Taming My Animus
By Azadeh Azad
FriesenPress (Mar 15, 2017)
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In this book of poetry and photography describes a woman’s fictional journey of psychological maturation, of getting to know, tame and integrate her Inner Man or Animus into her conscious self.
The archetype of Animus is the totality of the unconscious masculine psychological qualities that a heterosexual woman possesses. It is the storeroom of repressed traits belonging to the male sex. The process of her individuation and maturation involves becoming conscious of her hidden Animus, as well as other parts of her psyche. |
Amazon.com Reviews:
Review by Andrée Levesque
April 21, 2017
Format: Hardcover
5:0 out of 5 stars
this is a truly beautiful book of poems and photographs. The author borrows the Jungian concept of animus - the so-called masculine attributes of a woman's - to chart the discovery of these qualities as a voyage of discovery in a forest. With her male model Michael Montgomery Ward she conducts this exploration from beautiful photo to beautiful photo. Would make a wonderful present for a sensitive reader.
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Review by Monica Poole
Rich perspective on masculinity and femininity
July 28, 2017
Format: Kindle Edition
5.0 out of 5 stars
Azad's work embodies a a special combination of theoretical richness and artistic sophistication. Feminist critics have remarked on the "male gaze" for many years, and more recently, feminist critics have also spoken of the "female gaze," which includes the gaze of heterosexual and bisexual women directed toward male subjects. Yet it is still relatively rare to see this lens not only discussed but applied, and applied in a way that centers women's experiences with an intentional, critically-informed eye. By depicting the male body in a way that embodies both a startling degree of masculine vulnerability and a sometimes erotically charged, profoundly heterosexual female point of view, and then situating those images in relation to spare, well-crafted poetry in a feminine voice narrating a specifically female journey of discovery, Taming My Animus provides a unique and thoughtful perspective on both grounded and flexible elements of gender and sexuality. This book will likely be of particular interest to heterosexual women, but as a queer woman, I perceive it as likely to enlighten people of all genders and orientations.
**********
Amazon.ca Reviews
Review by Brian O’Neill
A beautiful and erotic psychological journey
April 19, 2017
Format: Kindle Edition
5.0 out of 5 stars
This book brings together painterly photographs and vivid poetry. The photos, which consist of artistic nude male photography against the picturesque British Columbian landscape are masterpieces in themselves (I especially love the Arbutus tree) and the model brings to life the "storeroom of repressed traits belonging to the male sex" that she writes about in her poems. The foreword is very interesting as it places her poetry in the context of Jungian psychology and gives a good background on the male and female elements that are part of every soul. The poems perfectly match the photos and have many fascinating erotic undercurrents: "I feel a danger/ a stranger chasing/me in a forest unknown." This book has a lot to offer anyone who likes nature, psychology, feminist poetry and naked men. I can't wait to see how she follows this up!
**********
Review by Ani Gurunlian
A bold composition that explores male sensuality in the natural
July 4, 2017
Format: Kindle Edition
5.0 out of 5 stars
A bold composition that explores male sensuality in the natural world. The background photos of BC are gorgeous and makes me want to visit the province. The feminist poetry is strong and interesting, and plays off well with their accompanying photos. Reading the forward gives the reader a male-female context to the composition, which is then driven home with the balance of nude male imagery against a backdrop of soft female-energy greenery. An enjoyable experience.
Amazon.com Reviews:
Review by Andrée Levesque
April 21, 2017
Format: Hardcover
5:0 out of 5 stars
this is a truly beautiful book of poems and photographs. The author borrows the Jungian concept of animus - the so-called masculine attributes of a woman's - to chart the discovery of these qualities as a voyage of discovery in a forest. With her male model Michael Montgomery Ward she conducts this exploration from beautiful photo to beautiful photo. Would make a wonderful present for a sensitive reader.
**********
Review by Monica Poole
Rich perspective on masculinity and femininity
July 28, 2017
Format: Kindle Edition
5.0 out of 5 stars
Azad's work embodies a a special combination of theoretical richness and artistic sophistication. Feminist critics have remarked on the "male gaze" for many years, and more recently, feminist critics have also spoken of the "female gaze," which includes the gaze of heterosexual and bisexual women directed toward male subjects. Yet it is still relatively rare to see this lens not only discussed but applied, and applied in a way that centers women's experiences with an intentional, critically-informed eye. By depicting the male body in a way that embodies both a startling degree of masculine vulnerability and a sometimes erotically charged, profoundly heterosexual female point of view, and then situating those images in relation to spare, well-crafted poetry in a feminine voice narrating a specifically female journey of discovery, Taming My Animus provides a unique and thoughtful perspective on both grounded and flexible elements of gender and sexuality. This book will likely be of particular interest to heterosexual women, but as a queer woman, I perceive it as likely to enlighten people of all genders and orientations.
**********
Amazon.ca Reviews
Review by Brian O’Neill
A beautiful and erotic psychological journey
April 19, 2017
Format: Kindle Edition
5.0 out of 5 stars
This book brings together painterly photographs and vivid poetry. The photos, which consist of artistic nude male photography against the picturesque British Columbian landscape are masterpieces in themselves (I especially love the Arbutus tree) and the model brings to life the "storeroom of repressed traits belonging to the male sex" that she writes about in her poems. The foreword is very interesting as it places her poetry in the context of Jungian psychology and gives a good background on the male and female elements that are part of every soul. The poems perfectly match the photos and have many fascinating erotic undercurrents: "I feel a danger/ a stranger chasing/me in a forest unknown." This book has a lot to offer anyone who likes nature, psychology, feminist poetry and naked men. I can't wait to see how she follows this up!
**********
Review by Ani Gurunlian
A bold composition that explores male sensuality in the natural
July 4, 2017
Format: Kindle Edition
5.0 out of 5 stars
A bold composition that explores male sensuality in the natural world. The background photos of BC are gorgeous and makes me want to visit the province. The feminist poetry is strong and interesting, and plays off well with their accompanying photos. Reading the forward gives the reader a male-female context to the composition, which is then driven home with the balance of nude male imagery against a backdrop of soft female-energy greenery. An enjoyable experience.