This weekend completed my 3-month training as part of the first class of Progressive Women’s Voices at the Women’s Media Center. I can’t say enough good things about this program, but suffice it to say that I’ve LOVED being a part of its charter class. A highlight this weekend was hearing Code Pink’s Jodie Evans, who is also a WMC Board Member, reflect on her own experience with the media as a grassroots activist. Jodie seeks always to be “provocative and distinctive” in her voice. She blogs to get noticed by radio, and actually does radio–different programs–one hour each day, which makes for excellent practice. She makes a point of always telling a story, and gets very personal and very real, as that, in the end, is what moves people.

I was personally so moved by Jodie that I went up and hugged her at the end (and I have no idea whether she’s a hugger, whoops). Her authenticity was so apparent, it was hard not to be moved. I asked her how she maintains that kind of genuine performance in front of a camera, as I have a FAR easier time connecting with audiences in person, and even with a radio host, but shine that camera on me and I generally go rigid inside. Her response: “Practice getting naked on camera. Practice practice practice. And get out of your own way. Remember, you’re not speaking for yourself, you’re speaking for others who can’t be there.” Wise words, truly.

Jodie also spoke of her personal goals, and the importance of waking up other women to use their own voices, and of moving the person closest to her, so she can then move the person closest to her. She reminded us all not to get stuck in the “I’m right, you’re wrong” space, and to carry emotion (ie anger) in your body but not in your voice when on the air.

I’m excited for those taking part in the second class of Progressive Women’s Voices and look forward to joining them. And keep an eye out for Code Pink after April 15 (Tax Day), as they’ve got a very hot message brewing. That’s all I’ll say…for now!

I’m so struck with the footage that keeps looping over and over today, from the Lorraine Motel. And with the remembrances coming through the cables, bloglines, and wires. So many, but I wanted to share these three rather poignant ones:

Addie Stan
Reuben Jackson
Kai Wright

Tonight at 7PM, Kathleen Sweeney–who I enjoyed meeting at WAM! last weekend–will be reading from her new book, Maiden USA: Girl Icons Come of Age here in NYC at Bluestockings. Sweeney, a girls studies scholar, charts the pantheon of new girl icons that have surfaced in the past 15 years. From the book’s description:

“Maiden USA explores images of powerful, contradictory pop culture icons of the past decade, which run the gamut from Mean Girls and their Endangered Victims to Superheroines and Ingenue Goddesses. Are girls of the Title IX generation in need of Internet protection, or are they Supergirls evolving beyond gender stereotypes to rescue us all?”

The book provides an overview of girl trends since the ’90s including the emergence of girls’ digital media-making and self-representation venues on MySpace, Facebook and YouTube as the newest wave of Girl Power. With brainiacs and athletic champions offered as antidotes to mean girls and lolitas, and with the emergence of self-representation venues on the internet, what is the significance of such contradictory imagery for the culture at large? Sweeney will address this question and also show animations created by teenage girls from across the country. FUN!!

Yep, I’m looking for an intern to begin work 5-10 hours/week starting between now and May and ending in August. Primary responsibilities will entail:
• pitching talks and workshops to campuses and organizations for Fall 2008
• organizing content for a new website (comfort with WordPress, or willingness to learn, a plus!)

For the first month, compensation will be hourly. Changing to a commission-based payment arrangement will be considered during month two (in other words, the intern could receive a percentage of the fee received for any talk or workshop that she books for me for the Fall).

Qualifications:
• strong writing skills a must
• aggressive outreach skills (email, phone)
• meticulous follow-up ability
• familiarity with Excel spreadsheet
• availability to meet by phone once/week and in person in NYC once/month

Perks:
• networking networking networking!
• opportunity to guest post regularly on Girl w/ Pen
• all work will be done off-site/remotely
• great for someone interested in PR, marketing, book promotion, feminist organizations, women’s studies, the writing/speaking circuit

If interested, please send cover note and resume to me directly at girlwpen@yahoo.com. (To learn more about the kinds of talks and workshops, you can read more about my work over at www.deborahsiegel.net.)

This just in, via Ann Friedman:

The American Prospect’s Writing Fellows Program offers young journalists the opportunity to spend two full years at the magazine in Washington, D.C., actively developing, practicing, and honing their journalistic skills. Each Fellow will write between three and four full-length feature articles. Fellows will also regularly write shorter, online pieces and blog daily for TAPPED.

The Fellows are expected and encouraged to write for other publications, build relationships with editors and reporters, and establish rapport with contacts at think tanks and in academia. The goal is to ensure that, once the fellowship is completed, Fellows will have developed the relationships, track record, and credibility (and clips!) to launch themselves as respected young journalists. Past Prospect Writing Fellows have gone on to work and write for The New York Times, The New Republic, The Nation, The Atlantic, Slate, Salon, Mother Jones, Newsweek, The Boston Globe and many other publications.

People of color and women are strongly encouraged to apply; they are committed to a diverse workplace, and to support their people with ongoing career development opportunities.

But hurry! The next deadline for applications for the writing fellowship is May 1, 2008 (postmarked), and the application package is pretty involved. Please contact Emily Parsons with any questions at eparsons@prospect.org.

A few weeks back I threw up a call for regular guest bloggers here on GWP, and I’m THRILLED to announce that you’ve taken me up on it! I’ll be introducing you to our regulars one by one soon, but I want to whet your appetite by sharing the news that Laura Mazer, editor at Counterpoint Press (and formerly at Seal Press), will soon be posting a regular feature called “Ask the Editor.”

Laura is a font of publishing wisdom–I learn every time I listen to her–and this is your chance to ask her anything you’ve been wanting to know but had no one to ask. Ok, I’ll start. First question for Laura: “What is it about a good book proposal that *really* turns you on?” (Laura’s response, coming soon!)

I had one of those rare opportunities to meet a living legend last night: Jane Fonda. When I told my dad, earlier in the day, that I’d be meeting her, he excitedly reminded me that he’d taken part in the Concerned Officers Movement, a non-sanctioned network of commissioned officers, including some psychiatrists, when he was in the Navy during Vietnam. I grew up with his stories about his visits to the ships, his work in the hospital, and how he was able to really help some of the sailors, and I felt proud.

Sitting in a room full of women listening to Jane Fonda read from her memoir (My Life So Far) and then field questions about life, hope, and activism, I felt pride in a woman I had no claim to feel so personally proud of. But proud is what I felt. Proud, perhaps, just to know that there are humans like her. And wishing that this current war had a Jane Fonda, too. (Jodie Evans, of CodePink, was among those at the event, and I salute her here as well.)

And just a note to Girl Sailor, my blogging connection to the military and to the brave and heartfelt perspective of a female soldier: I feel proud of you too.

Ok, am signing off, before I get too verklempt here this morning. But I’ll just say this: it’s so easy to get hardened in this crazy faraway town called NYC, and listening to Jane opens that part of your heart that lets a lot of feeling in, and makes you want to change the world. Again and again and again.

For Purse Pundit’s take on the evening, click here. And gratitude to the WMC for facilitating the evening.

And the Depressing Fact of the Day award goes to this:

As reported in the LA Times on Monday, Rapists in the Rank, women serving in the U.S. military are more likely to be raped by a fellow soldier than killed by enemy fire in Iraq.

WTF. I have nothing more to say.

(Image cred)

Last week was Jewesses Who Rock (literally) Week on Jewess Blog. Check it out! And speaking of, this week marks the 113th anniversary — (“centennial + bat mitzvah!”) — of the launch issue of The American Jewess, the first English-language publication directed to American Jewish women. Writes Rebecca Honig Friedman with backup from the Jewish Women’s Archive Staff:

I had big fun meeting Nancy Gruver (pictured left) this weekend, at the WAM! conference. Nancy is the genius behind the print mag New Moon: The Magazine for Girls and Their Dreams–which has recently relaunched as New Moon Girl Media, “an international girls’ empowerment company dedicated to bringing girls’ voices to the world.”

As my gal Julia Barry (of In Her Image fame) tells me, they’ve now launched a growth plan to reach a wider age-range and global demographic of girls, which includes LunaVida, an online club for girls aged 8-12, and orb28.com, the web community for and by girls aged 13-15+. These are girl-only, ad-free environments where girls can be themselves, share their creativity, connect with other girls, and get accurate information on issues they care about. Meanwhile, for grown-up girls (and grown-up boys), founder Nancy hosts a blog on the site called the Parent’s/Adult Blog.

Congrats to all over there, and how wonderful it’s been watching New Moon grow from sliver to full moon. I remember when the magazine first pubbed in the early ’90s, and how tempted I was to quit what I was doing and go work for ya’ll.

(PS. We’re experiencing minor font difficulty over here–should be back to normal soon! – GWP)