MOTHERS Book Bag http://www.amamasrant.com/mothers_books/ Books on motherhood for book groups and consciousness raising from MOTHERS | MothersOughtToHaveEqualRights.org en-US 2008-08-29T18:13:40-06:00 MothersBookBaghttp://feedburner.google.com Wrapping it up at The Big Tent: Cracks in the Glass Ceiling http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MothersBookBag/~3/8TDi9CYYb-A/wrapping-it-up.html The last session I attended at the Big Tent was Cracks in the Glass Ceiling a panel discussion with Jehmu Greene, Political Director of WomenCount, who I met the day before at the Women Count in the 2008 Election session...

The last session I attended at the Big Tent was Cracks in the Glass Ceiling a panel discussion with Jehmu Greene, Political Director of WomenCount, who I met the day before at the Women Count in the 2008 Election session . Also on the panel was Marie Wilson of the White House Project and co-creator of Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day, Erin Kotecki Vest, in her capacity as the political director of BlogHer, Sarah Granger an online communications expert who helps political campaigns use new media, and Lisa Witter, who wrote The She Spot: Why Women Are the Market for Changing the World -- And How to Reach Them.

This was the panel I was waiting for all week.

Old and new media

  • The media still has a gender bias.
  • WomenCount was able to get language about gender bias into the Democratic National Platform.
  • Erin: Bloggers are having the discussion online. More mom bloggers are getting political on their blogs or starting new political blogs.
  • Erin: Politicians are give women bloggers a seat at the table.
  • Sarah: there is more activism online, much by women. But we still have a long way to go. Politicians don’t understand social media and don’t take blogs seriously.
  • Older people (50+) are more into email than they are social networking and texting.
  • Lisa: We still need to have offline opportunities for discussion.
  • Erin: We need to be blogging about the threat to the Supreme Court.

The future of the woman’s movement

  • Lisa: If you can see it (having a woman run for president) then you can be it.
  • Young women need to have the “keep going” attitude.
  • The next generation of feminists must deliver for women to get them engaged.
  • Lisa: We must partner with men to go further and reach our goals.
  • Marie: Next wave of feminists must take leadership or we will drown in the next wave. Women are the government in exile.
  • Erin: Women are not one issue voters.

What does Barack Obama need to do to get the women’s vote?

  • Erin: She talked with one of his campaign managers. She feels that Barack needs to speak directly to women and we need to hear from his wife, Michelle. There also needs to be a mix of “traditional” women’s issues along with the economy, Iraq, etc. We want to hear about policy, nut fluff.
  • Lisa: Says that Barack needs to give us the details on policy,  wants half of his cabinet to be women, and he needs to have more women around him and advising him during his campaign.

It was a great session to end my time at The Big Tent. I wish it was better attended – very few women in the audience and even less men. Then again, many people left at 1 p.m. to head off to Invesco Field.

So, like many mothers (and fathers and grandparents) I left to pick up the kids at school. I wanted to get out of Denver before I-25 was closed off. Plus, I had to oversee homework, snacks, play time and dinner in time to watch the festivities and Obama’s acceptance speech at Invesco Field.

Around 8 p.m. the kids and I got into bed (my husband was out of town) and watched the excitement. A perfect evening of family entertainment courtesy of the DNC.

]]> Democratic National Convention 2008 Feminism Politics Anne-Marie 2008-08-29T18:13:40-06:00 http://www.amamasrant.com/mothers_books/2008/08/wrapping-it-up.html What Women Want at The Big Tent http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MothersBookBag/~3/9pOjYU_mHhI/what-women-want.html After grabbing a quick Udi’s roast beef sandwich with caramelized onions, I dashed back to the tent for What Women Want: Journalists and Activists Connect Stories and Solutions. Rita Henley Jensen, Editor-in-Chief, Women's eNews, moderated the session. (They’ve been blogging...

After grabbing a quick Udi’s roast beef sandwich with caramelized onions, I dashed back to the tent for What Women Want: Journalists and Activists Connect Stories and Solutions. Rita Henley Jensen, Editor-in-Chief, Women's eNews, moderated the session. (They’ve been blogging from Denver this week, too.)

Sara K. Gould, President and CEO of the Ms. Foundation for Women introduced us to several women’s whose organizations have received grants from the Ms. Foundation. First, Althea Francois, Safe Streets/Strong Communities, New Orleans, LA talked about the devastation that Katrina still inflicts on New Orleans and how the city and the police department need to be rebuilt.

Mary Kay Harris, Direct Action for Rights and Equality (DARE), Providence, RI talked about the struggles post-Katrina are representative of other crises and failed policy prescriptions across the country, and how systemic, comprehensive policy change in the Gulf Coast will ensure justice and well-being for families and communities throughout the U.S.

Rita Smith, Executive Director, National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, talked about domestic violence and pointed out that Joe Biden had sponsored the Violence Against Women Act. She pointed out that domestic violence services like shelters didn’t exist in New Orleans for three years after Katrina and are finally being replaced.

Jacy Montoya, Colorado Organization for Latina Opportunity and Reproductive Rights (COLOR), Denver, CO discussed how Amendment 48 and 46, on the ballot this November, will affect choice and affirmative action for women in Colorado. She believes that getting out of our “single issue silos” and getting people to talk about multiple issues helps them form allies in the social justice arena.

Liz Abzug, President and Co-Founder, Bella Abzug Leadership Institute also spoke. She said we need to take back our rights and power and the greatest opportunity is with Obama. She also believes that Biden is good for famlies, and that we need to get Obama into the White House so he can sign the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act.

]]> Democratic National Convention 2008 Feminism Politics Anne-Marie 2008-08-29T18:09:45-06:00 http://www.amamasrant.com/mothers_books/2008/08/what-women-want.html The last morning at the Big Tent http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MothersBookBag/~3/Ke9pXBQpj6E/the-last-mornin.html I had planned to attend Have “They” Gone Too Far? The medical and political implications of attacks on reproductive health care, including Colorado’s Amendment 48. Cecile Richards, President Planned Parenthood Federation of America and Planned Parenthood Action Fund, Nancy Keenan,... I had planned to attend Have “They” Gone Too Far? The medical and political implications of attacks on reproductive health care, including Colorado’s Amendment 48. Cecile Richards, President Planned Parenthood Federation of America and Planned Parenthood Action Fund, Nancy Keenan, President NARAL Pro-Choice America, Dr. Eliza Buyers, MD, Obstetrician – Gynecologist, and Dr. Ruben Alvero, MD, Obstetrician – Gynecologist, Certified in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility were scheduled to appeared.

I dropped off the kids at school, drove downtown, parked and started walking towards the Big Tent. Then I realized I left my pass at home and there was no way to get into the tent. So I had to drive back home, get my pass, and rush back. An hour wasted and 65 more miles on the car.

Not a problem as prochoiceamerica taped the panel and downloaded it on YouTube:

I did make it back to see Townhall on the Internet and Politics with Eric Schmidt, CEO of Google with Eric Schmidt , CEO of Google, Inc
and Rachel Maddow, host of “The Rachel Maddow Show” on Air America Radio. (You can view the video on YouTube.)

Voting: Google putting voter registration and polling location info on the Internet. Rachel Maddox believes that voter registration has become a partisan issue.

Privacy: Trade off between cool stuff (Google calendar, chat, email, reader, docs) vs. privacy. Google believes it has the best privacy policy of all its competitors and only keeps personal data for 18 months.

Other things that Google is doing:

  • Google has a green initiative.
  • Google analyzes its hiring practices to detect biases in hiring women, harder for people of color (smaller data set).
  • Google is very concerned that Americans have less access to broadband services and wireless data networks.

Finally, Rachel Maddox made an interesting observation in using Google's online news. It's so targeted that you're not informed about things you didn't know you needed to know.

]]> Democratic National Convention 2008 Anne-Marie 2008-08-29T06:21:29-06:00 http://www.amamasrant.com/mothers_books/2008/08/the-last-mornin.html More DNC blogging to check out http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MothersBookBag/~3/XWEyXiezasg/more-dnc-bloggi.html Fellow Boulder Media Woman, Claire Walter, is blogging about volunteering at the Democratic National Convention on her travel blog, Travel Babel. Check out her posts Convention Volunteering - Day 3, Convention Volunteering - Day 2, and Dem Convention Has Denver... Bill Clinton by Claire Walter Fellow Boulder Media Woman, Claire Walter, is blogging about volunteering at the Democratic National Convention on her travel blog, Travel Babel.

Check out her posts Convention Volunteering - Day 3, Convention Volunteering - Day 2, and Dem Convention Has Denver A-Buzz.

She took some fun pictures of celebs behind the scenes. (That’s her picture of Bill Clinton just before he shook her hand.)

You should also check out Claire’s food blog, Culinary Colorado and her post, Convention Eats.

]]> Democratic National Convention 2008 Anne-Marie 2008-08-29T06:20:21-06:00 http://www.amamasrant.com/mothers_books/2008/08/more-dnc-bloggi.html Hanging with my peeps at the Big Tent: WomenCount.org http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MothersBookBag/~3/YO2d3b03sMA/hanging-with-my.html So far, the Big Tent has been about the environment and the economy with a dash of healthcare thrown in. Nothing wrong with these topics since they all affect families. But what about – dare I say it - “women’s... womencount.org So far, the Big Tent has been about the environment and the economy with a dash of healthcare thrown in. Nothing wrong with these topics since they all affect families. But what about – dare I say it - “women’s issues”?

Well I got to be with my “peeps” today on the Fifth Floor:Open Space of the Alliance for Sustainable Colorado’s building for “WomenCount in the 2008 Election.”

It was a small, personal discussion with Jehmu Greene, Political Director of WomenCount and former president of Rock the Vote. As a group we discussed how the historic candidacy of Hillary Clinton changed the conversation for and about women in America, but uncovered serious challenges to our political process in the form of sexism and gender bias.

WomenCount officially launched yesterday with a big reception featuring Senator Hillary Clinton and more than 700 supporters. Here’s the video courtesy of EchoDitto.

Jehmu talked about how WomenCount is engaging younger women using the MoveOn.org model. Then we all shared how we engage other women and engage action and women online and off, whether it’s via email campaigns, advertising, or blogging.

We discussed how the women’s movement needs to go from “Chicken Little” and the sky is falling, to “The Little Engine that Could” and I think I can, I think I can. Another discussion revolved around sexism and class and creating cultural change not just movements.

My contribution to the discussion

I shared how I became involved in the mom blogosphere and how I find that it’s very competitive. There’s an attitude among many mom bloggers that if you make money via your blogging, you’ve sold out, pimped your kids, or you’re not a good mom because you’re ignoring your children while you write. Or that if you blog about your family life you’re putting you and your children at risk from pedophiles, kidnappers, and stalkers or that you’ve invaded your children’s privacy.

I believe that this feeling from some parts of the blogosphere is due to jealously, especially to the “rock star” bloggers like Heather Armstrong of Dooce. But it’s also wanting to put others down because women do not feeling confident in their roles as mothers and women.

We touched on this previously at MOTHERS Book Bag in the MOTHERS interview with Amy Richards, author of Opting In: Having a Child Without Losing Yourself. I also touched upon it in my review of a mom blogging anthology, Sleep Is for the Weak: the best of the mommybloggers including Amalah, Finslippy, Fussy, Woulda Coulda Shoulda, Mom-101, and More! (a BlogHer Book).

Along with Jehmu, I met several people from NOI, the New Organizing Institute who sponsored the event. I also met women from EchoDitto, DC WebWomen, and Lisa Witter, who wrote The She Spot: Why Women Are the Market for Changing the World -- And How to Reach Them. (She ducked out before I could tell her that her book is on my Amazon wish list, darn it.)

These organizations are all ones I want to keep in touch with and I recommend that you check them out, too.

Other happenings at The Big Tent

Afterwards, I quickly grabbed lunch and headed over to the Big Tent to see T. Boone Pickens of the PickensPlan,  Carl Pope, Executive Director of the Sierra Club, and John Podesta, President and Chief Executive Officer of American Progress. All talked about their plans for alternative energy and getting off our addiction to foreign oil.

If you watch television I’m sure you’ve seen Mr. Pickens’s commercials. He’s someone to watch and he’ll be in the forefront of the alternative energy discussion no matter who wins the White House in November. From what I’ve heard, I like his plan so far. He’s doing practical things, and trying to create sustainable jobs for Americans that cannot be outsourced to other countries.

The Digg Stage room on the second floor of the Big Tent was packed. I had to eat my lunch standing up. In the crowd I noticed Daryl Hannah and Joan Blades from MomsRising.org and MoveOn.org.

Afterwards I stayed a little while for Netroots: Past, Present, Future, but wasn’t impressed with the navel gazing by bloggers from Daily Kos, et al. Yes, you’re awesome for doing great political blogging before many of us knew what a blog was. Still, I want to hear about how blogging and other forms of social media can help get the word out now.

Around town at the DNC

So, I decided to take a walk and see what was going on in LoDo (lower downtown Denver). The men were either dressed like Secret Service agents or like they were going to the beach. But it was nice to see so much diversity – people of many colors and many ages. There were moms with tweenagers and younger children buying Obama t-shirts. And there were a few childre dressed in their Sunday best going to the convention with their mom or dad. Talk about your young Democrats!

In front of the barricades to get to the Pepsi Center were a bunch of Hilary supporters protesting. What they were protesting, I’m not sure since by this time she had given her unity speech. You think they would have gotten the message by now. Oh well.

But my favorites were the “Rednecks for Obama” two older gentlemen who had come to Denver from Rolla, Missouri to support Obama. I love those guys!

]]> Democratic National Convention 2008 Politics Anne-Marie 2008-08-27T19:00:50-06:00 http://www.amamasrant.com/mothers_books/2008/08/hanging-with-my.html Important to the security of families: An interview with Gov. Jeanne Shaheen http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MothersBookBag/~3/DNmc_IHEFlU/important-to-th.html Julie Piper of BlogHer and the MOMocrats interviews Gov. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire who is running for the U.S. Senate. Gov. Shaheen weighs in on a women's right to choose, a women's access to birth control, health care, and... Julie Piper of BlogHer and the MOMocrats interviews Gov. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire who is running for the U.S. Senate. Gov.

Shaheen weighs in on a women's right to choose, a women's access to birth control, health care, and health insurance coverage for families and small business owners.

]]> Democratic National Convention 2008 Anne-Marie 2008-08-27T08:34:26-06:00 http://www.amamasrant.com/mothers_books/2008/08/important-to-th.html More from in and around the DNC http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MothersBookBag/~3/h1V7W0FaOq0/more-from-in-an.html Becky Updike, the director of Every Child Matters in Colorado is attending the Democratic National Convention. She's blogging about it at the Every Child Matters blog. Another blog you want to check out is The Type Runner by Colorado freelance... Dncc_logoBecky Updike, the director of Every Child Matters in Colorado is attending the Democratic National Convention. She's blogging about it at the Every Child Matters blog.

Another blog you want to check out is The Type Runner by Colorado freelance writer Laurel Kallenbach. She's volunteering at the convention and has some unique insights to behind the scene happenings.

Me? I'm back home and exhausted. It's tiring sitting in a hot tent all day taking notes and pictures. I'll be watching the convention tonight in my PJs.

]]> Democratic National Convention 2008 Anne-Marie 2008-08-26T19:26:33-06:00 http://www.amamasrant.com/mothers_books/2008/08/more-from-in-an.html Day Two: Taking a break from The Big Tent http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MothersBookBag/~3/7am0fGQex4o/day-two-taking.html Another hot day in Denver. I'm taking a break in the air conditioned cool of the Tattered Cover Bookstore just down the street from The Big Tent before the session on the "Next New Deal" with Alan Charney, USAction Program... Another hot day in Denver. I'm taking a break in the air conditioned cool of the Tattered Cover Bookstore just down the street from The Big Tent before the session on the "Next New Deal" with Alan Charney, USAction Program Director, Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN), Anna Greenberg, Senior Vice President, Greenland Quinland Rosner Research , and William McNary, USAction President.

An amazing day. Dan Rather gave a talk that should be the commencement speech at every journalism school in the world. Some sound bites:

  • Affect the powerful and comfort the afflicted.
  • Be skeptical not cynical.
  • Act both as a consumer of the news as well as a producer.
  • The government is controlling the message and sanitizing the war in Iraq and Afghanistan.
  • Corporate media must work for the public interest while making a profit.
  • Diversity is needed in media - alternative and unheard voices.
  • News is a public service and part of the public trust.
  • The media needs to get some guts and grow a spine.

He also got visibly upset when he mentioned the dead bodies and damaged soldiers returning from the war. You can call him an old softie, but in truth Dan Rather cares.

I also attended TAKE BACK AMERICA: "The Economy"

This was sponsored by Campaign for America's Future. Major'a's and Leo's ideas for a green economy providing jobs that cannot be outsourced were exciting and echoed what I heard from Bobby Kennedy, Jr. yesterday.

They also sponsored "TAKE BACK AMERICA: Healthcare for America Now!"

  • Rep. Jan Schakowsky, (D-IL)
  • Roger Hickey, Co-Director, Campaign for America’s Future and steering committee, Health Care for America Now!

Rep. Schakowsky signed the Health Care for America "Which Side are You On?" pledge at the end of the talk. You should definitely check out their website and their The Now! Blog

]]> Democratic National Convention 2008 Anne-Marie 2008-08-26T15:14:33-06:00 http://www.amamasrant.com/mothers_books/2008/08/day-two-taking.html My Twitter feed on Michelle Obama’s speech http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MothersBookBag/~3/ZFCp3AztRg4/my-twitter-feed.html Michelle Obama: HRC breaking the glass ceiling! 19 minutes ago from web Equal Pay for Equal Work! 17 minutes ago from web Michelle Obama: health care, mental health care, good jobs 17 minutes ago from web Health care available for...

Mothers Button no border Michelle Obama: HRC breaking the glass ceiling! 19 minutes ago from web

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Equal Pay for Equal Work! 17 minutes ago from web

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Michelle Obama: health care, mental health care, good jobs 17 minutes ago from web

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Health care available for every American; world class education for our kids. 17 minutes ago from web

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Change and hope. 15 minutes ago from web

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Listening to our hopes instead of our fears. Stop doubting and start dreaming. 13 minutes ago from web

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You want a persistent president. HA. Hi Daddy indeed! 10 minutes ago from web

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Those girls! oh my, too cute. Will they move into Amy Carter's treehouse? 9 minutes ago from web

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See the response to Michelle Obama’s speech at BlogHer

]]> Democratic National Convention 2008 Anne-Marie 2008-08-25T21:13:28-06:00 http://www.amamasrant.com/mothers_books/2008/08/my-twitter-feed.html A warm start at The Big Tent: DNC Day One http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MothersBookBag/~3/YSzPAAaT_ck/a-warm-start-at.html It reached into the 90s today in Denver. And it was almost that hot in The Big Tent – much to hot too blog. Still, the sessions were terrific. Most had a green focus, but poverty and voter rights were...

It reached into the 90s today in Denver. And it was almost that hot in The Big Tent – much to hot too blog. Still, the sessions were terrific. Most had a green focus, but poverty and voter rights were discussed, too.

However, there was a common thread: Change must be a grassroots movement. There needs to be public outcry. People need to get active, register to vote, make change in their own communities, and demand change on a federal level.

That can be said about all our issues, whether it’s the mothers movement, the economy, healthcare, and so on.

Left Behind: What Katrina and a Stolen Election Taught Us About Race and American Politics

  • James Rucker (ColorOfChange.org)
  • Scott Myers-Lipton (Gulf Coast Civic Works Project)
  • Jonah H. Goldman (National Campaign for Fair Elections)
  • Stephen Bradberry (Louisiana ACORN)

Rescuing a Planet Under Stress - Plan 3.0

  • Lester Brown, Author of Plan B 3.0

Now or Never - Climate Solutions

  • Moderator Lester Brown
  • Randy Hayes, Climate Policy Officer at the World Future Council
  • Chuck Kutscher, Principal Engineer and Manager of the Thermal Systems Group at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory
    David Orr, Author, Enviromentalist, named “an Environmental Hero for 2004” by Interiors & Sources Magazine
  • Betsy Taylor, executive director of the Center for a New American Dream

Climate Problems and Solutions, Local to Global

  • Introduction by Daryl Hannah
  • Moderator: David Orr
  • Bill Becker, Executive Director of the Presidential Climate Action Project
  • Robert Kennedy, Jr, Chief Prosecuting Attorney for the Hudson Riverkeeper and President of Waterkeeper Alliance
  • Michelle Wyman, Executive Director for the US Office of ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability

Some sound bites:

  • Create a new WPA type project with H.R. 4048: Gulf Coast Civic Works Project to rebuild the Gulf Coast after Katrina.
  • Climate change is a misnomer. Instead, we have an environmental problem that should be called Planetary Destabilization. These are not normal times, these are drastic times. And saving civilization is not a spectator sport.
  • Energy is not a supply issue, it’s an access issue.
  • We need to become energy producers, not consumers.
  • Green collar jobs cannot be outsourced.
  • We need to open the power grid to everyone and create an open market place. Energy entrepreneurship.
  • Our addiction to oil is destroying our country’s wealth, economy and prestige.
  • There are profits in “green.”
  • Need to reduce CO2 emissions 80% by 2020.
]]> Democratic National Convention 2008 Politics Anne-Marie 2008-08-25T19:17:25-06:00 http://www.amamasrant.com/mothers_books/2008/08/a-warm-start-at.html A whole lotta blogging and reading going on… http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MothersBookBag/~3/lGDZjN5wbe4/a-whole-lotta-b.html This week, MOTHERS Book Bag blogger and MOTHERS enewsletter author and coordinator, Anne-Marie Nichols will be blogging from The Big Tent and from her home in Northern Colorado. There will be limited electricity in The Big Tent, so I will... This week, MOTHERS Book Bag blogger and MOTHERS enewsletter author and coordinator, Anne-Marie Nichols will be blogging from The Big Tent and from her home in Northern Colorado.

If I Ran For President There will be limited electricity in The Big Tent, so I will be relying on old fashioned pen and paper to take notes and will be doing roundups in the evenings from home. If time and power permit possibly earlier in the day, too.

Also, on Thursday, they’ll be closing I-25, the freeway I take to Denver, at 5:30 p.m. No point sticking around if I can’t get home, so I’ll be leaving early and watching Mr. Obama give his speech at Invesco Field from the comfort of my home.

With all this in mind, I want to give you a round up of my favorite local Denver news sources, as well as other bloggers who will be at the DNC. Believe me, there be so much news out there, you’ll have no idea where to go. Here’s who I’ll be checking in with:

Denver Local Media

Bloggers

Can’t find any blog posts? Try Google’s Blog Search

The Happenings

My Other Blogs:

]]> Democratic National Convention 2008 Anne-Marie 2008-08-24T15:46:21-06:00 http://www.amamasrant.com/mothers_books/2008/08/a-whole-lotta-b.html This week MOTHERS is at The Big Tent in Denver at the Democratic National Convention http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MothersBookBag/~3/LqXZ10i_9ek/this-week-mothe.html This week, MOTHERS Book Bag blogger and MOTHERS enewsletter author and coordinator, Anne-Marie Nichols will be blogging from The Big Tent and from her home in Northern Colorado. It’s Sunday before Convention Week here in the greater Denver-Boulder metro area.... This week, MOTHERS Book Bag blogger and MOTHERS enewsletter author and coordinator, Anne-Marie Nichols will be blogging from The Big Tent and from her home in Northern Colorado.

big tent It’s Sunday before Convention Week here in the greater Denver-Boulder metro area. While people are already meeting downtown, I’m tuning up my laptop, packing my backpack, and making childcare arrangements for my children, Nathan, 8, and Lucie, 5.

It’s a challenging week for us as a family. To be at The Big Tent, I’m taking time off work. (Like most work-from-home freelancers, I have a variety of clients, part-time gigs, and consulting work that makes up my job.) I’ve hired a mom who does daycare out of her home to provide after school care for my children. And, I’ve made arrangements with another mother (she works at home some days, but most days at her employer’s office) to pick up the kids in the afternoon and take them to their sitter’s. Most days, I’ll have to leave Denver by 4:00 p.m. or so to pick the kids up by 5:30 p.m., since my husband’s schedule will be less flexible than mine due to an impending trip.

The moms are coming and we want answers

Why do I share all this with you? Well, I’m not the only mom in town making childcare arrangements to be in Denver this week. There’s the MOMocrats, PunditMom, Queen of Spain, bloggers working with BlogHer (see my sidebar BlogHer badge), Huffington Post, and more, too. (Note: while many moms blog for BlogHer and the Huffington Post, not all of their women bloggers are moms.)

While we’re in Denver, we moms will be wearing our political hats. However, the reality is that some of us never remove our mom hats. If fact, we do believe that the maternal is political, and not just the name of a book. Many of us are concerned about what MOTHERS has been working for, basically that correcting the economic disadvantages facing caregivers is the big unfinished business of the women’s movement:

  • Motherhood has become the single greatest risk factor for poverty in old age.
  • The U.S. has the highest rate of maternal and child poverty of any advanced country.
  • The U.S. does not offer paid family leave for birth of a child, adoption of a child, or to take care of an ill relative.
  • American women make 38 cents to a man’s dollar due to caregiving responsibilities that affect their lifetime income and career development.

Dare I mention guaranteed and paid sick leave, maternity leave, maternal profiling, health insurance, and more?

Yes, the economy is a huge issue this election as are the war in Iraq and the environment. All those issues affect families, too. But will we hear from the Democrats on other issues that matter most to mothers, fathers, caregivers, and families? Join me this week and see.

]]> Democratic National Convention 2008 MOTHERS Issues Politics Anne-Marie 2008-08-24T14:43:12-06:00 http://www.amamasrant.com/mothers_books/2008/08/this-week-mothe.html Vote Mother: The Maternal is Political http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MothersBookBag/~3/rH98-a--rPw/vote-mother-the.html As we enter convention season for both the Democrats and the Repulicans, it seems fitting that The Maternal Is Political: Women Writers at the Intersection of Motherhood and Social Change is our choice. Exploring the vital connection between motherhood and... the maternal is political

As we enter convention season for both the Democrats and the Repulicans, it seems fitting that The Maternal Is Political: Women Writers at the Intersection of Motherhood and Social Change is our choice.

Exploring the vital connection between motherhood and social change, editor Shari MacDonald Strong features more than 40 powerful, hard-hitting literary essays by women who are striving to make the world a better place for children and families — both their own and other women’s — in this country and globally.

Some of the writers showcased in The Maternal Is Political include:

To quote the back of the book,

"The saying is true: The hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world. And the world has never needed mothers more.

…The Maternal Is Political is a comfort, an inspiration, fuel for the fires, and a roadmap to a better future…for us and for all our children."

We couldn’t have said it better ourselves, because MOTHERS knows that the maternal is truly the political. It's our cause and our passion.

]]> Book Club Book description Motherhood Parenting Anne-Marie 2008-08-10T14:14:31-06:00 http://www.amamasrant.com/mothers_books/2008/08/vote-mother-the.html Reviews of The Maternal is the Political http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MothersBookBag/~3/SEy7u7IjsA8/reviews-of-the.html 10 MotherTalk* reviewers weighed in on The Maternal Is Political: Production, Not Reproduction Half Changed World Writing in the Mountains Liza Was Here Surrender Dorothy I Won’t Fear Love Artificially Sweetened Food for Thought Did You See That? Mombian The...
  • 10 MotherTalk* reviewers weighed in on The Maternal Is Political:
  • The Maternal is Political: Women Writers at the Intersection of Motherhood & Social Change, by Shari MacDonald Strong reviewed at Mama Lit by Erin Kirkland August 1, 2008 who had more to say about it in Social Moxie, her August 7, 2008 post at Working Mother
  • Taking Motherhood Seriously by Ellen Keim at Femagination, July 15, 2008

    • *In interest of full disclosure, Anne-Marie Nichols, the MOTHERS Book Bag blogger, works for Mom Central, who recently took over MotherTalk. Before that Anne-Marie was one of the MotherTalk reviewers. The blogosphere can be very small at times.

    ]]>     Book Reviews Anne-Marie 2008-08-10T14:13:11-06:00 http://www.amamasrant.com/mothers_books/2008/08/reviews-of-the.html     Interviews with Shari MacDonald Strong http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MothersBookBag/~3/rfZJeV4-dBE/interviews-with.html As part of the MotherTalk blog tour*, Dewey from The Hidden Side of a Leaf interviewed author and editor, Shari MacDonald Strong about The Maternal Is Political and how she put the book together. June 9, 2008 A Powerful Movement...
  • j0284935 As part of the MotherTalk blog tour*, Dewey from The Hidden Side of a Leaf interviewed author and editor, Shari MacDonald Strong about The Maternal Is Political and how she put the book together. June 9, 2008

    • *In interest of full disclosure, Anne-Marie Nichols, the MOTHERS Book Bag blogger, works for Mom Central, who recently took over MotherTalk. Before that Anne-Marie was one of the MotherTalk reviewers. The blogosphere can be very small at times.

    ]]>     Author Interviews Anne-Marie 2008-08-10T14:12:12-06:00 http://www.amamasrant.com/mothers_books/2008/08/interviews-with.html     Editor Shari MacDonald Strong http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MothersBookBag/~3/niaX3clM-TU/editor-shari-ma.html Shari MacDonald Strong is a freelance writer who lives in Portland, Oregon. Her essay “On Wanting a Girl” appeared in the Seal Press anthology It's a Girl: Women Writers on Raising Daughters (edited by Andrea J. Buchanan ). She writes... Strong_shari Shari MacDonald Strong is a freelance writer who lives in Portland, Oregon. Her essay “On Wanting a Girl” appeared in the Seal Press anthology It's a Girl: Women Writers on Raising Daughters (edited by Andrea J. Buchanan). She writes the Zen and the Art of Child Maintenance column about motherhood and spirituality for Literary Mama, serves as editor of the creative nonfiction department at Literary Mama, and writes an ongoing column for Mamazine.

    Shari worked as an editor and copywriter in the publishing industry for 15 years (most recently as a freelance contractor for a division of Random House), and her writing has appeared in a number of publications including Geez magazine. She recently has appeared as a guest blogger at Leslie Morgan Steiner’s On Balance blog at the Washington Post as well as at Austin Mama.

    The Maternal Is Political: Women Writers at the Intersection of Motherhood and Social Change is the first book she has edited. You can read more about Shari at her website.

    ]]>     Author Biography Anne-Marie 2008-08-10T14:10:51-06:00 http://www.amamasrant.com/mothers_books/2008/08/editor-shari-ma.html     Reading group Discussion Questions for The Maternal is Political http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MothersBookBag/~3/IVE7keDZKD4/reading-group-d.html You can download the PDF file on Shari MacDonald Strong’s reading group discussion page. What does the phrase “The personal is political” mean historically? What does “The maternal is political” mean to you? Which essay in this book resonated with... j0384874 You can download the PDF file on Shari MacDonald Strong’s reading group discussion page.

    1. What does the phrase “The personal is political” mean historically? What does “The maternal is political” mean to you?
    2. Which essay in this book resonated with you the most, and why? Which essay did you struggle with most strongly, or feel most challenged by? What do you think might be the reasons for that?
    3. The Maternal Is Political: Women Writers at the Intersection of Motherhood and Social Change includes 43 essays by 44 writers, on 43 different subjects. But the subject matter (the relationships between motherhood and politics) could easily drive several more volumes. What additional political issues would you have liked to see addressed in an anthology of this kind?
    4. Although a range of writing styles are represented in this book, the pieces here are, by and large, more literary than academic. How is the experience of reading about issues such as activism, immigration, abortion, and women’s rights, for example, different when you read about them in story form, as opposed to in a textbook? In what way does the presence of a personal narrator add to (or detract from) the subject matter presented?
    5. Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner, in the introduction, emphasizes the importance of mothers sharing their political stories. Do you agree that this is important? How much does sharing our stories play into the goal of making a difference in the world?
    6. The essays in this book are grouped into three sections: Believe, Teach, and Act. Could some of the stories been placed one of the other categories? How much do these three key aspects of our political and mothering experiences—our beliefs, what we teach, and how we act—crossover and overlap in real life?
    7. Several authors in this collection mention that the act of becoming a parent brought them to a new political awareness. In what ways did becoming a mother trigger for you a political awakening—or did it?
    8. Do you think most mothers feel that they have political power? Why or why not?
    9. How can we, as women and as mothers, encourage one another and make the most of our collective political power? What is one thing you can do differently this year, to help you become more effective politically, in order to bring about social change—or simply to make the world better and safer for your child(ren)?
    ]]>     Book Club Discussion Points Anne-Marie 2008-08-10T14:09:33-06:00 http://www.amamasrant.com/mothers_books/2008/08/reading-group-d.html     Opting In: Having a Child Without Losing Yourself http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MothersBookBag/~3/V03WXTb1k6s/opting-in-havin.html By now, we've all heard about - and sick to death of - the 2004 New York Times Magazine's cover story "The Opt-Out Revolution" that claimed that America's most educated women are choosing motherhood over careers. In fact, "opting out,"... Opting In By now, we've all heard about - and sick to death of - the 2004 New York Times Magazine's cover story "The Opt-Out Revolution" that claimed that America's most educated women are choosing motherhood over careers. In fact, "opting out," "off-ramping" and "getting on the mommy track" have all become part of the popular lexicon to describe women who leave their jobs to stay at home with children.

    Speaking from the vantage point of someone who is both a parent and a feminist activist, author Amy Richards in Opting In: Having a Child Without Losing Yourself, addresses the anxiety over parenting that women face today. Should they stay home or go to work? Can they do both? And do it well?

    Amy also covers topics that concern women facing motherhood - the truth about biological clocks and the trends toward extending fertility, parenting with nature and nurturing in mind, our relationship with our mothers, the role of fathers in parenting, and what feminism’s relationship to motherhood is.

    This summer as the kids play by the pool - or as you take your lunch break at the office - grab a quiet spot and dig into Opting In: Having a Child Without Losing Yourself with MOTHERS.

    To read an excerpt of Opting In, go to The Drive to Procreate: Reexamining the Biological Clock at Feminist.com.

    ]]>     Books Anne-Marie 2008-07-02T14:37:00-06:00 http://www.amamasrant.com/mothers_books/2008/07/opting-in-havin.html     MOTHERS interviews Amy Richards http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MothersBookBag/~3/GscB5VjnBXw/mothers-intervi.html We recently had the opportunity to interview Amy via email about her book Opting In: Having a Child Without Losing Yourself . MOTHERS: Amy, could you briefly describe how the "mothers movement" is different from the "women's (i.e. feminist) movement?... We recently had the opportunity to interview Amy via email about her book Opting In: Having a Child Without Losing Yourself.

    MOTHERS: Amy, could you briefly describe how the "mothers movement" is different from the "women's (i.e. feminist) movement?

    Amy: Both the mothers movement and the feminist movement are political movements -- to the extent that they are trying to correct social injustices or propose new directions that are inclusive of communities previously shut out of or not prioritized within mainstream society. Both movements also prioritize women and women's experiences. I think where they differ is that while feminism is a multi-issue movement, the mothers movement is prioritizing issues affecting mothers. And perhaps because of the existence of the mother's movement, I think that feminism has slacked on prioritizing mothers. Historically, feminism did a much better job of focusing on the rights of mothers and perhaps it's due to the success and independence of the mothers movement that they are allowed to slack.

    MOTHERS: What work/life policies do you think could most open up the full range of opportunities to mothers, and others who parent?

    Paid leave seems to be at the top of most people's list. As is, paid leave is left to the discretion of the employer and though if often is in their best interest, without government encouragement most employers opt not to take this initiative on their own. I also think that we have to redefine work to being about "goals accomplished" not necessarily about "hours worked." As is, we emphasize the latter and thus often prolong our days merely to prove that we can or to complete that task. Employees who are given flexibility in determining their work days are often as productive--if not more so, if in part  just to prove that they can be. Employees should be incentived not exclusively with more important titles and more money, but with more autonomy.

    MOTHERS: At MOTHERS, we too strive for the day when "women....feel entitled to ask for respect, attention, and choices....all the time and for themselves." (p. 107)We also agree that progress hinges upon individual women insisting upon change, fully confident of the rightness and merit of their desire. What must women believe before they will take that step?  Can the mothers' movement help them form those beliefs? And if so, how? 

    Amy: The responsibilities that parenting requires aren't fully respected in society. Superficially we think that parenting is the most important job, but we often don't substantiate that with support -- either financial or emotional -- and thus end up minimizing the importance or value of parenting. And while government and employer support is important, I also think that we should believe in the change we ask for. And sadly, I don't think parenting is undervalued because of the job itself, but because it is a job primarily undertaken by women. If you look at all professions that are female dominated (nursing, teaching, bookkeeping, child care, etc...), they are undervalued professions -- while jobs dominated by men are more valued. That said, I think that more men taking on parenting could make the job more valuable.

    MOTHERS: Why don't we feel good about the choices we make as parents, whether it's working outside the home or using disposable diapers? Is it external (media, parents, employers, friends, etc.) or internal?   

    Amy: I think that women are very insecure -- in part because society gives us a very narrow range of what is acceptable behavior for women. While men are allowed to be diverse, women are encouraged to conform. And this can be threatening to women and a natural reaction to that is to feel threatening by those who seem to be stepping outside the natural bounds and also we tend to blame other women for narrowing our choices rather than society -- or even ourselves take responsibility. To help us get over our insecurity, we try to get other people to make the same choices. And of course that's not productive, so I hope that women can begin to see their choices as complements to one another.

    ]]>     Author Interviews Anne-Marie 2008-07-02T14:36:04-06:00 http://www.amamasrant.com/mothers_books/2008/07/mothers-intervi.html     Opting In: reviews and interviews and the blogs weigh in http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MothersBookBag/~3/TF3y6WE-4Zk/opting-in-revie.html Interviews with Amy Richards: Stop the mommy madness: Forget those parenting books, forget what your friends do. "Opting In" author Amy Richards wants mothers to listen to someone else -- themselves, by Ashley Sayeau at Salon.com, April 30, 2008 Q... Interviews with Amy Richards:j0430716

    More Reviews:

    In the Blogosphere:

    ]]>     Blogosphere Book Reviews In the News Media Anne-Marie 2008-06-28T18:36:49-06:00 http://www.amamasrant.com/mothers_books/2008/06/opting-in-revie.html     Reviews for Opting In http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MothersBookBag/~3/R5hLgxU-TAY/reviews-for-opt.html From Publishers Weekly In this spirited response to the controversial 2004 New York Times Magazine's cover story The Opt-Out Revolution claiming that America's most educated women are choosing motherhood over careers, feminist activist Richards (coauthor, Grassroots) reminds readers of the... From Publishers Weekly
    In this spirited response to the controversial 2004 New York Times Magazine's cover story The Opt-Out Revolution claiming that America's most educated women are choosing motherhood over careers, feminist activist Richards (coauthor, Grassroots) reminds readers of the real strides the women's movement has made in allowing women to choose and juggle both. The initial uneasiness in reconciling motherhood with feminism (e.g., dependence vs. independence) has largely been eclipsed, notes Richards, despite the misleading headlines. From diaper-changing stations in both men's and women's restrooms to the Family and Medical Leave Act, flextime and on-site childcare in the workplace, feminism's investment in parenting is undeniable, she writes.

    Her work incorporates her own experience raising two sons with her unmarried partner while maintaining an important identity in women's causes such as cofounder of the Third Wave Foundation and Soapbox. Scrolling through solid feminist history, she cogently examines issues involving mothers such as to work or not to work; the mania over one's biological clock; nonsexist child-rearing; balancing household work; and nurturing friendships with women and one's own mother. Overall, Richards strongly urges women to educate themselves about the achievements of the first waves of feminists and to advocate actively in their community for self-worth and dignity for all. (May)

    Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

    Sylvia Ann Hewlett, Economist, Author of Off-Ramps and On Ramps: Keeping Talented Women on the Road to Success, President of the Center for Work-Life Policy
    A movingly written book, Opting In: Having a Child Without Losing Yourself beautifully dissects the feminist relationship to motherhood, creating a framework for modern career women to embrace motherhood while maintaining their aspirations and ambitions.


    Reviews

    "With Opting In: Having a Child Without Losing Yourself, Amy Richards does an impressive job of showing just how many ways there are for modern women to make motherhood work for them. Richards powerfully reminds us that although these are seemingly isolated "domestic" negotiations, women open up the work-life balance not only for other women, but for men and for generations of young people to come."—Veronica Chambers, author of Having It All? Black Women and Success

    "Opting In: Having a Child Without Losing Yourself is a brave, rational, thoughtful book chock full of important information and ideas that every woman—married or not, mother or not—should make it her business to know and think about."—Cathi Hanauer, editor of The Bitch in the House

    “To a world that either obsesses over children or excludes them, Amy Richards brings the revolutionary possibilities of shared intergenerational lives—not easy, mind you, but possible. If her example and writing had been around earlier, even I might have had children." —Gloria Steinem

    “Amy Richards is always showing a new way forward for her generation of feminists and has done so once again with Opting In: Having a Child Without Losing Yourself—a smart, savvy exploration of  real-life, real-time motherhood that is sure to resonate.”—Naomi Wolf

    “Amy Richards is one of the few women in the country who can talk about the politics of mothering in a way that doesn't make me bored or irate. Opting In: Having a Child Without Losing Yourself is intellectually rigorous, personally authentic, insightful, and brave—and frankly, how often can you say that about books on this subject? Richards is remarkably honest and thought-provoking, and her ideas stay with you long after you’ve put the book down. Read Opting In and challenge yourself about what you think and the decisions you're making, then talk about it not only with other women but with the men in your life as well.”  —Rosalind Wiseman, author of Queen Bees & Wannabees

    “A movingly written book, Opting In: Having a Child Without Losing Yourself beautifully dissects the feminist relationship to motherhood, creating a framework for modern career women to embrace motherhood while maintaining their aspirations and ambitions.”  —Sylvia Ann Hewlett

    “In Amy Richards's insightful Opting In, knotty twentieth-century feminist debates about family, sex, and motherhood are reexamined through sharp twenty-first century eyes. This informative book is always reasonable, readable, and refreshingly open-minded.”—Alix Kates Shulman

    ]]>     Book Reviews Anne-Marie 2008-06-28T18:35:21-06:00 http://www.amamasrant.com/mothers_books/2008/06/reviews-for-opt.html     Amy Richards http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MothersBookBag/~3/nwJZehb2axk/amy-richards.html Amy is co-author of Manifesta: Young Women, Feminism, and the Future , which she co-authored with Jennifer Baumgardner. They also collaborated on Grassroots: A Field Guide for Feminist Activism , and together they also created Soapbox Inc: Speakers Who Speak... amy2 Amy is co-author of Manifesta: Young Women, Feminism, and the Future, which she co-authored with Jennifer Baumgardner. They also collaborated on Grassroots: A Field Guide for Feminist Activism, and together they also created Soapbox Inc: Speakers Who Speak Out, a lecture agency.

    Amy’s writings have appeared in The Nation, The LA Times, Bust, Ms. and numerous anthologies, including Listen Up: Voices from the Next Feminist Generation, New Expanded Edition, Body Outlaws: Rewriting the Rules of Beauty and Body Image and Catching a Wave: Reclaiming Feminism for the 21st Century. Since 1995 she has been the voice behind Ask Amy, an online advice column at feminist.com.

    Amy is also very involved with the organizations on whose boards and advisory committees she serves like the Third Wave Foundation , Ms. Magazine, Choice USA, the Sadie Nash Leadership Program, feminist.com and Planned Parenthood of New York City.

    ]]>     Author Biography Anne-Marie 2008-06-28T18:33:29-06:00 http://www.amamasrant.com/mothers_books/2008/06/amy-richards.html     http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.gifhttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/Some Rights Reserved