Radical Intimacy

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Left to its own devices, the world cannot hold us. The colliding global crises of capitalism – in ecological collapse and in the rising tide of fascism – threaten the fabric of communities and the lives that compose them," Rosa writes. "We must hold each other, as we remake a world that can." A narrative guide and practical methodology for nurturing and sustaining our relationships with ourselves, others, and the world. The North Will Rise Again is an in-depth exploration written by a native Northerner who wants answers to some of the biggest political questions facing the North in modern times. The North/South divide, the collapse of Labour’s Red Wall and the impact of austerity are all explored within this book, interwoven with Niben’s own personal story and family history. This book delves into how our country came to be so starkly divided, how geographical divides have shaped socioeconomic inequality, and what the future looks like for the North. Proposes radical answers for people longing for real intimacy, just as she proposes the need to centre all forms of intimacy as radical praxis. We are invited to look for the possibilities of abundant post-capitalist relating, and how they might nurture us in overcoming the systems which trap us in scarcity. It’s great. Please read it!’ Learning the art of building true intimacy gives you the opportunity to grow deeper, more enriching bonds with others, and even yourself. By turning your attention inward to gain clarity on your divine needs and how to fulfill them, you can transform all of your relationships. With the right expert guidance, anyone can increase their capacity for love in a way that nourishes their heart and soul.

Sophie K. Rosa challenges us to rethink, reimagine, resist and redefine intimacy according to our own standards instead of those force-fed to us via the white supremacist capitalist cisheteropatriarchy. Consider this the next read in your study group.’

The Sociological Review

Though it may be impossible to place this work in one genre, The Argonauts can arguably be seen as a great work of autotheory; what critical theorist Lauren Fournier describes as “the commingling of theory and philosophy with autobiography”, which is often seen as a queer/trans/feminist form of activism. In her collective pursuit with friends, family and philosophers, Nelson seeks to make sense of the world and try to find new ways of being, doing and living that are not delineated by hegemony. In particular, her questions and commentary on pregnancy and kinship, merged here with Butler, open up an interesting dialectic of how we think about LGBTQI+ rights and their relationship to the concept of family: Is there something inherently queer about pregnancy itself, insofar as it profoundly alters one’s ‘normal’ state and occasions a radical intimacy with – and radical alienation from – one’s body? How can an experience so profoundly strange symbolize or enact the ultimate conformity? The combination of citation and speech from others intermingled within the prose makes it difficult to know where the author ends and another takes her place. As Hilton Als writes in his New Yorker reflection on The Argonauts, this book is an “articulation of [Nelson’s] many selves”. This is not only with regard to the many “Maggies” we as readers meet – Maggie the academic, Maggie the lover, Maggie the step-parent, Maggie the mother, Maggie the stalked – but also in how Nelson blends different aspects of her artistic and literary life into the prose itself. The book compounds the many elements of Nelson’s expansive oeuvre, where she has worked across and within poetry, criticism, non-fiction and memoir. Rosa invites us to intentionally expand our political imagination beyond the commodification of self-care, supremacy of heteronormativity and patriarchy, the atomised units of the nuclear family, and the individualisation of private housing. Radical Intimacy is a grounding, hopeful work that explores how we can build intimacy in abundance and richness – a reminder for people and political movements feeling the alienation and weight of capitalism that collective, radical, and profound alternatives are possible.

The connection between capitalism and intimacy is blatant in some ways and far harder to identify in others. But the ideology of capitalism has long infiltrated what love and relationships look like, as examined in Rosa's debut work. And this has come with a set of consequences.Though short, this is a very dense, well-researched book about how capitalism prevents us from living full lives in which we can support and love each other. I agreed with the premise already, so it was a preaching to the converted situation for the most part. I didn't find the writing style particularly easy to engage with. Some of the anecdotes were nice and really grounded the ideas in what is otherwise an incredibly theory-heavy read. I especially enjoyed the passage where Sophie and her friend dressed up as rich people to spy on Ballymore housing developers, but mostly I felt myself pushing towards the end of the book because it was fairly short and I couldn't justify giving up when I was already halfway done. Rosa's groundbreaking manifesto invites us into a politically emancipatory conceptualisation of intimacy beyond capitalism and heteronormativity’

P roposes radical answers for people longing for real intimacy, just as she proposes the need to centre all forms of intimacy as radical praxis. We are invited to look for the possibilities of abundant post-capitalist relating, and how they might nurture us in overcoming the systems which trap us in scarcity. It’s great. Please read it!’I cannot say that I read the book without some discomfort (which is often the case when I read reflections on trans lives from cis perspectives), particularly the discussion about Dodge’s medical transition. Within the discussions of hormones, surgery and recovery, Nelson does not decentralise herself from the discussion. Though she is writing “personally”, I think there are limits to how deep one can delve into such private matters. Love may be deeply embodied, but even the (dis)embodied voice(s) of this memoir cannot speak from everywhere, or from everyone – and neither can we as social researchers. A clarion voice from a new generation of British feminists ... I was gripped' - Sophie Lewis, author of Abolish the Family

Though Nelson mostly focuses on her own perspectives of her relationship with Dodge, her text is deeply reflexive throughout. The Argonauts is a work that highlights our need to be open to critique and to be accountable for ourselves, both through communication with others and through self-reflection. For sociologists, reflexivity is a key part of doing social research. In this reflective book, activist and writer Munroe Bergdorf reveals how transitioning is a universal part of the human experience, and something that all of us can relate to. By w riting from her personal experience of gender transition and integrating theory from key experts and activists, Bergdorf reveals how we can understand transitioning as a shared experience. By shining a light on the inevitable reality of change, it aims to bring us together and build a more understanding and inclusive world. Radical Intimacy shows that it doesn't need to be this way. Including inspiring ideas for alternative ways to live, Sophie K Rosa demands we use our radical imagination to discover a new form of intimacy. With intimacy as the foundational principle of our existence, we can build a life based on what we truly need, not what we think we need or have been told we need. By embracing the practice of radical intimacy, I can confidently promise my readers a personal revolution of self-acceptance, appreciation, vitality, and confidence. And without fail, mind-blowing, soul-stirring, earth-shattering sex follows.” —Zoë Kors I do not wish to discredit The Argonauts on this basis. Nelson’s intention within this book was to ask difficult questions of herself, and to inspire her readers to do the same. In sitting in discomfort and reflecting, one can radically reimagine one’s own positionalities and politics. In particular, Nelson’s commentary on language and LGBTQI+ lives is an essential intervention in contemporary “post-gay” politics, which insist on monolithic representation of LGBTQI+ lives that often advocate for normalisation in line with cis-heterosexual hegemonies, as seen in the works by Ghaziani and Kampler and Connell.In this inspiring 10-day course by healer and women's empowerment leader Jumana Sophia, you'll be guided through a journey that will teach you how to welcome and thrive in both the physical and emotional aspects of intimacy. With expert teachings and insightful questions, you’ll learn how to tap into your feminine wisdom and uncover your needs and wants, as well as what is negotiable for creating the environment you desire. Tap Into Your Feminine Wisdom Radical Intimacy scrutinises the reality of love and intimacy ... it also paints a moving alternative of what a different reality can offer. The call to action is strong; she is asking, with compassion and conviction, for collective liberation and for a revolution’ Radical Intimacy shows that it doesn't need to be this way. A punchy and impassioned account of inspiring ideas about alternative ways to live, Sophie K Rosa demands we use our radical imagination to discover a new form of intimacy and to transform our personal lives and in turn society as a whole. Anyway, if you finish reading Radical Intimacy and think you'd like something else on the subject, read 'all about love' by bell hooks.