Monday, March 13, 2017

Labor of Love: The Invention of Dating

Labor of Love: The Invention of Dating by Moira Weigel
2016
Weight: 1 lb
Method of Disposal: Leaving at post office in Tucker


I heard an interview with Moira Weigel on Real Simple's Adulthood Made Easy podcast and was instantly interested in reading it.  I will really miss that podcast!  I really enjoyed this book and discovered random little tidbits I had no idea about--like TGIF restaurants initially starting as singles clubs.  AND that they were inspired by gay bars.  That was exciting and fun trivia.  I appreciated that this book was not just heteronormative and did include some information about queered dating.  It tried to dip its toes into the differences in dating between white and black people, but I felt like that was one portion that was just too little too late.  It felt like it was just peppered in and without a lot of substance.  I wish there had been more of it but, if there was only going to be a seasoning, maybe she should have left it out.  I don't know.  There were very important differences that made "dating" more dangerous for the black community.  It seems like in many eras the line between dating, sex work, trading sex, going steady wasn't always clear, at least to other people looking in at those relationships. 

I left this book at the post office and hope someone else gets some enjoyment out of it too!