

men-oh-paused – haibun – Victoria Bailey

Demeter – Elizabeth A Richter

Her Mid-life Performance Review – Ruth Higgins

The Farmer’s Fire – Jane McLaughlin

Wilding – Em Gray

On Discovering a New Energy Source – Claire Booker

Enough Already – Claire Lynn

Menopause: The Anthology

Introduction: Catherine Pestano & Cherry Potts

The most powerful force in the world is a menopausal woman with zest.

Margaret Mead, 1950

The subject of menopause is just beginning to break the barrier of taboo, and become a mainstream discussion point, but that discussion has until now been serious, medical, and, we would argue, heterosexual and white. This anthology of poems and short fiction aims to address that, with wild and wonderful writing with humour and anger, relief and distress, by women who have experienced menopause, whether naturally or as a result of surgery; with celebration and grief, and with a healthy dose of views from the global majority and the lesbian, bisexual, non-binary and trans communities.

Though the menopause is traditionally thought of as a life-changing incident, the irony is that unless brought on by medical conditions or intervention, no one knows when their last bleed occurred until long after. We therefore think of menopause as a transition: an ellipse rather than an exclamation mark.

For those who are unsure what we are talking about, the menopause transition is a biological state of flux and change usually achieved in mid-life. The perimenopause (not there yet, but on its way) and the post-menopause period (calculated retrospectively as a year after the ending of menstruation) can, between them, last years. These hormonal changes are experienced, to a varying degree, by anyone who was born with female sex organs, women, some non-binary people and trans men; but it can also be part of a broader narrative of mid-life.

Menopause coverage in the media is sharing much useful information about physical, cognitive, emotional and relational issues, which are to some extent being recognised and acted upon in workplaces and doctors’ surgeries.

This often unspoken transition affects roughly half the population. With the UK average age of menopause at 51, and life expectancy around 82 years, we have over a third of our lives to live after this transition. ‘The change’ can offer opportunities to experience new ways of living and renegotiate our relationships with each other and the world. Even the exhaustion that can accompany changes in the body can become a crucible for contemplation, a time to re-evaluate and reflect.

Living through the menopause is often compounded by intersectional oppressions. Misogyny meets racism, homophobia and transphobia. Menopause can be highly medicalised, yet some struggle to have their symptoms recognised, taken seriously or treated. This leads to a lack of autonomy for the menopausal, and a culture of silence and sometimes shame, for those who struggle with symptoms or their treatment. It is important to create meaning from this enormous upheaval in the lives of women.

Poetry and story allow us to express a wide range of responses – sometimes unpalatable, unexpected, joyous, sometimes absurd.

We ran online and face-to-face workshops and asked our contributors to go beyond hot flushes, HRT and empty nest syndrome, and they have. We greeted with joy the humour, anger and outrage that ensued regardless of the individual subject matter. This collection is rich in emotion and bluntness, steeped in metaphor, delving into the surreal. Writing of rare, even unique, phenomena and the difficulties in finding the right help and support, unsympathetic encounters with bosses and doctors are dissected with sharp pens.

Imagination helps us to leap the barriers of how we have been told menopause will affect us, and how we should behave, creating new options for this new phase.

Join us in the new possibilities, even liberations, that lie beyond the time of bleeding.

Cath HollandFrom Menarche to Menopause – Top FAQs

How do I arrange delivery?

For the arrival of a girl’s menarche, her first blood, she is advised to book early in order to avoid disappointment. If she is allotted a schoolday slot, it means she’s chosen an unfortunately busy period. If this does happen, then she must carefully plan the exact time to accept delivery. She should avoid at all costs being in a PE lesson, for example. It could get messy.

Ensure you have sufficient menstrual products, paracetamol, and a hot water bottle. Shop for essentials in our online store.

How much will the service cost?

Postage + packing of the service is free, but management and maintenance will cost the average woman approximately £5,000 during her fertile years. Factor in laundry, operating at a slower pace at work or school at badly affected times, and sick days due to cramps, constipation, diarrhoea – or both – feeling bloated, breast tenderness, irritability, tiredness, increased symptoms around an endometriosis diagnosis, mood swings.

Our book about this, Choices, is currently at half price.

What are the positives of women having periods? It sounds awful.

Some women feel more connected to a feminine essence, the ebbs and flows of mood – instinctive and somehow primal. Many enthuse at the shared experience of sisterhood. Women who live together in a relationship or as housemates have reported their cycles working in tandem, which is pretty magical, if you think on. Some regard menstruation as a biological advantage, as men do not experience the same sense of being and purpose.

We have gorgeous lunar calendars on which you can have fun and plot ovulation dates together with your friends. Buy two for the price of one here.

My period isn’t regular anymore. What are the common causes?

You could be pregnant – congratulations (we hope). No periods for you for a while then! Or you may be suffering from stress or malnutrition or be simply perimenopausal or menopausal.

Sign up to our mailing list for all eventualities.

What is the menopause?

The average woman’s period becomes intermittent from her mid-forties onwards, then dribbles to a halt. She can no longer get pregnant once fully in menopause although may ‘get caught’ in peri. That final ovulation and subsequent period can be quite sneaky. Some women say a ‘change baby’ keeps you young, but make sure to use our impressive range of contraceptives if you don’t want to take chances.

Condom and lubricant can be delivered within the hour if needed, order online.

What is the name for a woman’s final period?

There isn’t one.

Click here for our online shop.

Why is there no name for a woman’s final period?

Brexit.

Click here for our online shop.

Are there any downsides to the menopause?

Your body will change as you move into this new, exciting phase of life. Luckily, we can help.

Facial cooling spray £15; try our menstrual face cream – it does not smell, look or feel like it sounds! Perimenopause plumping day cream £25.60, perimenopause revitalizing night cream £27.20, menopause triple action face serum £31.20, menopause night repair £31.45; menstrual shampoo, conditioner, serum £22 each. Take no notice of negative reviews of our hair serum planted by our competitors. Stay clear of the scalp foam stuff by inferior brands, it makes your hair well crispy. Ours makes your locks silky soft, and fuller.

Order online.

Are there any holistic remedies to manage menopause symptoms?

If you have gym membership, try weight-bearing exercise classes to strengthen bones and offset osteoporosis. Dark chocolate increases oestrogen, nom-nom. Chocolate is calorific and weight gain is a problem for some average women, but a wraparound dress works wonders, shrinks the waist. Our special night-time wear combats night sweats, made as it is from cotton/ linen/ bamboo/ silk/ wool/ cashmere/ hemp, pulling moisture away from the body allowing it to naturally evaporate.

We’ve got clothes in stock in colours and patterns to compliment the pink-cheeked, starting at £35.99. Join our online menopause group with optional breakout rooms, £100pa.

What if I want my fertility back?

Once the average woman’s body clock has ticked its last tock, that’s it. The workings thin and wear out. On the upside, did you know women in their forties and fifties are sexually most compatible with men in their twenties?

Our dating app launches soon.

Can you return, swap or repair my fertility?

Not after the guarantee expires. The service returns to the manufacturer once the environment you provide exceeds its Best Before date. When a menstrual cycle stops pedaling, it won’t move again. The Chinese call the menopause the second spring; we suggest you embrace your new-found freedom.