A decade ago I kissed the golden handcuffs of tenure goodbye. I walked away from teaching journalism and media studies at Ithaca College in May 2002. No one bothered to ask me why. The conditions and experiences haven’t gotten much better for female faculty and in some ways worse. In 1980, 49 percent of full-time female faculty had tenure, compared to 70 percent of men. By 2005-2006, the percentage of women with tenure dropped to 43 percent, according to American Association of University Professors (AAUP), despite the fact that more women earned Ph.D.s. In fact, in the academic year 2008-2009, more women earned doctoral degrees than men. Women in Higher Education: The Fight for Equity, edited by Marian Meyers, (Hampton Press, 2012) provides a depressing account of the status of women in American colleges and universities after 40 years of struggles. Reading this new book about the politics of tenure and promotion, sexual harassment, and the intersections of race, class, and gender, it struck me: there has been little research on the subject of gender equity in higher education since the 1990s. Even though I hadn’t kept up on the literature, I hadn’t missed anything since Annette Kolodny wrote Failing the Future: A Dean Looks at Higher Education (Duke University Press, 1998). Following a career path of feminist scholarship is now more than ever a Scarlet Letter on a woman’s c.v. Even raising the research question of how women fare inside the ivory towers is dangerous terrain. Meyers’ book itself…
Cowboy Apocalypse: Religion and the Myth of the Vigilante Messiah, a new release by Rachel Wagner from NYU Press, charts the myth of the “good guy with a gun,” connecting America’s frontier beginnings with visions of the end of the world. In the midst of widespread mass shootings in America, a common motif stands out: the perpetrators of these attacks often view themselves as vigilante… [Read More]
Filed Under: American culture, Cowboy Apocalypse, culture of violence, gun culture, Rachel Wagner, video games
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In Not Good Enough Girl, amidst the control, confusion, and chaos caused by her eight-times-married mother, Sondra Brooks’ story spans the extreme emotions of a mother-daughter relationship, touching on cyclical family dysfunction, addiction, and forgiveness. Beginning at the age of five, Sondra spends decades auditioning for the role of her authentic self. Her dazzling mother casts her as confidante and co-conspirator in her affairs and… [Read More]
Sometimes you need a change of scenery to spark your creativity, and events like writing retreats, conferences, workshops often provide a change of pace, a chance to relax and unwind, and space to focus on your craft. These events can also offer opportunities to connect with other writers and build community and a network of support. Some even double as opportunities to travel to faraway… [Read More]
It’s gift-giving season once again, and there’s nothing quite like seeing the look on a person’s face when they receive a gift they love. As book lovers can attest, books make great gifts. But what if the person you’re buying for isn’t a huge book person? Here are some ideas of newer titles to gift to the more selective readers in your life. Easy Weeknight… [Read More]
As a young girl Brooke Randel knew little about the Holocaust—just that it was a catastrophe in which millions were murdered, and that her grandma Golda Indig barely escaped that fate. But her Bubbie never spoke about what happened, and the two spent most of their time together making pleasant memories: baking crescent roll cookies, playing gin rummy, and watching Baywatch. Until an unexpected phone… [Read More]