Katherine Miller's Blog, page 3

A small part of women’s history

I met Nan last fall when she took the initiative to start a book club in my condo building. On that first Thursday afternoon, we nibbled on snacks, sipped wine, and got to know each other a bit before starting our discussion of Unbroken. I was talking to Nan about my book project involving women journalists in the era of Women’s Liberation. “I had a small part of that history,” she told me. “The first National Organization for Women meeting in Kitsap County was held in my house.”

This was a s...

An International Gathering of Women, 1965

[image error]Last Sunday was International Women’s Day. In checking up on the history of the event, I discovered that its first observation was in 1909 in New York – organized by the Socialist Party of America. Socialists and Communists continued the commemorations for many years with strikes and sometimes days off for women. It wasn’t until 1977 that the adoption of March 8 as the United Nations Day for women’s rights and world peace made the day a popular event beyond its communist and socialist roots.

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Internet Trolls and Patricia Arquette

In May of 1966, Marie Anderson, women’s editor of the Miami Herald, received a letter from an angry reader. It began politely enough (“Dear Miss Anderson”) then moved quickly to the point:[image error]

It is people like yourself who are making it so easy for the government to take over even the smallest details of our lives. With your permission; and the governments; I will assume full responsibility for the training of my 14-year-old daughter!!

The next few paragraphs (starting with “I am so enraged” and...

#amwriting

I’ve been pretty busy lately. I’m commuting between Tacoma, Washington and Phoenix for my final semester of teaching at ASU. I’m in the middle of my term as editor for a major journal in the communication discipline. I’m working with five doctoral students as they take their comprehensive exams and write dissertations. I’m preparing for travel to talk about my scholarship at another university. I’m selling a condo, caring for my kittens, and trying not to neglect the yoga practice I’ve come t...

Birthday greetings, Seminar rooms, and Walter

U.S. newspaper headlines on January 13, 2015 were about continuing investigations into the terrorist attack at Charlie Hedbo office, about the dim prospect for immigration reform, and about early political maneuvering in the 2016 presidential race. My personal headlines for the day were a bit different. “Kathy turns 56 today.” “First day of final teaching semester commences.” “My friend Walter dies in College Station, Texas.”

The national headlines highlighted the ways in which we are increas...