20201016: Book 2, Post 2: My Life on the Road by Gloria Steinem
As a child, I loved reading biographies of great scientists and mathematicians. I read somewhere, especially in Physics, that most Nobel Prize awardees are younger than 30. Youthful minds are most capable of creative scientific thought. And I thought writers were right there too. Shakespeare wrote Hamlet when he was 39. You need some life experiences to reflect on and practice to be an accomplished playwright or novelist. These facts informed my ageism. I didn’t think I could be intrigued by the recollections and musings of an 80-year-old former activist. I was gloriously wrong.
In the memoir My Life on the Road, Gloria Steinem recounts the amazing events of her life. She begins with her gypsy childhood in the backseat of a gas-guzzler from the 1940’s. Steinem recounts her multi-year stay in India after college, the founding of the feminist Ms. magazine, and many other things from her full life; she definitely scraped clean the plate of life. The autobiography is filled with thoughtful and witty observations. It’s election season and of topical interest are her thoughts on the “Hillary Haters”. After talking and listening (Steinem’s chief way of exploring the world) to many of the women detractors, Steinem realizes that many wives disliked Ms. Clinton because Bill “valued Hillary as an equal partner...and…seemed to make them more aware that their own marriages were different” (Steinem, 159). Also, if infidelity can creep into this strong a partnership, what does it suggest for weaker relationships? This is an interesting perspective and just one of many filling these pages.
If it’s not obvious, I highly recommend this book. It’s refreshing to read about important events from a gifted writer in her own words. It makes me wonder what her inner monologue must be like. I understand that writing and speaking are completely different. The words you see in print are the result of many hours and many rewrites. The last thing this memoir gave me is hope. As I approach 40, I need not despair. My best writing is ahead of me, not behind!
Dennis this is a great post! It is interesting how many wives would dislike Hillary for being valued as an equal to Bill. It shows how different the culture was back in the 60s-70s and how important the feminist movement really was. I wonder what it was that led Gloria Steinem to break free from these societal gender norms and lead the feminist movement. Great post!
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ReplyDeleteHi Dennis, I love the way you introduce your post. From this, I can tell you are passionate and enjoyed reading My Life on the Road. You chose a great quote as you discuss the topic of Hilary Clinton and her marriage with Bill. Also, you left us with questions and reflections towards the end of your post. This makes me want to start reading this book, as well!
Dennis, in this era of athletes playing long and competitive careers, 40 is the new 30. All you need to do is look to the greatest athlete of all time, who at 36 is champion at the highest level. I'm speaking, of course, about Joey Chestnut, who ate a record 75 hot dogs in 12 minutes.
ReplyDeleteI'd be interested to hear how your military career shaped your outlook on life, and whether you can draw some Steinem-esque philosophy from the past.
Hi Dennis, I really like how you ended your post. It's great that you were able to get hope out of reading the memoir. I'm sure you'll write something amazing in the future, if you haven't already. I also liked that you chose the quote about Hillary because politics are extremely relevant right now. Great post!
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