Who gets to celebrate independence today?
I am not celebrating my country's independence today. The history of the United States horrifies me. The atrocities committed by ‘the greatest nation in the world,’ even before it was…
Creating Hope One Girl at a Time
When she walked into the room, my first thought was, ‘How can all that fierce determination fit inside such a tiny young woman?’ She began to speak—slowly, deliberately, with patience,…
We Will Not Go Back
I often wonder how different my life would have been if the Equal Rights Amendment had been ratified instead of falling three states short in 1982. I bet I wouldn’t…
Girls and Women Matter, Especially During a Pandemic
I haven’t written a blog post about women’s issues since February, because, well, Covid. During a worldwide health crisis, other issues tend to take a back seat. To date, millions…
Violence Against Women Doesn’t Stop When the Government Shuts Down
~24 people per minute are victims of intimate violence—more than 12 million people per year~ The fact that the Violence Against Women Act expired when the government shut down…
Wangari Maathai
The ‘little, little grassroots people’ can change this world
“You raise your consciousness to a level where you feel that you must do the right thing, because it is the only right thing to do.” ~ Wangari Maathai…
The Center Will Not Hold
Over the years, as a teacher of women writers, and as a woman writer myself, I have taught and written about countless women, their lives, and their works. I don’t…
Don’t Let Doctors Dismiss You
It has happened to me three times prior to this most recent incident—three times that I vividly remember. I imagine there have been other incidents over the years.…