Media Recommendations from Fierce Women! October 9, 2008

Magazines

Crystal:

Bust

Bitch (which is having a fund drive right now)…

Marie Claire …mixes in features on real people with models and 
champions causes

O the Oprah magazine…

Queen of All Media is also Queen of Empowerment.


Entertainment Weekly…who can forget their classic cover of the 
Dixie Chicks


Amy:

Body and Soul Magazine

O

Vanity Fair – love their articles

Jenee:

I love Bust as well!!

Ms.

Paste

Books

Rosie: 

The Middle Place by Kelly Corrigan   A touching memoir about a thirty-something mother of two who is diagnosed with advanced breast cancer just months before her father- and the center of her world- is diagnosed with an aggressive cancer.  Touching and funny, you’ll want Corrigan to be your best friend and her father to be your surrogate dad.

Accidentally on Purpose by Mary Pols   A memoir that details the results of a soon to be forty-year-old writer’s one night stand which starts innocently enough and ends with a pregnancy.  Pols and her baby’s father never couple, but they deliberately work through their issues to become effective co-parents to a boy that brings meaning and grounding to their lives.

The Abstinence Teacher by Tom Perrotta  Perrota’s fiction never disappoints.  Here, he tells the story of a sex education teacher who is chided for her frank talk about fellatio and must now teach only abstinence after a new evangelical church in town catches winds of her misdeed. 

Amy:

Orange, Mint, and Honey by Carleen Brice

Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver

Radical Acceptance  by Tara Brach

Jenee:

Perks of Being a Wallflower

The Memory Keepers Daughter

Mere Christianity

The Handmaids Tail

Water For Elephants

Mrs. Dalloway

Crystal:

Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan

Our Bodies, Ourselves 
(loved the update)

Anything by Gloria Steinem and

Eve Ensler

The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood (scary, very scary)


The Color Purple by Alice Walker (if you’ve only seen the movie, you 
need to read the book)

Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison

Mrs. 
Dalloway by Virginia Woolf

Manifesta by Amy Richards and Jennifer Baumgardner 

Anything by Ann Lamott

Candy Girl: A Year in the Life of an Unlikely 
Stripper by Diablo Cody

The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

Are Men 
Necessary? by Maureen Dowd

The Bitch in the House by 26 Women Tell 
the Truth About Sex, Solitude, Work, Motherhood, and Marriage by
Cathi Hanauer 

Movies

Crystal:

Silkwood


Norma Rae


Juno


Boys Don’t Cry


Broadcast News (I so identified with the Holly Hunter character)


Philadelphia Story (and nearly everything with Katharine Hepburn)


Klute


Terms of Endearment


Steel Magnolias


Impromptu
Vera Drake


Transamerica


What’s Your Point, Honey?


Out of Africa

Amy:

Penelope – wonderful movie about self-acceptance and accessible for all ages. 

Juno

Sex and the City

Jenee:

Transamerica


Donnie Darko

I heart Huckabees

King of California

Whale Rider

Wristcutters

Blogs

Crystal:

Jezebel.com: Who needs Perez or TMZ when you get celebrity dish and 
fashion without the airbrushing?


Life on the Clearance Rack (http://readrespondrepeat.blogspot.com/): 
This blog is by my pal, Ramona Holloway. She rocks. And she’s a good 
blogger. 



Jenee:

Post Secrets

TV 

Jenee:

Lost

Always Sunny in Philadelphia

Crystal:

Heroes

The Shield

Mad Men

Friday Night Lights (it’s on 
DirecTV until spring ‘09)

The Closer

Saving Grace


Amy:

Brothers and Sisters

 

TV on DVD

Crystal:

The Wire

Homicide: Life on the 
Streets

Sex and the City

Judging Amy

The Gilmore Girls


Hall of fame: Cagney & Lacey

Lou Grant (this and the watergate 
hearings had a huge impact on me becoming a journalist…that and 
being nosy and loving to read)

Isis

Wonder Woman

Bionic Woman

Days and Night of Molly Dodd

Any Day Now

Amy:

John Adams

The Wire

Rome

Jenee:

The Office (British Version)

Arrested Development 

Who are the She-roes of the world? May 19, 2008

Janine:

The female hero of my world is a 5′4″, 135 lb., mild-mannered, but firm lady–that’s my MOM.  My mom is so many things–the glue that makes my family stick; the conqueror who takes on the best of fights and with such vigor; the patient one who despite my fits of frustration can see beyond the ‘now’ and willing to wait on a ‘better day’; the wise one who ‘always knows best’ but doesn’t rub it in your face when you finally see how ‘wrong’ you were; the strong one who despite being a single mom of two kids only after her 3rd year of marriage carried on with a full-time job, a nice home and plenty of faith!! She is the hero I attribute many of my traits to–being a perfectionist (wanting everything in order); determined (will make IT happen when others doubt you) and courageous (sometimes doing those things that make you feel uncomfortable, but doing it anyway).

 

She IS who I’ve BECOME!! While growing up, I never saw what she was developing me into–but it’s turned out to be a pretty good replica of herself (smile). (Even though I am a lot louder and more direct than she ever was.) Nonetheless, with the nurturing and direction my mom has given  me, I hope one day I can hear my son or daughter say to me “My mom is my female hero!” In the meantime, I’ll keep working to make sure I give them reason to say it!:)

 

Rosie:

One of my heroes is Eve Ensler, the author of The Vagina Monologues and the creator of the V Day Movement (www.vday.org).  I admire the way Ensler has taken her art and her passion and melded them into activism, creating a global movement to end violence against women and girls.  Her courage, vision, creativity are united in a powerful purpose—one that allows each of us to engage and that encourages the realization of our global best.

 

Donna:

My favorite current she-ro is Tina Fey. She was the first female head writer on SNL, wrote ‘Mean Girls’ is also the creator/producer of and lead actor on 30 Rock and has just debuted “Baba Mama” a girl- buddy film that  she wrote and stars in with Amy Poehler; it was number one for it’s first week in theatres. She is one of the few female show runners (a triple or quad threat: writer/actor/director/producer) in the entertainment industry today.  She came from 2^nd City-the famous improv comedy group in Chicago –and many of the people she was with there and on SNL are still seen in her current projects today. I think her writing is sharp, clever, relevant and current and she consistently she creates projects and throws work to her very talented group of friends! Gee, wonder why I just A-DORE that?! In addition to all of that, she’s only 38, and is married and has a child. She is a SUPER SHERO and I just LOVE HER.

 

Crystal:

As far as journalism goes, I would have to say the late Katharine Graham (owner of the Washington Post), the late Mary McGrory (Pulitzer Prize winning columnist for the Washington Post and the Washington Star) and the late Molly Ivins (columnist for several publications). All three were Grande dames in the field. Each had distinctive voices, wit and style. 

 

Graham and the Post’s coverage of Watergate is one of the reasons I became a journalist. Woodward and Bernstein and Bradlee often get the props. Kate Graham deserves her share of that glory.

 

McGrory could just plain ol’ write. And she seemed unafraid of anyone. We need more journalists who aren’t afraid…especially now.

 

And Molly Ivins for her down-home storytelling. She’s  the one who gave President Bush the nickname “Shrub.” 

 

Also, I know a lot of people don’t care for New York Times’ columnist Maureen Dowd’s snark but I’m pretty sure that if she had a penis, that she would be lauded for her biting commentary and ruthless insights.

 

I second Rosie on Eve Ensler. She’s a goddess. Ensler talks the talk and walks the walk.

 

I have to add Dolly Parton. Amazingly talented, funny and strong. I think people confuse her looks with her talents. Shame on them.

 

Amy:

I agree with Crystal on Dolly Parton.  She has always been one of my favorites. 

 

My she-roes are close to home.  When I look at my fellow bloggers, I see she-roes!!!!!  I see 4 amazing women who quickly identify and celebrate the greatness in other women!  And all you women out there reading Fierce Women Dish, I have no doubt that you are She-roes too!!!!!  I feel certain that everyone connected with this blog lifts up and celebrates other women in your daily lives!  So tell us . .. . . WHO ARE YOUR SHE-ROES??????