With Courage and Common Sense: Memoirs from the Older Women's Legacy Circles

by Liz Carpenter, Dayna Finet

Women who were sixty or older at the turn of the twenty-first century have lived through some of recent history's most momentous moments—and yet these women often believe that their personal lives and stories are insignificant, not worthy of being recorded for future generations. To change that perception and capture some of these life stories before they are lost, the Story Circle Network, a national organization dedicated to helping women write about their lives, developed the Older Women's Legacy (OWL) Circle Memoir Workshops. During the first two years of the project (1998-2000), nearly 500 older women participated in workshops that offered them the opportunity and encouragement to reflect on and create written records of their lives. With Courage and Common Sense presents an extensive selection of memoirs from the OWL Circle project. Organized thematically, they describe women's experiences of identity, place, work, family life, love and marriage, loss and healing, adventures great and small, major historical events, and legacies to keep and pass along. Taken as a whole, the memoirs chronicle far-reaching changes in the ways that women participated in the world during the twentieth century. They show how women learned to surmount obstacles, to courageously make the most of the opportunities that came their way, and to move quietly and wisely beyond the limits that were imposed upon them.

222 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2003

About the author

Elizabeth "Liz" Sutherland Carpenter was a writer, feminist, former reporter, media advisor, speechwriter, political humorist, and public relations expert. Carpenter stood at the forefront of the Women's Movement when it began and never wavered from her platform. Her projects and causes ranged from supporting high tech to fighting cancer. Often called the "funniest woman in politics", she was in demand as a public speaker until her death.

Reviews

[Dante Gabriel Hookey]

Such a beautiful book, rich with stories of women’s histories from Texas & beyond, stories, as a young human & an immigrant to Texas, I couldn’t even imagine! A real treasure, especially if you’re anywhere near ‘young’, the experiences in here are so eye opening. I only wish I could know some of these women in person!

[Colleen]

Lovely, thoughtful, poignant and steeped in American storytelling and history. A book that must be shared with kind, thoughtful women.