Ripping, cutting, stitching takes what we know (or think we know) about the creation of feminist knowledge and makes it more personal, transparent, complicated, painful and joyous. It is brutally representative of real-life academia. Reading this book feels like being in conversation with its unruly authors, who recommend generosity and kindness in the practice of knowledge creation (pp. 189 and 203). The book is not idealistic, but it is distinctly hopeful. The UFC asks readers to add their thoughts, to reflect on the stories shared and to answer questions. How can we live beautifully in academia? This book can certainly help shape how we move towards this goal. Among other contributions to knowledge destruction, the book stands out with its metaphorical use of 'ripping, cutting and stitching' and with how it pushes readers to be deeply critical of the structures maintained by coloniality.
The emphasis on the reconstruction of knowledge sets a new scene, one that is not liberatory but 'slightly more possible, slightly less terrible' (p. 190). I see myself, my peers, my mentors and my community in this book. Through this kinship, our anger is reshaped, composted and renewed.