The question: Why is the media talking about Sonia Sotomayor’s tongue or temperament?
In a recent New York Times article, Sotomayor’s Blunt Style Raises Issue of Temperament, journalists Jo Becker and Adam Liptak write that President Obama’s Supreme Court nominee “has a blunt and even testy side.”
There’s way more to this story! Read about it at Huffington Post with my latest piece,
Sonia Sotomayor: The Answer Rhymes With “Fender.”
Cross-posted at http://shiratarrant.com
Know anyone who’d be right for this?! My latest venture… Thanks for passing it on!
SUMMER INTERN POSITION
She Reads / She Writes, an emerging women-owned, online-based start-up, seeks tech-savvy MBA student or recent MBA graduate to begin work 10 hours/week. Excellent opportunity to acquire hands-on experience in early-stage entrepreneurship, working closely with creative, energetic team of author/entrepreneurs to create preparatory materials for angel investors. Position begins in June 2009 and continues through August 2009, with the possibility of expanding into Fall. Internship is unpaid, however intern may be asked to continue with the Company after formal internship period ends.
Company description:
She Reads / She Writes is a young company seeking to create an online destination for literary women. Created by writers, the site will offer a new way for women readers and writers to form communities, read, write and share content, and lead the way in creating a new paradigm for publishing in a Web 3.0 world.
Traditional publishing houses can no longer afford to promote and support authors as they once did. Web 2.0 has resulted in an abundance of content and a lack of oversight. The result is a new Wild West, in which readers sort through millions of voices to find writing worth reading, and writers are isolated, self-funded solopreneurs.
She Reads / She Writes will leverage the existing power of women readers and writers as both producers and consumers of books to create a portal for literary women, one where quality writers are supported and hungry readers receive guided access to the literary content they seek.  Through curated content, social networking, and the latest in content delivery vehicles, readers will receive personal recommendations, access to authors, community, guidance for book groups, and content they can read in forms that fit their lifestyles. Writers, in turn, will receive networking with peers, services and support (such as instruction in new media forms), classes and coaching on topics related to their craft, and access to readers.
The social networking aspect of the site is in private beta; launch expected in January 2010.
more...
It’s been a quiet-ish week over here at GWP as we’re all recovering from the long weekend. Plus, these twins inside me have been kicking my ass and I’ve been falling behind on this and that here and there–forgive me! But I wanted to let you know where I’ll be, just in case you’ll be there too:
Friday – Woodhull Nonfiction Writing Retreat
Saturday – Princeton Alumni Weekend, with my intergenerational feminist “Women, Girls, and Ladies” panel
(You can catch the WGLs next at the Brooklyn Museum on June 20 for a special Father’s Day weekend appearance, on the subject of “Dads, Dudes, and Doing It.” More on that soon..)
Have a good rest of the week, everyone!
Much as I want to think of myself as a feminist parent, sometimes I doubt my credentials. After all, I don’t forbid Hannah Montana for my daughter or swordplay for my son even though both of these activities certainly do reinforce gender stereotypes (although I should probably add that my daughter took jui-jitsu for a time and my son happily watches Hannah Montana).
But I know that when it comes to discussions of loving relationships, this is one area where my feminism comes through loud and clear. With the current setbacks—like yesterday’s California High Court ruling in support of the gay marriage ban and victories over gay marriage, I see this as an important social justice issue. After all, I want my daughter and my son to grow up in a culture that will recognize and equally value their loving relationships whoever their partner may be.
Katy Perry as “Compulsory Heterosexuality 101â€
My 8-year-old daughter loves Katy Perry’s “I Kissed a Girl.†She’s especially familiar with the chorus, which goes like this:
I kissed a girl and I liked it
The taste of her cherry chapstick
I kissed a girl just to try it
I hope my boyfriend don’t mind it
It felt so wrong
It felt so right
Recently after the song played my daughter asked, “Why is she worried about what her boyfriend will think?â€Â I explained that the song was about two girls kissing. Perhaps not surprisingly, she had been listening to the song and singing the words without really understanding it. When I explained the idea of two girls kissing, some predictable “ew’s†and “yuck’s†ensued (the standard grade school reaction to all romantic kissing). I also explained that some people think two girls or two boys kissing is a bad thing.
I went on to tell her what I thought—that two people who love each other can kiss, whether they are two girls, two boys, or a boy and a girl. I talked about the way that “gay†can be used as an epithet, and how in my view such a usage was inappropriate.
My daughter wanted to try the idea on for size. What would be the difference between using gay in a “mean†way and in a “nice†way, she wanted to know? She thought out loud, “I could say, ‘You’re gay, hooray!â€
I loved this response. Tolerance is one thing: plenty of research suggests that young people are more supportive of gay marriage than their older counterparts. But celebration is another, and my daughter is right there already. Dismantling heterosexism and homophobia are important parts of this mix as well: my daughter may not be there yet, but that’s where my feminist parenting comes in, and we’ll take it day by day.
While I don’t think Katy Perry’s “I Kissed a Girl†lyrics are especially feminist—heterosexual male enjoyment of “lesbian†sexuality has been around for a long time, it opened a great window of conversation and analysis for our family. Now that’s feminist, so thanks, Katy Perry.
GWP, readers how does feminism influence your parenting? I’d love to hear your stories.
Join Shira Tarrant as she discusses her new book, Men and Feminism
Tuesday, May 26 @ 7:00PM
Lir Irish Pub, 903 Boylston St., Boston
(617) 778-0089
There’s no denying that men’s involvement and interest in feminism is key to its continuing relevance and importance. Shira Tarrant, an expert in gender politics, feminism, pop culture, and masculinity, in her new work Men and Feminism, addresses the question of why men should care about feminism in the first place.
Men and Feminism lays the foundation for a larger discussion about feminism as a human issue, not simply a women’s issue. Men are crucial to the movement — as fathers, brothers, husbands, boyfriends, and friends. From “why†to “how†to “what can men doâ€, Men and Feminism answers all the questions men have about how and why they should get behind feminism.
Sponsored by the Center for New Words and co-sponsored by the Boston Chapter of NOMAS
Cross-posted at http://shiratarrant.com.
A post Marco wrote the other week over at Open Salon got primo real estate on the front page of Salon, but I’m just getting to it now. In his May 7 post, “The Objectification of Emma Watson,” Marco takes issue with the sexification of the actress who plays Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter movies. He writes:
Over and over the ritual is reenacted: Lisa Bonet, Drew Barrymore, Alyssa Milano, Scarlett Johansson. Early raves for a child’s or precociously young actor’s emotional range or resonance, then the steady drumbeat of questionable roles and/or increasingly suggestive magazine covers. Occasionally an actor navigates her sexuality with depth and an almost tactical creativity, as did Christina Ricci; she made smart choices so that her sexualized image always functioned as a shorthand for her unusual and challenging roles. But more typically, an uncompromising talent (i.e. Parker Posey) will fall by the wayside to be appreciated by ever smaller audiences for her efforts if she doesn’t “fall into line.”
It’s not too late for Watson, though. Interview is offbeat enough to be a blip in an actor’s career, and this issue is early enough in the season to be a vague memory by the time the next Potter is released. But the choices she makes now and in the immediate wake of the Potter series may very well determine whether she will be ultimately be known for her body of work, or just, well, her (toned/decrepit/buffed/doubled/ Photoshopped/objectified) body.
Nicely put, dude.
Was Wall Street’s crash due, in part, to an overload of testosterone?
More and more, people are saying YES. And on Tuesday, The Financial Times connected the dots and called for 30% women on all corporate boards. Says the FT, “If there is ever a time for women to make a decisive breakthrough in corporate boardrooms, it is surely now. Many boards, especially in financial services, are in flux after the testosterone-fueled excesses that led to financial disaster. There is a desperate need to rebuild trust, more easily achieved if boards better reflect customers and the public.”
On June 24 over at Bloomberg here in NYC, the National Council for Research on Women will be launching a new piece of research looking at reasons and solutions for why there are so few women managing money. The report (which I’ve seen, and believe me, it’s GOOD) puts the issue in a broader context to look at on the lack of women in positions of leadership and power at financial services firms more generally. (Read more about the forthcoming paper–which Purse Pundit is at the center of–here.)
Testosterone may have been just one cause among many for the massive failures wrought by the financial industry. But is sure is nice to see this issue getting some serious play.
Photo: Shira Tarrant, Jessica Pauline, Michele Matheson, Stan Kent, Jillian Lauren
On May 13, Hustler Cafe in Hollywood hosted its monthly In the Flesh Reading Series: L.A.. Topic of the Month? Feminist Sex.
The awesome Jillian Lauren read from her forthcoming memoir, Some Girls and regaled listeners with stories about her experience in a Brunei harem. The amazing Michele Matheson read from her upcoming novel, The Failed Suicide of Cooper Tin. (Michele is a recovering child actor from such TV faves as Mr. Belvedere.) The wickedly funny Jessica Pauline read about working a pole (or a lap) at night and working Planned Parenthood by day, an excerpt from her book-in-progress. The groundbreaking Michelle Tea phoned it in from Florida with provocative portions from her queer, postpunk novel, Valencia.
I read from my new book Men and Feminism (Seal Press) along with my recent Huffington Post piece, Hip to Strip? Or Is it Time for Men to Stop Watching?
Question: Why Hustler?
Answer: Why not?
The event was a great opportunity to talk about women’s freedom to do sex work and to also ask questions about why men pay for it — and I stand behind both topics. Jillian Lauren described the subject of men and feminism as the only taboo left in that particular setting. So all the more reason to speak up. The Hustler event on May 13 left out the subject of what gets women hot. You know … things like sexual agency, pleasure, feminist ethical sluttiness … but that’s a question for another radical day.
Thanks to all who came out for this record-breaking event. Word has it this was the largest turn-out yet for the In the Flesh Reading Series: L.A. That’s really saying something! And much appreciation to Stan Kent for spinning some righteous tunes and for being an all-around gracious and organized host. See you next time.
Crossposted at http://shiratarrant.com
The one, the only Daphne Uviller (who coedited Only Child with me) had a great piece in yesterday’s City Section of the NYTimes — part of the series “Her Tales of the City”. Daph’s essay is a great lead in to her latest book, a novel called Super in the City
(YOU GO, COED!)
I’ll be teaching next at Woodhull’s Raise Your Voice: Non-fiction Writers’ Retreat. If you haven’t been to one of these and have wanted to, here’s your next chance!
WHEN: Friday, May 29 at 12:00pm – Sunday, May 31 at 6:00pm
WHERE: Ancramdale, NY
WHAT I’M TEACHING THERE (the third person description):
How to write a book proposal: In this module, instructor Deborah Siegel will teach the group how to take a subject about which they are passionate and generate from it an exciting, marketable, serious non-fiction book proposal. She will cover the proposal itself, the chapter outline, the bio, and the marketing section. (This module, like the op-ed and the feature article, simply expand and develop the core skills of the outline section). Deborah will then walk the participants through the cycle of submission to an agent; the agent’s submission of the proposal to multiple houses; the bidding process; the signing of the contract; the writing cycle; the editing and copy editing and fact checking cycle; the publishing cycle and the publicity phase of the hardback non-fiction book. She will show participants what the common mistakes are that writers make in crafting book proposals and will demonstrate the difference between an unpublishable and a highly commercial book proposal both of which are based on an identical subject.
To see more details and sign up, click here, or follow the Facebook link:http://www.facebook.com/n/?event.php&eid=76369983156&mid=77cad7G1e120b00G1ae0659G7
