not so grounded

Gloria Steinem

Tonight on HBO, a documentary about Gloria Steinem.  And, so, an excuse to post my interview with her (such a cool gift!) for All About Women (For some reason the magazine took offline the first several years of issues.)  From All About Women, 2/08:

In 1968 journalist Moses Znaimer conducted a lengthy, intimate interview with then 34-year-old Gloria Steinem in her New York City apartment, subsequently broadcast on the Canadian Broadcast Centre show entitled, The Way It Is.  “New journalism” was the primary topic, Znaimer and Steinem discussing the new trend among an elite group of writers, including Steinem, who blended impeccable reporting with their own personal perspectives and connections with the story.  Certainly it was interesting to learn about the origins of a journalistic style we now take for granted.  But I found the interview’s equally overt sub-text even more fascinating. 

Gloria Steinem was a “girl” and Moses Znaimer wove that fact into the interview with easy, casual frequency: 

Do you distinguish in your work between the fact that you’re writing and you’re a lady writing?

I just want to get past one uncomfortable & fairly obvious fact … that you’re a pretty stunning woman.  And I want to know whether you capitalize on that?

While Steinem inexplicably ironed a blouse during a portion of the interview, Znaimer asked, How many “ladies” things do you like doing?  Do you cook? You iron … exceedingly well, too.

While discussing Steinem’s undercover expose as a Playboy bunny, Znaimer asked, “Forgive me, but I always thought you had to be stacked, absolutely stacked to be a bunny girl.  How did you get the job?”

After the interview, the closing anchor, holding an iron in his hand, summarized with a smile, “[That was] Moses, ironing out a few things with a heck of a good writer, and not a hateful looker …”

Frances Fox Piven

As guest faculty at UC Santa Barbara in 1988, Frances Fox Piven was -- without exception -- my most influential and favorite professor, for her compassion, intellect, integrity and kindness.  Her work and her very presence still inspire me, and despite decades of moves & thrift store donations, I still cannot part with her books.

I guess it's not a surprise Glenn Beck is threatening her.

Vision Alignment Project

This is cool.  Enough said.

Add To Cart

A funny thing happened after the election … all those emails I once relished throughout the campaign … from David Plouffe, David Axelrod, Michelle Obama, Barack Obama himself … enlivening support, announcing rallies, offering t-shirts if I donated $25 by midnight (which I did) …

They irritated me on November 5^th.

I’m stunned by my sudden change of heart, especially since I remain wildly excited about Barack Obama and his unfolding presidency.   His image still brings me to tears.  I bought my parents commemorative champagne glasses (shush, don’t tell!)  And I may even go to DC for the inauguration. 

Why, then, am I deleting all those emails?

I understand my financial gut reaction:  My family didn’t starve the few months I forked over $25 or $50 a pop.  But my budget will break if I continue the frenzy another four to eight years. 

John thought maybe Obama’s leadership selections – the return of so many political veterans – dampened my enthusiasm.  But I genuinely like his picks (and his guts for going with an experienced brain-trust despite potential flack).

Maybe it’s because a campaign is so captivating.  It’s a battle, after all:  two opposing forces, ferociously loud spectators, blow-by-blow commentary, and an ultimate winner.   It engaged me with feverish momentum.  The more I saw, the more I wanted to join.  By tracking polls, following pundits, and donating money I became a player, part of the strategy and, as a result, equally victorious in the end.  Joining the campaign felt historic.  And really cool.

But post-election there’s something unseemly about typing in my credit card to purchase “governing” from my shopping cart.  I know technically I’m supporting an inaugural event or an effort to enact the economic stimulus package.  But it feels weird.  Election won, I thought somebody else (ie experienced professionals) would handle all that governance stuff.

Truth is, I’m finding governance much more difficult to grasp.   I miss the consistent stump messages that were as clear as they were inspiring.  The election process only expected one thing from me:  to learn about the candidates and choose one. 

I chose Barack Obama because I believe he can handle the post-election complexities.  But I’m not sure I can. 

And, yet, I appreciate that I also chose Barack Obama because he asked me to stay involved, long after the campaign fades and the voting machines are packed away.  He invites me – implores me -- to keep learning about the problems we face, as complicated as they are.  To study our options with focused and deep reflection.  To flesh out our opportunities. 

And he asks us to keep talking.  To him and his staff, who are diligently crafting initiatives and policies to help solve our problems and recast our future.  (See change.gov)  And, more importantly, to each other.

I keep hearing a campaign echo:  our shared values far outweigh our disagreements.  And true governance begins where those values intersect.  Democracy was rekindled these last eighteen months on front porches, community centers, school auditoriums … on Facebook, blogs, and chat rooms.  Governance, it seems, wants the same renaissance.

That’s why I’m still getting those emails, even if they’re momentarily annoying.  I’m being reminded -- nagged really – to stay engaged.  To rise to our new challenges, despite feeling confused and overwhelmed by their complexity.   And to keep talking.  To lay our differences aside and join our neighbors, our colleagues, our family and friends – tangible and virtual -- in conversation and collaboration.  To transcend from Who do you want to win? to How should we recreate our nation together and make it work for everybody? 

I can’t afford a new t-shirt every week, but I will try to do what that t-shirt implies.  

Goodbye Torture

I've been sick & whiny & slam-busy with the dayjob unable to compose a coherent sentence, hence why I haven't written a dang thing.  But just wanted to say YEAH! The end to Guantanamo is upon us!  

I just sent out my essay supporting Obama (scroll down to 10/21 post) to almost my entire email list, which felt a bit nerve-wracking. But I'm enjoying the responses, especially since no one's yelled at me yet.  Mostly, it's fascinating to hear first-hand how engaged everyone feels with this election, regardless of their preferences.  So many folks who say this is their first time they've been glued to political news, first time volunteering, eager vote for the first time in ages.  I even got a response from a Canadian to whom the piece was forwarded, emphasized how engaged the rest of the world is, too.  

I'd like to be a grown-up and say just this degree of participation -- regardless of the outcome -- feels so inspiring and hopeful. And it does in many ways.  But, really, I'd be lying.  While I truly respect each person's right to make an individual choice, I really really really want this guy to win ... (and maybe then his name will be embedded in spell checking dictionaries!)