INTRODUCTIONS

[Gitte]

Hello - I'm Gitte from Copenhagen. Dan invited me to join this group and I'm very excited about it!

I'm an avid reader and blogger (The Bookworm's Closet), and did my master thesis on women's role in marriage through the years as expressed in literature.

I'm looking forward to group reads and discussions!

[[deleted user]]

Gitte wrote: "Hello - I'm Gitte from Copenhagen. Dan invited me to join this group and I'm very excited about it!

I'm an avid reader and blogger (The Bookworm's Closet), and did my master thesis on women's role..."

Velkommen Gitte! We look forward to your participation! Great having you here.

[Gitte]

Mal wrote: "Gitte wrote: "Hello - I'm Gitte from Copenhagen. Dan invited me to join this group and I'm very excited about it!

I'm an avid reader and blogger (The Bookworm's Closet), and did my master thesis o..."

Mange tak :-) (Thank you)

[[deleted user]]

Gitte wrote: "Mal wrote: "Gitte wrote: "Hello - I'm Gitte from Copenhagen. Dan invited me to join this group and I'm very excited about it!

I'm an avid reader and blogger (The Bookworm's Closet), and did my mas..."

du er velkommen Gitte =)

[Taylor]

Hi all, my name is Stephanie and I'm a big lover of reading, especially books that address feminism - whether fiction or non-fiction. I moderate the FABClub Group where we read books written only by women. We try to cover a variety of genres from science fiction to classics, memoirs and new releases. If that kind of thing interests you then please check it out!

http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/5...

Looking forward to this group :)

[Claire]

Mal wrote: "Claire wrote: "Hi,

Thanks for the invitation :) I'll try and introduce myself a bit. I'm an equalitist at heart. I believe that people are people, regardless of gender or race. I do try to explor..."

Thanks, I hope you enjoy it. And speaking of writing, I better get some done. See you later :)

[Destiny]

Hi everyone and thanks Mal for creating this group. I couldn't agree with you more. I am a steel sculptor, an author, and business woman of the year in my neck of the woods. Always looking for ways to promote and support women. Also looking forward to getting to know you all of you.

[[deleted user]]

Destiny wrote: "Hi everyone and thanks Mal for creating this group. I couldn't agree with you more. I am a steel sculptor, an author, and business woman of the year in my neck of the woods. Always looking for ways..."

Hi Destiny so happy you joined our group! Welcome!

[[deleted user]]

Stephanie wrote: "Hi all, my name is Stephanie and I'm a big lover of reading, especially books that address feminism - whether fiction or non-fiction. I moderate the FABClub Group where we read books written only b..."

Great group! Def check it out. I joined and looking forward to the great bookshelf!

[Karen]

Hello,

My name is Karen Bojar. I am a retired Professor of English and Women's Studies which I taught for many years at Community College of Philadelphia.

I am a longtime feminist activist and served as President of the Philadelphia Chapter of the National Organization for Women from 2001-2009. I continue to be involved in Philadelphia NOW and in Philadelphia grassroots politics. I have written numerous articles on feminist activism as well as Teaching Feminist Activism co-edited with Nancy Naples (Routledge, 2002).

I just published Feminism In Philadelphia: The Glory Years, 1968-1982 which is available at https://www.createspace.com/4191325 and http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_...

See the Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/FeminismInPh...

FEMINISM IN PHILADELPHIA: THE GLORY YEARS, 1968-1982 interweaves the history of feminism in Philadelphia with the broad themes and trajectory of the "second wave" feminist movement. Although second wave feminism is largely remembered in terms of its national leaders, it would never have changed so many hearts and minds, would never have transformed our society without the efforts of so many women in local communities working tirelessly for gender justice.

Recently, much of the original research (rather than analysis and critique of existing narratives) has been found primarily in regional and local histories, such as FEMINISM IN PHILADELPHIA which focuses on the major player, Philadelphia NOW. Although there were other feminist organizations active in Philadelphia in the 1970's, there were none with the influence and staying power of NOW.

An analysis of local NOW chapters reveals a more complex, nuanced picture than that found in the national histories of NOW. NOW chapters around the country varied depending upon the style and priorities of their members with the chapter unit serving as a safety valve for defusing political and personal conflicts. In Philadelphia the ease of forming a new chapter(only ten dues paying members were required) functioned as a vehicle for handling political disagreements as well as personal and racial tensions. African-American women unhappy with Philadelphia NOW's failure to address the interconnections of sexism and racism formed a neighborhood chapter, Germantown NOW in 1980.

Although the stereotype of NOW as primarily a white woman's organization contained more than a grain of truth, many of the stereotypes held about NOW both among the general public and within the feminist movement do not stand up to close scrutiny of the history of many local NOW chapters. Although national NOW was embroiled in conflicts over the degree to which the organization should be a supporter of lesbian rights, the Philadelphia chapter from the very beginning was a staunch, unwavering supporter of lesbian rights and the first NOW chapter to elect an out lesbian as its president.

Another stereotype belied by the historical record is the notion that NOW did not care about opening job opportunities for working class women. A major priority for Philadelphia NOW in the middle 1970's was the struggle to desegregate "non-traditional jobs"- those well paid blue collar jobs traditionally held by men. Philadelphia NOW provided strong, sustained support for NOW member Penelope Brace's long struggle against discrimination in the Philadelphia Police Department.

In addition to documenting and contextualizing the history of Philadelphia NOW, FEMINISM IN PHILADELPHIA explores why NOW in many places was the only feminist advocacy organization remaining in the early 1980's. NOW's emphasis on building a structure which operated on all levels of government contributed to a string of major legislative victories that transformed our society. and clearly played a role in the organization's staying power. By virtue of its geographical proximity to the national NOW office and the personal relationships between Philadelphia activists and the national and state leaders, the history of Philadelphia NOW is very much intertwined with that of the national and state organizations.

In the late 1970's, virtually all sub-units of NOW were focused on the battle for the ERA. As a consequence of the struggle to ratify the ERA and to protect abortion rights, Philadelphia NOW shed its earlier reluctance to get directly involved in electoral politics. The ERA campaign itself became a training ground in the basics of the political process and many NOW members, including several from Philadelphia NOW, considered running for office. After the defeat of the ERA, the heady social movement phase of the feminist movement came to an end, but organized feminism, despite the media predictions of its demise, emerged stronger than ever.

I also write a blog about women and retirement at http://www.the-next-stage.com/

[[deleted user]]

Karen wrote: "Hello,

My name is Karen Bojar. I am a retired Professor of English and Women's Studies which I taught for many years at Community College of Philadelphia.

I am a longtime feminist activist and ..."

Big welcome Karen!!

[CD]

Dan invited me to this group & it looked interesting! I'm currently the only male in our local bookclub. This group looked like a possible good source for material for our club.

Currently most of my other details are in my GR Bio.

[[deleted user]]

CD wrote: "Dan invited me to this group & it looked interesting! I'm currently the only male in our local bookclub.

Currently most of my other details are in my GR Bio."

Happy to have you as a member CD!! Looking forward to your participation. Any suggestions please feel free to let me know.

[Farah]

Hello, my name is Farah. Dan Porter invited me. I can't participate in monthly reads because I can't find most books here in Kuwait. I'm an introvert, I don't talk much. I love reading Contemporary Novels, mostly romance and Mysteries. I love meeting new people.
I apologize if my introduction seems rude, I don't mean to be, I'm just a very awkward person. :)

[[deleted user]]

Farah wrote: "Hello, my name is Farah. Dan Porter invited me. I can't participate in monthly reads because I can't find most books here in Kuwait. I'm an introvert, I don't talk much. I love reading Contemporary..."

Hello Farah! We look forward to your participation. I'm an introvert too :0) Paul Haston's book is available for download free if you are interested. Once again welcome

[Farah]

Mal wrote: "Farah wrote: "Hello, my name is Farah. Dan Porter invited me. I can't participate in monthly reads because I can't find most books here in Kuwait. I'm an introvert, I don't talk much. I love readin..."

Thanks I'll look for it. :)

[Dionne]

Farah wrote: "Hello, my name is Farah. Dan Porter invited me. I can't participate in monthly reads because I can't find most books here in Kuwait. I'm an introvert, I don't talk much. I love reading Contemporary..."
Hi Farah! Nice to meet you. You don't seem rude or awkward at all :).

[Dionne]

Karen wrote: "Hello,

My name is Karen Bojar. I am a retired Professor of English and Women's Studies which I taught for many years at Community College of Philadelphia.

I am a longtime feminist activist and ..."

Hi Karen! How fantastic to have you in this group. I'm certainly going to visit your blog :).

[Liz]

Hi everyone. My name is Liz and I am a historian who studies early America. I am revising my dissertation into a book manuscript, tentative title: America's First Gateway: Albany, N.Y., 1615-1830. The book will look at how early Americans became American.

I look forward to participating in this group and to reading more books outside my field of study and normal reading interests.

Thank you for the invite Mal.

[[deleted user]]

Liz wrote: "Hi everyone. My name is Liz and I am a historian who studies early America. I am revising my dissertation into a book manuscript, tentative title: America's First Gateway: Albany, N.Y., 1615-1830. ..."

So pleased you decided to join Liz!! Great to have you :0)

[[deleted user]]

Hello all!

My name's Garrett and I'm happy to be part of the group :) I'm a writer and editor of literary fiction and creative nonfiction and have always been fascinated with the discussions on the F-word, in both modern and historical contexts. Hope you're all having a wonderful week and that we talk soon. Take care.

[[deleted user]]

Garrett wrote: "Hello all!

My name's Garrett and I'm happy to be part of the group :) I'm a writer and editor of literary fiction and creative nonfiction and have always been fascinated with the discussions on t..."

Glad to have you here Garrett! Welcome!

[Farah]

Dionne wrote: "Farah wrote: "Hello, my name is Farah. Dan Porter invited me. I can't participate in monthly reads because I can't find most books here in Kuwait. I'm an introvert, I don't talk much. I love readin..."

Thanks. :)

[Adrienne]

Hi, I'm Adrienne. I can't wait to see what this group is all about!

[[deleted user]]

Adrienne wrote: "Hi, I'm Adrienne. I can't wait to see what this group is all about!"

Welcome Adrienne! Happy to have you as a member, we'll be having fun reading some wonderful books

[Allison]

I'm Allison Moon, author of the Tales of the Pack series about lesbian werewolves. I'm giving away three e-copies of my newest novel Hungry Ghost in exchange for honest reviews on Goodreads and Amazon. (The first book in the series is on sale for $1 at Smashwords right now, too.)

If you'd like a copy of Hungry Ghost, just send me a message with your email address and preferred ebook format.

Happy to be a member of this group. Thanks for creating and managing it!

~ Allison Moon

[[deleted user]]

Allison wrote: "I'm Allison Moon, author of the Tales of the Pack series about lesbian werewolves. I'm giving away three e-copies of my newest novel Hungry Ghost in exchange for honest reviews on Goodreads and Am..."

I recommended Lunatic Fringe! I would take Hungry Ghost but won't be able to get to it until next year. :(

[[deleted user]]

Welcome Allison! Thank you for the invitation to take advantage of your generous offer. Much appreciated. Great to have you part of the group.

[Julie]

Hello! My pen name is Julie Elizabeth Powell and have 12 books in a variety of genres. I am of course a woman writer!!! :)

I'm not a feminist, only believe that everyone should have equal rights, um, well, not that I've seen much evidence of this.

I believe my female characters are strong and I like to write about important issues hidden in novel form. I love writing and think (know!) my work is good even if I can't publish through the traditional route. As an independent author, I like the control, but hate the marketing and promotion, mainly because I have no money for the hype...seemingly the only way to be recognised, and I refuse to appear on reality TV or beat someone over the head with a cricket bat.

If anyone is interested in my work, let me know, I'm always searching for reviews... :)

That's it.

Thanks

Me

[[deleted user]]

Julie wrote: "Hello! My pen name is Julie Elizabeth Powell and have 12 books in a variety of genres. I am of course a woman writer!!! :)

I'm not a feminist, only believe that everyone should have equal righ..."

Happy to have you as a member Julie! Welcome!!

[Farrah]

Hello all! I'm Farrah. Thanks for the invite. Sounds like a great group. Look forward to discussions of interesting books and feminism. Hope to keep up with the readings. Currently reading, and so far the journey these woman go through is so intense and an example of how strong we are. (I'm not finished with it so I am not sure where the plot is going but I think the women succeed)
Talk to you soon!

[[deleted user]]

Farrah wrote: "Hello all! I'm Farrah. Thanks for the invite. Sounds like a great group. Look forward to discussions of interesting books and feminism. Hope to keep up with the readings. Currently reading, [bookco..."

Glad to have you as a member Farrah! Welcome!

[Dionne]

Julie wrote: "Hello! My pen name is Julie Elizabeth Powell and have 12 books in a variety of genres. I am of course a woman writer!!! :)

I'm not a feminist, only believe that everyone should have equal righ..."

Hey Julie! Great to see you here :)

[Jessica]

Hi everyone, my name is Jessica . Thank you Mal for creating this group, I also believe that everyone should be equal. Women should be treated the same way as men.

[[deleted user]]

Jessica wrote: "Hi everyone, my name is Jessica . Thank you Mal for creating this group, I also believe that everyone should be equal. Women should be treated the same way as men."

Welcome Jessica, happy to have you a member of the group

[[deleted user]]

Kathy wrote: "Hello everyone! I was invited to join by Dan Porter (thanks, Dan!). I'm a high school teacher (English and psychology) and an avid reader. I don't identify myself as a feminist; like many in this g..."

Big warm welcome Kathy, happy you are a member.

[[deleted user]]

fem·i·nism
/ˈfeməˌnizəm/
Noun
The advocacy of women's rights on the grounds of political, social, and economic equality to men.

[Julie]

Mal wrote: "Julie wrote: "Hello! My pen name is Julie Elizabeth Powell and have 12 books in a variety of genres. I am of course a woman writer!!! :)

I'm not a feminist, only believe that everyone should h..."

Thanks :)

[Julie]

Dionne wrote: "Julie wrote: "Hello! My pen name is Julie Elizabeth Powell and have 12 books in a variety of genres. I am of course a woman writer!!! :)

I'm not a feminist, only believe that everyone should h..."

Hi, Dionne, thanks. Hope the writing's going well.

[Libby]

Thanks for the invitation. I'm an author and I write mostly about women whose choices have been taken away from them. How do they surmount the obstacles that face them? What happens when they can't? Those issues fascinate me, and I've dealt with them, one way or another, in my thrillers. There are 10 of them. I hope to participate in a good way in the group.
Again, thanks.

[Linda]

My name is Linda. I write and paint. I also have a blog...Woman & Flight, in celebration of women and freedom. http://womanandflight.blogspot.com/ Thanks!

[[deleted user]]

Libby wrote: "Thanks for the invitation. I'm an author and I write mostly about women whose choices have been taken away from them. How do they surmount the obstacles that face them? What happens when they can't..."

Welcome Libby and Linda. Happy to have both of you as members

[McKenzie]

Hi everyone, I'm McKenzie. I'm currently a graduate student at Western Michigan University, pursuing Poetry and Education (and Theory on the side :D). It is so wonderful to find other people on GR who want to discuss such an important topic as this one in Literature. I'm really looking forward to getting caught up on the reading and jumping into the most current discussions! Cheers!

[Maura]

Five-Star Fleecing

I feel as if I'm in a 12 step program!

My name is Maura and I happen to like the F-word. My award-winning first novel, Five-Star FLEECING, has broken the tradition of female-oriented books in that Linda Lane, the protagonist, is NOT a victim of men, a bad relationship, romance gone sour and sexism. Not only that, she has a warm and close connection with her father. Linda Lane suffers as do men from working in a bad corporate environment. This social satire addresses racism in the high-end hospitality industry, something that's known, but never addressed beforehand.

I've written some other books and published one by Cheri Blossum, Secrets & Seduction, a porn bondage erotic novel with a solid female lead which addresses the situation when online virtual relationships enter the real world. Due to the current theme, Cheri Blossum's being extolled as the Anais Nin of the 21st Century. Check out her book on goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17...

Look forward to interacting with all of you!!

[Linda]

Hi, Linda here. I'm joining you all b/c this is such an intriguing topic. I've been a feminist all my life, and have raised a son and daughter to treat males and females, adults and kids, humans and animals, with respect and equality. Looking forward to some stimulating and thought provoking discussions.

[[deleted user]]

McKenzie Lynn wrote: "Hi everyone, I'm McKenzie. I'm currently a graduate student at Western Michigan University, pursuing Poetry and Education (and Theory on the side :D). It is so wonderful to find other people on GR ..."

Welcome McKenzie! So happy to have you as a member

[Mikela]

Hi everyone. I'm Mikela and have been a member of GR for 3+ years. Really happy to join the group...thank you for the invitation, and thank you to the author for the free download which will allow me to start on it right away. Look forward to many thought provoking discussions.

[[deleted user]]

Mikela wrote: "Hi everyone. I'm Mikela and have been a member of GR for 3+ years. Really happy to join the group...thank you for the invitation, and thank you to the author for the free download which will allow ..."

Great to have you here Mikela!! Enjoy Paul's book and discussion.

[[deleted user]]

Maura wrote: "Five-Star Fleecing

I feel as if I'm in a 12 step program!

My name is Maura and I happen to like the F-word. My award-winning first novel, Five-Star FLEECING, has broken the tradition of female-o..."

Welcome Maura and Linda! Wonderful having you both here!

[Lisa]

Hi everyone! I'm Lisa. I'm an Operations Supervisor in the Federal Aviation Administration; I spent almost 22 years as an Air Traffic Controller before making the jump to managing controllers. (As to the question of which profession is more stressful, it's a toss-up. :p) I'm also a voracious reader and definitely interested in feminist issues, especially given my professional journey in a male-dominated profession. I live and work in Portland, Oregon.