Dear Followers, The cute illustration of elephants (above) was created by Serge Bloch to accompany an article in the New York Times by Natalie Angier about the importance of "The Spirit of Sisterhood."  Her article, which appeared last month, addressed the fact that "...female friendship is one of nature's preferred narrative tools."  Some of the examples mentioned include: Female chacma baboons with strong sororal bonds have lower … [Read more...]

Dear Followers, Today, I'd like to introduce you to Amelie (Emmy) Noether, who was born in Germany in 1882, and went on to be considered--by Albert Einstein, no less--as the most "significant" and "creative" female mathematician of all time.  Her Noether's Theorem is now considered as important as Einstein's Theory of Relativity. Emmy's father, Max Noether, was a distinguished mathematics professor at the University of Erlangen, and because … [Read more...]

Dear Followers, Earlier this month, yet another woman made history - and she did it in the world of major league professional sports. On what was - to the day - the 50th anniversary of  Dodger Stadium (April 12, 1962), a 37 year old woman became the first female to ever hold the title of head athletic trainer of a Major League Baseball Team. The photo above is of Sue Falsone, who laughs about the fact that she thinks she was able to swim … [Read more...]

Dear Followers, Every now and then I like to share an unusual story about women that inspires, and does so in a gentle, non-competitive way. The following story is sure to remind you that great (if seemingly small) acts of courage and kindness happen every day. In a small English village (Charmouth) near Lyme Regis in Dorset (best known as the countryside made famous by novelist Thomas Hardy) a small, minor miracle recently took place. … [Read more...]

Dear Followers, Decades ago. during the years when I worked as a journalist in London, I would pass by a very pretty church each day on my way to and from the newspaper office that practically became my home away from home. The picture on the right is a 19th century engraving of St. Bride's Fleet Street, one of 52 churches in London that has always been assumed to be designed by Sir Christopher Wren. St. Bride's is the second tallest of Wren's … [Read more...]

Dear Followers, I really love researching and writing about amazing women, but when I get to actually meet one I feel like I have the best job on earth. Last month, I had the honor of meeting Jeannette Walls (the beautiful woman on the right), the astonishingly gifted author whose book The Glass Castle has been on The New York Times best sellers list for FIVE YEARS! Like so many other Self-Empowered Women, Walls had an unreliable (if charming) … [Read more...]

Dear Followers, Today's topic is designed to remind us that we have just finished another National Women's History Month. As you may know, there has been a lot of concern that the number of female elected officials might shrink in the November elections. We already have a glaring "gender disparity" when it comes to politics - there are only six female governors and 17 female senators (in state legisatures women comprise 23.6%). The one place … [Read more...]

Dear Followers, Here are a few random thoughts, inspired by a new book "The Richer Sex," by Liza Mundy...   The French Government has ended the use of "Mademoiselle" (which was first used in 1690) from official forms and registries Single, childless women are out earning men in the following American cities: Dallas, $1.18; Atlanta, $1.14; Raleigh, N.C. $1.11; Houston, $1.11 and Los Angeles, $1.09. … [Read more...]

Dear Followers, Annie Leibovitz is unquestionably America's most celebrated living female photographer. Born in Waterbury, Connecticut on October 2, 1949, she was the third of six siblings. Her great grandparents were Jewish immigrants from Central and Eastern Europe. As a child, her father was a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Air Force, and the family moved frequently. Leibowvitz took her first pictures when the family was stationed in the … [Read more...]

Dear Followers, If you watched last week's Academy Award Ceremony, you saw Esperanza Spalding sing "What a Wonderful World," but her musical talent goes far beyond her unusual vocal artistry; she sings in English, Portugese and Spanish. Raised in Portland, Oregon (where I was born), Spalding's mother was Hispanic, Native American and Welsh and her father was Black. Esperanza and her brother were raised by their single-parent mother (1: No … [Read more...]