I love Gloria Steinem. She’s been a feminist presence for most of my life, and has always been a reminder that equality isn’t given it must be taken. Through all the criticism and crap that has been thrown at her she remains positive. She is a dreamer and a realist. Having spent her life crisscrossing the US and parts of the globe she has learned patience, humor and understands the fundamentals needed for change. In My Life on the Road, Steinem reveals that her […]
Probably not THE definitive Steinem, but good nonetheless
3.5 stars Gloria Steinem is a giant in American feminism, and someone I only truly know about from secondary sources. She’s written a lot, and I had read none of it until her most recent work, My Life on the Road. Regarding her own life, it’s not comprehensive: it’s a series of vignettes from, appropriately, encounters she had while on the road. It does start with a bit of background into her fascinating childhood, which saw her family endlessly traveling from place to place, driven […]
Driven By The Irony That Only Being Shackled To The Road Could Ever I Be Free
Well, there’s something rather fitting about writing this review on International Women’s Day. It’s also complete luck, as I just happened to finally finish this book last night. It’s interesting, having read some reviews from people I know and trust, to see that this book didn’t quite meet their expectations. I guess I was lucky, in that I had none. I knew about this book from reviews, from it being Emma Watson’s book club pick. Truth be told, and shamefully so, I didn’t know much […]
Gloria Steinem’s life on the road. Well, kind of.
Emma Watson launched a Goodreads Book Club, and I joined. Naturally, I read My Life on the Road dutifully (because I can’t bear NOT to read the book, like a typical Type-A student). First thoughts: I’ve known about Steinem through the years, but I’ve never actually gotten to read anything directly written by her. I know she’s been a keystone and controversial cultural figure, and I know that her feminism may differ somewhat from my own, and that’s okay. We came of age in different […]
Simply Whelmed, Not Over or Under
Okay: confession time. I read this because a) Emma Watson suggested it as her “Our Shared Shelf” group on Goodreads for January and b) I needed a non-fiction book about feminism or dealing with feminist themes for the 2016 Read Harder Challenge. This was not an “oh! I must read this book!” choice so much as a “well, if a whole group of people are going to read it, I might as well choose this one” choice. I am just young enough where Gloria Steinem […]
The Sisterhood of the Travelling Feminists
Gloria Steinem’s first book in more than two decades is classified as a memoir, but I don’t think that’s accurate. Although this first chapter starts like a traditional autobiography, documenting her unconventional childhood as the daughter of a travelling antique salesman and a mentally ill mother, the rest of the book is about the people she’s met. Her book is about the mothers and stewardesses and cabdrivers she’s talked to, the colleges where she’s spoken and the other feminist workers she’s worked with. At 81, […]