A growing number of women are increasingly comfortable discussing menopause publicly, signaling a shift in societal conversations around women’s health. This increased openness is crucial for destigmatizing a natural life stage and ensuring women receive the support they need.
In Quebec, a recent documentary, Loto-Méno, has brought attention to the hormonal changes and misconceptions surrounding menopause. The film sparked dialogue and encouraged women to share their experiences.
Similar conversations are also gaining momentum in the United States and Europe, though menopause remains a largely unspoken topic beyond discussions of hormone therapy and common symptoms like hot flashes.
Literary scholar Martine Delvaux felt compelled to explore the subject further and gather the voices of various writers around this theme. The result is a new collection of essays, Au bout de notre sang, co-edited with novelist Esther Laforce.
“It’s engaging as one of the first reactions we received after announcing the collection was, ‘Oh no, not another book about menopause!’” said Esther Laforce, who is also a doctoral student in literary studies. “There’s a kind of double perception of the issue. But I think we haven’t even begun to scratch the surface of the topic.”
“Menopause remains something people don’t really aim for to talk about collectively. It’s complicated. It’s a point where women are no longer considered part of the ‘market’ for women,” Delvaux explained.
The invitation to contribute to a discussion about menopause didn’t immediately resonate with all the women who ultimately participated in the book, with some expressing their initial hesitation openly in their writing.
“What do I have to say about this?” asked Ching Selao. “The subject didn’t interest me,” admitted Virginia Pesemapeo Bordeleau in the opening line of her essay. Pénélope McQuade announced her lack of initial thoughts with her title: “I have nothing to say about menopause”… and yet, she did.
All the authors who contributed to the work—including those who weren’t sure what to write about initially—demonstrate that there is still much to be said on the subject.
In Au bout de notre sang, menopause serves as a bridge to a range of other themes, including “aging as a woman,” the place of older women in society, “the condition of women in general,” and “our relationship with our bodies.” This multifaceted approach highlights the broader societal implications of this life stage.
Whether discussing perimenopause or “completed menopause,” the eighteen writers navigate between the personal and the political. Many texts are filled with anger and indignation, while others are marked by violence, humor, a tender memory, or love.
“In popular discourse, the menopausal woman conforms to stereotypes. We make fun of her anger, her hot flashes. In Au bout de notre sang, all of that is there, but repurposed to offer a critical perspective,” noted Esther Laforce.
“It’s as if the texts are a mirror reflecting the somewhat caricatured image of the menopausal woman back to the public,” added Martine Delvaux.
Despite the diversity of the stories, they all carry, in their own way, the promise of liberated speech, a voice that refuses to be silenced.
Among these voices are Mélikah Abdelmoumen, Marie Célie Agnant, Anita Anand, Pascale Cormier, Véronique Cyr, Martine Delvaux, Lynda Dion, Yara El-Ghadban, Esther Laforce, Claudia Larochelle, Catherine Mavrikakis, Pénélope McQuade, Pascale Navarro, Virginia Pesemapeo Bordeleau, Anne Peyrouse, Monique Régimbald-Zeiber, Ching Selao, and Marie-Ève Sévigny.
“The Time of Women”
Martine Delvaux admits she initially expected to receive more texts focused on the medical aspects of menopause. She was pleased to see the diversity of perspectives explored in the collection.
“We don’t just focus on the menopausal woman. We find young women. The adolescent is often invoked in the texts. […] We traverse the time of women, in fact,” said the popular feminist author, known for her work including The Boys Club (2019).
“In society, we often make fun of teenagers just as we make fun of menopausal women. These are comedic tropes. Teenagers aren’t taken seriously—their desires, passions, affections for certain artists, how they dress,” she pointed out.
With menopause comes a kind of “fed up” feeling that is released. Like a “disgust” with things that have accumulated over nearly 50 years of life and can finally be expressed without the pressure of having to be in a relationship, have children, etc.
“No longer being in that situation frees up indignation. […] Menopausal people are rightly angry. The main reasons? We are not taken into account medically. It takes a long time with everything that is discovered, not discovered; what is said, not said; doctors who don’t take us seriously. It’s not a myth. It’s the truth. There are good reasons to be upset,” quickly listed the literature professor at UQAM.
With Au bout de notre sang, the eighteen authors remind us of the relevance of women’s voices, the validity of their anger, and the legitimacy of their perspective on the world in which they live.
“We are entering classic age, but we are not dead. We are here. We are not invisible. We are alive. We will speak. We will write. We continue to be relevant,” the two co-directors of Au bout de notre sang emphasized.
The collection Au bout de notre sang is available in bookstores.
The authors participating in the book include: Mélikah Abdelmoumen, Marie Célie Agnant, Anita Anand, Pascale Cormier, Véronique Cyr, Martine Delvaux, Lynda Dion, Yara El-Ghadban, Esther Laforce, Claudia Larochelle, Catherine Mavrikakis, Pénélope McQuade, Pascale Navarro, Virginia Pesemapeo Bordeleau, Anne Peyrouse, Monique Régimbald-Zeiber, Ching Selao, and Marie-Ève Sévigny.
