Just saw this over at Feministing and wanted to spread word:

On Monday, Yes Means Yes co-editors Jessica Valenti and Jaclyn Friedman will be livechatting on Feministing with contributors Miriam, Samhita and Cara from the Curvature and Feministe about the book.

The chat begins at 3 pm EST, here and, as all things Feministing, promises to be lively!

Buy the book, here.

And if a GWP reader would like to review it, please do email me, here: deborah (at) girlwpen (dot) com .

Today, another bookish post from the awesome Allison McCarthy!  Enjoy.  -Deborah

My knowledge of Isadora Duncan was previously limited to what I had learned in college, which is to say that I recalled a few vague details delivered in a 200-level dance/theater course.  Although there were no assigned textbooks in that class, I probably would have loved a class discussion on Sabrina Jones’ new graphic novel, Isadora Duncan: A Graphic Biography. At the very least, I’d have paid more attention.

Jones covers both the major milestones and the smaller details of Duncan’s life, career and love affairs.  From an early age, Duncan explicitly rejected traditional forms of dance like ballet in search of a looser, more natural technique based on, of all things, her study of how the ocean crests and waves.  Known by admirers as “the barefoot dancer,” Duncan is famous for her groundbreaking performances and free-spirited approach to touring; she danced in Soviet Russia, as well as all over the U.S. and Europe, eventually founding multiple schools for young women to learn her methods.  Throughout the book’s 125 pages, Jones effectively captures Duncan’s fanciful dance movements with precise, dazzling black-and-white illustrations.

Although Duncan never explicitly identified as a feminist, it’s clear that Jones views her as one: in the typical shorthand style of graphic artists, she recounts Duncan’s financial savvy, high level of education and her independence of thought, including her forays with the male intellectual elites of her time (F. Scott Fitzgerald, François-Auguste-René Rodin, and Abraham Walkowitz are among the most distinguished in her circle of friends).  Her detractors labeled her as a “Bolshevik hussy,” yet Duncan never once censored her art, opting instead to find new venues and audiences who would embrace her challenging works.  Entangled in several passionate affairs, Duncan ignored the nay-saying of her family and actively pursued younger men, older men, and other heterosexual relationships that were often seen as controversial in the early twentieth century.  Equally unconcerned with her society’s imposed duality of being a dancer and mother, Duncan was both, even in the face of enormous tragedy that includes the death of her two children in a tragic accident and the stillbirth of her third child.

The reading level of the book says ages 9-12, so older readers may breeze through the bold illustrations more quickly than the intended audience will.  This may also explain the tepid nature of the novel’s love scenes.  Unlike 2007’s Dangerous Woman: The Graphic Biography of Emma Goldman by Sharon Rudahl, Jones includes no nudity or adult language, which leaves some scenes with a softened, YA-romance feel rather than a mature rendering of Duncan’s oft-discussed sexuality.  Overall, however, this book presents a fascinating account of Isadora Duncan’s life and earns a strong position in the growing canon of literary graphic novels.

–Allison McCarthy

Obama Signs Equal Pay Act. Some pictures speak louder than words, so I’ll just leave it at that.

(Do all women on the Hill wear red?!)

There’s been a huge spike in the number of SAHDs (stay-at-home-dads, for those not in the know). From 2003-2006, the number actually rose a full 62%–that’s really high! And this was before the current tsunami of layoffs. I’d be so curious to see what that number is now.

Jumping on the trend, yesterday The Today Show featured a segment called “The New Face of Mr. Mom.” Some good stuff, but my question is this: When will a SAHD become something other than a “Mr. Mom”? You can watch the video here and see what you think (and let me know!):

Why does the New York Times keep printing stories about gender relations in the wake of layoff that make me want to throw up?

The latest (thank you, Shira!): “It’s the Economy, Girlfriend.” Some snippets, so that you can consider barfing, between the tears, too:

Once it was seen as a blessing in certain circles to have a wealthy, powerful partner who would leave you alone with the credit card while he was busy brokering deals. Now, many Wall Street wives, girlfriends and, increasingly, exes, are living the curse of cutbacks in nanny hours and reservations at Masa or Megu. And that credit card? Canceled.

Raoul Felder, the Manhattan divorce lawyer, said that cases involving financiers always stack up as the economy starts to slip, because layoffs and shrinking bonuses place stress on relationships — and, he said, because “there aren’t funds or time for mistresses any more.”

The article goes on, but you get the point.

You could say I’m bitter because I live in New York and have never eaten at (nor even heard of) Masa or Megu.  But as I’ve said before, and as I firmly believe, loss is relative.  That’s not what bothers me about this piece.

Here’s what bothers me: Among other things, aren’t women on Wall Street also losing their jobs? And are all the women in Manhattan who date bankers as shallow as the women profiled in this article? I think NOT (and personally, I know quite a few–but then, most of the ones I know are bankers themselves, too).

So why, then, must we continue to be treated to stories about how the elite are suffering by cutting back on their Botox?  Aren’t there more pressing stories to tell?

Regardless, and as a bit of a tangent, here’s where it gets a little more interesting.  My favorite tidbit from the article?  The fact that a number of these Wall Street widows have gotten together and created a blog, Dating A Banker Anonymous (DABA).  From the site’s description:

Are you or someone you love dating a banker? If so, we are here to support you through these difficult times. Dating A Banker Anonymous (DABA) is a safe place where women can come together – free from the scrutiny of feminists– and share their tearful tales of how the mortgage meltdown has affected their relationships.

As a scrutinizing feminist, I confess to enjoying the frivolity, humor, and enterprising spirit of the site.  Some of it also makes me rather queasy, as I think it’s intended to do.  But check it out for yourself.  Whatever else it is, it’s highly over the top.

Following on the heels of Virginia’s post from yesterday, I just saw this Reuters article (“Job Losses Hitting Men Harder Than Women”) about how the economic crisis is hitting men much harder than women in the workplace, largely because male-dominated industries like construction and transportation are bearing the brunt of job losses, figures show.

Women, meanwhile, dominate sectors that are still growing, like government and healthcare.

But I have to ask: Are articles like these minimizing the recession’s effects on women?  What about the hard times for women seeking to re-enter the workforce because hubby just got laid off?   When calculating unemployment, do you count the number of jobs lost or jobs unfound?  I’m not an economist and I’m SO not into playing the recession oppression Olympics here, believe me, but Linda Hirshman had an interesting take on it all in Slate the other week and I just wanted to share.

I joined the Board of the Council on Contemporary Families this year, and we are currently soliciting nominations for the 2008 Media Awards for Outstanding Coverage of Family Issues, so if you’re a journalist and published something you’re particularly proud of in 2008, please read on!

Submissions are due Friday, February 6, and the form is at the bottom of this post.

This will be our Seventh Annual Media Awards competition, honoring outstanding journalism that contributes to the public understanding of contemporary family issues, in particular the story behind the story: how diverse families are coping with social and economic change; what they need to flourish; and how these needs can best be met.

The Council will present three awards for outstanding coverage of family issues during 2008:
*      two for journalism in text form (print- or web-based); and
*      one for broadcast journalism (audio or video)

The awards will be presented at the 12th Annual CCF Conference on Friday, April 17th, in Chicago, Illinois. (I’ll be there!)  Check out the conference program.  It’s pretty amazing.

Winners will receive up to $500 towards travel expenses (depending on employers’ contributions). At the plenary session where awards are presented, winners are invited to speak for five minutes on emerging issues affecting American families and how CCF members and supporters can help the media cover these stories effectively.

Here’s more schpiel:

CCF recognizes that America needs a balanced national conversation about the cultural, legal, and psychological issues that shape both private life and public policy. Essential partners in this process are the reporters and producers who present complicated family issues in their broader social context.

Past winners include journalists from USA Today, Time magazine, the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Bergen Record (New Jersey), WUFT/WJUF-FM, Thirteen/WNET, AlterNet, the Associated Press and many other organizations. Subject matter has ranged from the effect of the AIDS epidemic on children in South Florida to hunger in Oklahoma and the role of religion in American family life. You can read about last year’s winners here.

Nomination: Writers, editors, and producers may self-nominate; CCF members are also encouraged to submit nominations.

Criteria: Submissions must draw on traditional journalistic techniques of interview, observation and documentation. Opinion pieces are not eligible.

Work must have been published, broadcast, or posted during calendar year 2008.
*         Video and radio submissions must not exceed 30 minutes.
*         Written submissions must not exceed 2000 words; excerpts are acceptable.
*         A series that covers a particular issue over time is eligible.

Please complete and submit the nomination form below, along with copies of the print, audio, or broadcast clips under consideration.

Winners will be notified by Monday, March 16, 2009. The Media Awards will be presented on Friday, April 17th at 5:30 p.m., at the Council on Contemporary Families 12th Annual Conference at the University of Illinois-Chicago in Chicago, Illinois. Winners are invited to attend the entire conference in full. We urge
winners to accept their awards in person.

How CCF assists journalists

The Council on Contemporary Families helps keep journalists informed of new and notable research findings on family-related issues via the CCF Network. If you would like to join the network, please email Stephanie Coontz, Director of Research and Public Education, at coontzs@msn.com.

Here’s the submission form:
*************************************************************
Council on Contemporary Families
7th Annual Media Awards
Nomination Form

Deadline for entries: Friday, February 6, 2009
Winners will be notified by Monday, March 16.
Award presentations in Chicago, IL, on Friday, April 17, 2009

Please complete the form below and submit it – online and printed out and mailed – with five sets of the relevant tear sheets, CDs or DVDs to: Ashton Applewhite, Chair, CCF Media Committee, 74 North 7th Street, Brooklyn, N.Y. 11211; applewhite@earthlink.net.

NAME:

POSITION:

MEDIA OUTLET:

MAILING ADDRESS:

WEBSITE ADDRESS:

E-mail:

Daytime telephone:

WORK(S) FOR CONSIDERATION FOR THIS AWARD:

Please list titles & dates. If there is any contextual information that you think would be useful, please provide it here.

1. ………..

2. ……….

3. ………

4. ………

5. ……….

Those of you who know me know that Daphne Uviller is my beloved friend/sister-type whose backyard I got married in and who coedited the anthology Only Child with me.  So it brings me HUGE pleasure to spread word this morning about Daphne’s new novel, Super in the City, which goes on sale TODAY.

I seriously love this book, and not just because Daphne is my friend.  A comic mystery about a young woman who becomes the superintendent of her parents’ Greenwich Village brownstone, Super is, well, super. Publishers Weekly called it “…gleefully unpretentious… undoubtedly smarter and funnier than most other girls-in-the-city novels,” and Kirkus called Super “a funny, enjoyable caper.” The lovely and talented Elizabeth Gilbert christened it “intelligent candy.”  But find out for yourself. You can buy Super on Amazon and wherever books are sold.

For those in NYC, join me at Daphne’s readings, which you can learn about here.

A confession: I was so geeky excited about this friendlaunch that I took myself to the Border’s at Columbus Circle last night to see if the book was on the shelves.  And there it was, smack on the New Paperbacks table, as pictured here. When a friend as dear as Daphne publishes a book, it’s nearly as fun as when it’s my own.

Actually, maybe moreso.

Twice the fun and half the fret?!

(Congrats, my coed, YOU DID IT!!!!!!)

For all those as intrigued as I was by the sexyhot cover of the NYTimes magazine this weekend, do check out GWP’s own Jacqueline Hudak’s review of the work of one of the researchers profiled in the cover story. Jacqueline’s “Heteroflexibility” can be found here. I admit, I haven’t yet finished the Times article, but for a critique of it, see Tracy Clark-Flory at Broadsheet, “Narcissism: The Secret to Women’s Sexuality!”

Just went up over at AlterNet: Will Creativity Become a Victim of the Economy?

This is the layoff that just keeps giving–writing-wise, at least 🙂

Have a good weekend, everyone!