This week Betty Friedan’s 1963 book, The Feminine Mystique, has been getting a lot of air-time. No particular reason like an anniversary although there is a new book out, A Strange Stirring, by Stephanie Coontz.
I was intrigued when Robert Genn’s weekly email arrived talking about women artists. Huh – I’m one of those LOL. But what’s up with all the go-women stuff? Actually, I hope it is “go-women” stuff and not “how interesting from an historical point of view” stuff.
This was too good from Genn’s essay not to pass along:
I also see highly optimistic, ambitious women who value education and are willing to put in time and treasure (when they have it) to achieve their goals. These women cut to the chase and, in my experience, get good. Here’s what they bring to their easels:
- The capability and the desire to work alone.
- A degree of independence from outside opinion.
- Steady, well-regulated, workmanlike habits.
- The understanding that passion comes from process.
- The curiosity to explore sets and series.
- An intuitive sense of quality and reasonable taste.
- A philosophical but nevertheless combative attitude to the miserably dying vestiges of the boy’s club.
Betty Friedan would have been particularly enthused by these ladies.
Thanks Robert for the succinct list. It’s all about doing the work. And I’m all about those miserable dying vestiges of the boy’s club. That’s more of an issue than I want to think about so many years after Friedan’s book, and not just on the issue of women. It’s a constant battle.
On a different front, I took down the last twelve rows of squares and trimmed them to their new correct size. So that’s my work ahead. I have 18 rows of one size and 6 rows of another size sewn as rows and hanging back on the wall awaiting the rest. When they’re all done I will iron seams on the two halves and commence sewing the other direction.
