While there were parts of this book that were really impactful, for the most part I don’t think I was the right audience and that’s okay! I do think that there is a need for cis men to wrestle with the patriarchy and how it affects us all. I also think that there is a need for books that provide “on-ramps” for others who might be starting their journey into feminism, anti-racism, anti-capitalism and social justice work, and this book would be a good choice for someone on that road. 

Patriarchy Blues is structured as personal essays, letters and poems. The essays that worked the best (for me) were the ones where Joseph was digging deep into his lived experiences without tossing around words like “cishetero patriarchy.” The specific examples from his life were more impactful reading than some of the more esoteric essays.