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Backwards and in High Heels
A Frank and Ernest cartoon is reportedly the origin of the now-famous statement often attributed to Ginger Rogers herself, that she "did everything Fred Astaire did, only backwards and in high heels". Former Governor of Texas, the late Ann Richards, used it in her keynote address to the Democratic National Convention in 1988. It doesn't really matter who said it first--all women understand its meaning instantly.
Here we'll talk about the past, present, and future of women in the culture. We'll look at feminism--no, I do not shy away from the f-word. We'll discuss the intersection between politics and our personal lives, and those defining moments in life that make us what we become. And we'll dare to act. Check out the Media page for photos of some Daring Girls. And check out the Heartfeldt Politics Blog for a rousing conversation about women and voting power.
I found a great writeup of Send Yourself Roses on the Teleflora website! Looks like they've thought about what a perfect Mother's Day gift Send Yourself Roses would be for your mom or other woman in your life--and of course yourself!
New! Read the Review of Send Yourelf Roses by Women's Issues Editor Linda Lowen on about.com, suggesting it as Mothers Day Gift and noting:
You can just tell from the roles she's chosen throughout her career that actress Kathleen Turner isn't in it for the glamour. For her, it's about the work. Yet as her memoir Send Yourself Roses: Thoughts on My Life, Love, and Leading Roles reveals, that kind of work ethic has gotten her into trouble.A Woman of Substance
As a newlywed, Turner's husband grew angry at her when she played a prostitute in the film Crimes of Passion. A movie studio sued her for $25 million over the sequel to Romancing the Stone; Turner felt the script was inferior and refused to do 'bad work.' And she made a sworn enemy of Burt Reynolds when, during the filming of the only movie Turner ever did strictly for the money, he told her, "I've never taken second billing to a woman."If the word 'feisty' comes to mind, well, those were the least of Turner's exploits. Send Yourself Roses, coauthored by Turner and writer Gloria Feldt, tells the story of a woman whose life is enviable not because of her fame but because of her determination and integrity.
"Getting to Next" is the title of one of the Carole Hyatt Leadership Institute's most in-demand offerings. Who hasn't been in a life transition? And if you haven't been there, I can assure you that you will be soon enough if you're learning, growing, and evolving. I recently had the opportunity to speak to the latest "class" of upbeat, energetic women, and shared how writing Send Yourself Roses was a "getting to next" experience for me. Here's a group photo; that's Carole middle front, looking back admiringly at the participants:
Now Booking! Women, Girls, and Ladies: A Fresh Intergenerational Conversation
I've joined some fabulous women in this amazing and timely conversation.
"Young women think empowerment means short skirts and high heels! They don’t know the history of the women’s movement, or what’s still at stake."
Sound familiar? Too often finger-pointing statements like these are declared by seasoned activists at meetings of struggling feminist organizations or exchanged in emails between younger women sick of invisibility. With all the injustices yet to be challenged, it is time women of all ages talked and listened to one another instead of rehashing the same cliquish complaints in isolation? It is time that we reopen a dialogue about women’s lives, power, entitlement, and the future of feminism, from a generational perspective.
To spark the discussion about generations of women activists, I've teamed up with Kristal Brent
Zook, Courtney E. Martin, and Deborah Siegel—who along with me, Gloria Feldt, are four diverse, feminist authors representing generations from Generation Y to pre-Baby Boomer.
Read about WomenGirlsLadies on speaking tour at Central Michigan University! L-R: Tara Sathoff-Wells, Central Michigan University Director of Women's Studies; the four WomenGirlsLadies (WGL for short)--me, Deborah Siegel, Courtney Martin, and Kristal Brent Zook; and my dear friend from way back in our West Texas days, CMU Professor Jill Taft Kaufman. And here's the Harvard Crimson's report of our April 18 panel, entitled "Four Feminists Take on Harvard", followed by the Jewish Women's Archive blog, Jewesses with Attitude's rendition called "'WomenGirlsLadies'...Fishnets, Food, and Feminism" that begins like this:
Are younger generations of women "afraid" of feminism? Has the media slashed and distorted women's choices about balancing work and family? Must women vote for female candidates?
For those of us who care about women's issues, these questions have surely surfaced in dinner conversations, the workplace lunchroom, and in the blogosphere, of course...
Find us on tour in YOUR area and join the dialogue! Book your spot now by e-mailing us today.
BE SURE TO JOIN US, AND TELL YOUR FRIENDS!
WomenGirlsLadies Speaking Events
Women’s Studies Statewide Conference, Friday, March 14, 7:30 pm, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, MI 734-487-1849
Central Michigan University, Monday, March 17, 7:30 pm, Mount Pleasant, MI 989-774-4000
Eastern Michigan University, Tuesday, March 18, 7:00 pm, Ypsilanti, MI 734-487-1849
Harvard University, Friday, April 18, 3 pm, Harvard Hall 205, Cambridge, MA 617-495-1000 or ullman@fas.harvard.edu
National Council for Research on Women (NCRW), Friday, May 2, 6:30 pm, 11 Hanover Square, 24th Floor, New York, NY 212-785-7335
University of Missouri-Kansas City, Thursday, November 13, Time TBD, Kansas City, MO 816-235-1000
The Importance of Being Hillary
Speaking of women making history and the importance of feminine leadership--MORE Magazine asked me and other women to speculate on what would be different with a woman president. Here's what I told them:
The anti-woman woman -- like Nixon going to China. So imagine my delight that we've got Hillary as our first! You can call her 'establishment' all you want, but believe me, the establishment never had cleavage.
You know, it really does make a difference when it's a woman you're talking to. It changes everything in big and in subtle ways. Like the time I met with Attorney General Janet Reno about protecting reproductive health clinics from violence. I had one of those embarrassing moments when I needed to get to the restroom and find a tampon -- right away.
I excused myself, ran out of the room, and then smiled to think how okay it was to say, 'I'm having personal issues and have to excuse myself.' Imagine if had it been a few years later and I was meeting with John Ashcroft.
Here's what I'm suggesting to the president at my meeting with her next week: Free tampons in every White House restroom -- no, wait, in all public restrooms and covered by our new universal health insurance.
And let the famous cackle rip, so everyone gets used to smiling and, yes, laughing more.
Women (as other traditionally oppressed people) exhibit more facial expressions than men. That's because women are more empathetic as a survival mechanism. And empathy is the survival mechanism the world needs most right now.
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