Dear Followers, As I reviewed the last dozen or so posts, I noticed that there was (possibly) an overdose of women who were either foreign or older. So today's Self-Empowered Woman is 20 year-old American recording sensation Taylor Swift. When she was only ten years old (2. An Early Sense of Direction), a computer repairman showed her how to play three chords on a guitar, and that inspired her to learn as much as she could about music. Soon … [Read more...]
85: The Self-Empowered Woman: Dilma Rousseff
November 7, 2010 By
Dear Followers, Now that our American election fever is over (for a little while) I thought that today I would introduce you to Brazil's first-ever female president. Dilma Vana Rousseff (who was born on December 14th, 1947) is the daughter of a Bulgarian immigrant; her father had been an active member of the Bulgarian Communist Party in the 1920s. He moved to Brazil to escape political persecution, and became financially successful. He married … [Read more...]
84: The Self-Empowered Woman: Iana Matei
October 24, 2010 By
Dear Followers, It's no secret that I really admire brave women. And last week I learned about a woman who has truly put her own life at risk in order to try to help others. Her name is Iana Matei; she lives in the small town of Pitesti, Romania (about 300 miles North of Istanbul), and she has rescued over 400 young girls who were victimized by human traffickers. In her words, "It is a crime against humanity to sell and buy life. There are … [Read more...]
83: The Self-Empowered Woman: Stacy Schiff
October 19, 2010 By
Dear Followers, As you know, it's important to me to introduce readers to remarkable women-- regardless of how many of the 17 traits that appear in their lives. The latest woman who has caught my attention is Pulitzer-Prize winning biographer Stacy Schiff. The recipient of an excellent education (Phillips Academy, and Williams College -- class of 1982), Schiff was a Senior Editor at Simon & Schuster until 1990. In 2000 she won the … [Read more...]
82 The Self-Empowered Woman: French Women
October 14, 2010 By
Dear Followers, Naturally, when I read Katrin Bennhold's article in The New York Times titled, "For Women In France, Dim Outlook on Equality," I was amazed. Here I'd spent a lifetime thinking that their lives were effortless and enviable, when in fact they have struggles of their own. To wit, Valerie Toranian (who is editor-in-chief of French Elle) observed that "French women are exhausted. We have the right to do what men do -- as long as … [Read more...]
81: The Self-Empowered Woman: Ntozake Shange
October 4, 2010 By
Dear Followers, Sorry I haven't posted as regularly as normal, but the hunt for CCSVI treatment has entered an exciting new phase. If I'm lucky, I may be able to receive the procedure in Albany before the end of the year; anyone who knows what it's like to live with MS (Multiple Sclerosis) will understand my scattered state of mind as I wait for a date... Today's blog is prompted by the news that on November 5th, Tyler Perry will release his … [Read more...]
80: The Self-Empowered Woman: Eileen Nearne
September 24, 2010 By
Dear Followers, Not all remarkable women receive the standing ovations that they deserve. Today's blog is about a remarkable Self-Empowered Woman who embodied honor, bravery and fortitude, but died penniless and alone. Eileen Nearne was 89 years old when she died in the English seaside village of Torquay. Because she had lived alone for many years, and had few friends, and there was no one to pay for funeral expenses after her body was … [Read more...]
79: The Self-Empowered Woman: Ruth Gruber
September 12, 2010 By
Dear Followers, Today I would like to introduce you to a truly remarkable Self-Empowered Woman named Ruth Gruber who was born in 1911, and still lives in New York City. She grew up in a Jewish neighborhood in Brooklyn, and devoted her life to working on behalf of the underdog (7: Magnificent Obsession). Her parents were Russian-Jewish immigrants (3: Belief in the Unbelievable), and they encouraged her to get as much education as … [Read more...]
78: The Self-Empowered Woman: Elizabeth Gilbert
September 9, 2010 By
Dear Followers, Today's blog is slightly different in nature, however, it continues my perpetual theme of Philogyny (i.e., admiration for women). As many of you know, Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert was made into a movie this summer that starred Julia Roberts. The film may not have been a huge success, but the book has been on the New York Times Best Seller list for close to 200 weeks! Gilbert is a mesmerizing writer who has won a variety … [Read more...]
77: The Self-Empowered Woman: Sarah Bernhardt
September 6, 2010 By
Dear Followers, As you know, I enjoy sharing the stories of a wide variety of women. To me, the era, country of origin, type of talent, or passion are not what's important. What matters is the struggle to fulfill a dream or survive challenges, and there seem to be an unlimited number of women who capture my attention ( and, hopefully, yours as well). Today's woman worth knowing is the legendary actress Sarah Bernhardt, who was born in 1844 in … [Read more...]
