Just a quick one this morning–had to share this article by Alissa Quart, appearing in tomorrow’s NYTimes Magazine, called “When Girls Will Be Boys.”

And I feel like a kid in a candy store. Having never gone to journalism school, this conference I’m at is like a speed education. Will report more Monday, when I head to Michigan for WomenGirlsLadies speaking engagements.

Speaking of, if in Michigan next week, do come say hi:

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

Wishing everyone a happy Friday, and a wonderful weekend!

I have to say, traveling to Kansas City this week was an eye opener. I learned many things, among them this: In Kansas, nutso Fred Phelps (head of Topeka’s Westboro Baptist Church) is still spearheading protests at the funerals of fallen soldiers across the country, saying that their deaths are “divine retribution” for U.S. tolerance of homosexuality.

Sorry Fred, we’re just not seeing the connection.

Kansas legislators are trying to pass a law that would ban protests within 150 feet of a funeral for one hour before and two hours after a service. And here I thought, with all the hoopla around Spitzer, that we had problems in NYC.

In this week’s Newsweek cover package (“Hear Her Roar: Gender, Class, and Hillary Clinton), Tina Brown reports on the euphoria at the Columbus Anthanaeum when the primary results for Ohio started coming in: “They were raising the roof along with the band to the old 1965 McCoys hit ‘Hang on Sloopy.'” A number of other women writers weigh in with their observations, punditry, and advice. Two zingers that struck me as funny:

Kathleen Deveny on being fed up with ambient sexism and friends who refer to Hillary as a scold: “[F]orgive me if I’m feeling a little shrewish myself these days. From now on, if you want to call the first woman to win a Democratic primary a bitch in front of me, you’d better be Tina Fey.”

Advice from Monica Crowley, a McCain supporter: “Clinton should…reach out to Obama’s core constituencies–black voters, the young, higher earners, and those with college degrees. Her message: ‘I forgive your fliration with the Hope Guy, but now it’s time to come home to Mommy.'”

Interesting little sidenote: the “My Turn” essay in this particular issue is by male ballet dancer”Sascha Radetsky and is called alled “Don’t Judge Me By My Tights.”

So I return from my traveling bubble to find headlines here ablaze, of course, with Eliot Spitzer (why can’t these powerful men just keep it in their pants?) and Geraldline Ferraro’s comments about Barack Obama (why oh why). Meanwhile, The Guardian reports this morning that for the first time, the four key members of the Treasury committee that is working with chancellor Alistair Darling to shape the budget are women. The article begins with a cutesy little zinger:

“After Blair’s babes, meet Darling’s darlings.”

Guess the US ain’t the only one with issues around women taking charge. You’d think they’d be used to it, with all those queens. The rest of the piece is great, but why must we start with babes and darlings, I ask. Sigh. I was really enjoying my temporary news blackout yesterday.

Yep, I’m in the Show Me State today, back in my native Midwest. I’m giving a talk tonight (“Who Framed Feminism? Popularizing Rhetorics Across Generations”) at 7pm at Pierson Auditorium at the UMKC University Center. If anywhere nearby and in the mood for feminism tonight, come out and say hi! I’m also doing a “Making It Pop: Translating Your Research for Trade” workshop from 2-4pm in the Alumni Room over there.

Loved meeting one of my hosts last night, Kathy Krause, along with faculty members Jane Greer in English and Jenny in Psychology. And Kansas City is my new favorite town. Who knew?! Well, the folks who live here certainly do.

Meanwhile, I’ve been reading up on what’s going on in the state, feministically speaking, and found this little gem, via my beloved feministing of course: “The Missouri legislature wants to reclassify mifepristone — the drug used in medical abortions — as a Schedule I controlled substance, a classification for drugs with ‘a high potential for abuse and no medicinal value.'” Oh dear. Read more over at Ms.

The Independent Women’s Forum finally responds to that woman-hating oped by Charlotte Allen that ran in The Washington Post. (Allen was later ID-ed by Katha Pollitt in her lively takedown as associated with the IWF; she used to work there.) Writes IWF’s Carrie Lukas:

I agree with the critiques that she took it too far (and lost me on the humor), particularly with the ending: “Then we could shriek and swoon and gossip and read chick lit to our hearts’ content and not mind the fact that way down deep, we are . . . kind of dim.”

Allen responded to the furious response to her piece in a live question-and-answer session at the Post, and feministing posted some highlights. I loved the questions, including this one:

“Can I have some of whatever wacky antifeminist week that you’re smoking?”

Hehe. Sing it sister.

In case you missed it, Emily Bazelton offers a reality check in “Hormones, Genes and the Corner Office,” her NYTimes review of Susan Pinker’s new book, The Sexual Paradox: Men, Women, and the Real Gender Gap. Bazelton begins with the question: “Why do girls on average lead boys for all their years in the classroom, only to fall behind in the workplace? Do girls grow up and lose their edge, while boys mature and gain theirs?” She goes on to critique Pinker’s answer–which, basically, sounds like a version of biological difference feminism. Some snippets from Bazelton’s review:

Because of their biological makeup, [Pinker] argues, most women want to limit the amount of time they spend at work and to find “inherent meaning” there, as opposed to domination. “Both conflict with making lots of money and rising through the ranks,” she points out. Pinker is surely right to contest what she calls the “vanilla male model” of success — “that women should want what men want and be heartily encouraged to choose it 50 percent of the time.” Or that when employers say jump, employees should always say how high. Even as they work fewer hours for less status and less money, on average, more women report that they are satisfied with their careers. Maybe men might well think the same if more of them felt they could cut back. But Pinker’s difference feminism doesn’t really allow for that possibility. She is a believer: “The puzzle is why the idea of sex differences continues to be so controversial,” she writes.

Bazelton concludes that “In her zeal, Pinker veers to the onesided.” To wit:

She doesn’t acknowledge that some of the research cited in her footnotes is either highly questionable as social science (Louise Story’s 2005 article in The New York Times, for instance, about her survey of Ivy League women’s aspirations)….Pinker omits the work of scientists who have shown that sex-based brain differences pale in comparison to similarities. We shouldn’t wish the role of sex differences away because they’re at odds with feminist dogma. But that doesn’t mean we should settle for the reductionist version of the relevant science, even if the complexity doesn’t make for as neat a package between hard covers.

Ah yes, that old bugaboo called EVIDENCE. Of course, since I’m a junkie for pop writing on sex and feminism, and since Pinker uses the word “Extreme Men” and I’m dying to know what she means by the term, I’ll find my way to this book and will let you know if I agree with Bazelton’s take, or if there’s more there of interest from which we can learn. But on many levels, it sounds like one those looking for fact-based analysis might veer elsewhere.

An endorsement from Christina Hoff Sommers kind of confirms it for me. Sommers lauds the book thusly:

“Susan Pinker’s The Sexual Paradox is meticulously researched, brilliantly argued and thoroughly persuasive. It moves the debate over sex differences to a new level of sophistication.” — Christina Hoff Sommers, author of Who Stole Feminism? and The War Against Boys

Oh boy.

While I’m on it, thought I’d post an updated list of where I’ll be giving workshops, too. Thanks, as always, for spreading word! And hope to see some of you there, soon!

As always, there a full listing available at:
http://www.deborahsiegel.net/events.htm

March 28-29 – Writing a Book Proposal That Sells
Women and Media (WAM!) Conference
Cambridge, MA
More info: http://www.centerfornewwords.org/wam/

April 7 – Breaking into Anthology Writing
MediaBistro
NYC
More info: http://www.mediabistro.com/courses/cache/crs3683.asp

April 13, 17 – Finding Your Subject, Finding Your Voice: A Seminar in Personal Nonfiction
Woodhull Institute for Ethical Leadership
NYC
More info: http://www.woodhull.org/classes/

April 25-26 – What You Should Know about Blogging and Why
Council on Contemporary Families Conference
University of IL, Chicago
More info: http://www.contemporaryfamilies.org/

I’ve been really moved reading the comments and emails posted in response to Courtney and my oped (“Come Together? Yes We Can”) in The Washington Post yesterday–everything from “This primary fight is breaking my heart” to ” I am so glad to read what I have been thinking,” and even the occasional “WTF” and “dream on,” as it puts me in touch with the various perspectives out there and gives me a sense of what we (as in we Dems) are up against.

The same week our oped appeared, an essay by Jessica Valenti titled “The Sisterhood Split” appeared in The Nation, and Gloria Feldt responded over at Heartfeldt, “What’s That about a Sisterhood Split?” For more, see also an article by Jennifer Wells in The Globe and Mail, “Battle Lines Harden on the Gender Front”.

Clearly, there’s a hunger for discussion! Gloria, Courtney, Kristal Brent Zook, and I are taking the conversation on the road this month with what I’ve been tongue-in-cheek calling the intergenerational feminist roadshow (otherwise known as “WomenGirlsLadies: A FRESH Conversation Across Generations”*). There’s one event in there (March 14 @ Eastern Michigan University) where Courtney and I can’t make it, and we’re delighted and honored to have Hannah Seligson and Paula Kamen speaking in our stead.

I’m posting our March events below, along with talks I’m giving on Sisterhood Interrupted this month too. A thousand thanks for spreading word, and def come say hi if you’re there!

March 11 @ University of Missouri, Kansas City (Sisterhood, Interrupted)

March 14 @ Eastern Michigan University (WomenGirlsLadies)

March 17 @ Central Michigan University (WomenGirlsLadies)

March 18 @ Eastern Michigan University, Central Michigan University (WomenGirlsLadies)

March 26 @ Lafayette College, PA (Sisterhood, Interrupted)

March 27 @ New School (Feminist Generations/Feminist Locations with Ann Snitow, Meredith Tax, me, Cleopatra Lamothe, and Ercia Reade)

April 18 @ Harvard University (WomenGirlsLadies)

*WomenGirlsLadies will be booking throughout 2008. To book an engagement, please contact Taryn Kutujian at taryn.kutujian@gmail.com.