It’s a (wo)man’s game: Janet Delavan’s Feminine American Pastime deconstructs gender-based activities

Feminine American Pastime from designer Janet Delavan encourages everyone to find joy in the pastimes they pursue, regardless of their gender. Across a striking triptych of books – each exploring and dissecting the ever-evolving place gender roles have in society – Janet dismantles hierarchies of hobbies, promoting a greater inclusivity across interests. Even if (and, arguably, especially if) whatever hobbies, interests or intrigues are deemed inappropriate or intimidating. “I’m in no way a sociologist, nor am I saying this idea is an eye-opening thing,” Janet says. “However, personally, it’s interesting to witness and observe firsthand the disparity of identity and expression concerning your hobbies, and what makes you happy.”

The design of the series takes visual inspiration from both traditional games – such a chess, needlework or poker – and 20th century Americana, making its aesthetic tone eclectic. This is embodied in Janet’s approach to type, which sees each book utilising a number of typefaces, including Citizen Slab by Joel Felix, Alan Meek’s Park Lane, Editorial Old by Pangram Pangram, Candy Darling by Miguel Reyes, Dalton Maag’s Aktiv Grotesk and Cross Stitch Delicate by Gerald Gallo. “I’m not a huge font geek, but I wanted to choose typefaces that seemed classic, American, and, of course, feminine.”

The book series starts with child Janet, who had a fierce competitive streak, especially against boys. “Being competitive has always been an attribute of mine that I could never shake,” Janet says. “I’m not sure if it was my father, whom I admired for his strength, or my brother, whom I envied for his wit, but all I wanted was to be treated like someone with those same qualities,” Janet says. “I believed that femininity was holding me back… and the ‘cool girl’ and ‘pick me girl’ archetypes were born.” 

Since then, Janet has tried to unlearn this pattern of thinking, whilst equally maintaining her competitive nature. And, in doing so, she’s noticed how some men reacted negatively when women competitively challenged them: “especially in activities where it’s traditionally known as a ‘man’s game’,” she says. One such game is billiards, a pastime introduced to Janet by her father and an interest that flourished after discovering NYC pool rooms during college. “Entering these pool halls and bars alone was terrifying. As a woman, it feels like you aren’t seen as skilled or smart until proven otherwise,” she says, “And if proven, there’s a chance of being respected in a room full of men… and if not respected, then resented.”

Janet realised that when maintaining both her femininity and competitive edge she felt vulnerable, especially in said competitive (read: historically masculine) environments. “I began to think about what separates what’s known as traditionally masculine and feminine hobbies,” Janet says, “and why one is deemed superior over the other.”

It was this line of questioning that led her to create the first two books in the trilogy: Women in Billiards and Needle & Thread. “Competition and craft, the origins of what is traditionally categorised as either a feminine or masculine pastime, are exhibited within two case studies,” Janet explains. Women in Billiards depicts 15 women with notable contributions to the sport and aims to inspire more women to enter the male-dominated space of pool. It features interviews Janet conducted with Dr Mike Shamos of The Billiards Archive alongside in-depth research on influential players like Ruth McGinnis, Kelly Fisher, and Jean Balukas. 

Needle & Thread, on the other hand, highlights contemporary needlework, championing the pastime as a serious, expressive art form and challenges the notion of needlework as mere ‘women’s work’. “As I thought about the difference between traditional feminine hobbies like needlework and masculine hobbies like billiards, I realised feminine pastimes are rooted in home-building activities,” she says, whilst ‘masculine pastimes’ tend to be outside the home. “This made me question, who gets quality leisure? And what would happen if women were encouraged to participate in more healthy, competitive environments?”

The final book in the series, The Feminine American Pastime, is a curated collection of essays on the topic of female empowerment through competition, and its form is unique from book one’s history book approach, and the seconds photobook approach. and two. “I feel like this project has been sort of lying dormant in me, to say in the least cringiest way possible,” Janet says, finding the triptych to be a crucial moment to explore a topic that feels both joyful and uncomfortable. “I see The Feminine American Pastime as a physical and literary reminder to try new things, even if it might initially make me scared, doubt myself, or feel uncomfortable – and I hope to encourage more women to do the same,” Janet ends.