mary e. pearson

what a class act.

So tempting to name the unclassy schmuck though . . .

Cheers for strong women like Kyle Paxman.





(edited to add: I checked with Charity Navigator and CARE is a four star charity.)

Last night on 60 Minutes, in Andy Rooney's commentary, he wondered why we had never had a woman president before. He noted how many other countries have had and do have women presidents, how women live longer than men, and how women seem to abide the law way better than men (93% of prisoners are male), more women go to and graduate from college than men, plus a few other points that seem to indicate that we are missing the boat in the president gender department.

Why indeed, Andy? I wonder too.

"How important it is for us to recognize
and celebrate our heroes and she-roes!"
--Maya Angelou

Here is our final collected list of strong women we admire. I think we had about 20 contributers and our strong women run the gamut--from politicians, to hip-hop artists, to journalists, to aviators. Hurray for diversity!

I think it is so important for all of us--and especially young women today--to have strong role models to inspire them. These women certainly do that in spades.

If you know any of these women, let them know their strength is admired and celebrated. Here they are in semi-alphabetical order:


1 A.M. Jenkins, Author
2 Amber Benson, Actress
3 Betty Ford, Former First Lady
4 Billie Jean King, Tennis Player
5 Beverly Sills, Opera Singer
6 Betty Friedan, Women's Activist
7 Barbara Boxer, Senator
8 Condoleeza Rice, Secretary of State
9 Cynthia Leitich Smith, Author and literacy advocate
10 Christiane Amanpour, News Reporter
11 Carol Burnett, Comedienne and actress
12 Carol King, Singer and songwriter
13 Carly Fiorina. CEO of a major tech company
14 Cindy Sheehan, Activist
15 Cecil Castellucci, Author
16 Dianne Feinstein, Senator
17 Deborah Voigt, Opera Singer
18 Debbie Wasserman Schultz, US House of Representatives
19 Evelyn Glennie, Solo percussionist
20 Gloria Steinem, Women's rights activist
21 Geraldine Ferraro, First woman to run for Vice-President
22 Holly Morris, Author of "Adventure Divas"
23 Helen Reddy, Singer
24 Hillary Clinton, Senator
25 Helen Mirren, Actress
26 Judy Blume, Author
27 Judith Krug, Director of ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom
28 Joni Mitchell, Singer, songwriter, and activist
29 Jamie Lee Curtis, Actress and author
30 Jane Goodall, Primatologist
31 Jane Yolen, Author
32 Julie Andrews, Singer, Author, and Actress
33 Jerrie Cobb, Aviation Pioneer
34 Keiko Abe, First woman in Percussive Arts Society Hall of Fame
35 Katie Couric, Today Show host
36 Laura Bush, First Lady
37 Madeleine Albright, First female Secretary of State
38 M.E. Kerr, Author
39 Marian Wright Edelman - Head of the Children's Defense Fund
40 Mary J. Blige, Hip-hop artist
41 Maya Angelou, Poet and Author
42 Madeline Kunin, Former governor of VT
43 Michelle Malkin, Journalist
44 Meredith Viera, Newswoman and TV personality
45 Maxine Waters, Congresswoman
46 Maureen Dowd, Columnist, writer
47 Natalie Maines, Singer
48 Norah Jones, Singer
49 Oprah Winfrey, Actress, Businesswoman, TV host
50 Olympia J. Snowe, Senator
51 Patty Campbell, Pioneering YA librarian
52 Randi Rhodes, Air America radio host
53 Rita Moreno, Actress, Dancer
54 Robin Lechevalier, Asperger Syndrome Camp Founder.
55 Sally Ride, First American woman in space
56 Susie Bright, Author/advocate of positive sexuality
57 Winona LaDuke, Activist and Environmentalist
58 Teri Hatcher, Actress/speaking out on childhood sexual abuse
59 Tina Turner, Singer
60 Toni Morrison, Author

Crazy, crazy week here. Big event this weekend with lots to get ready for--more on that later--but . . .

Today is the first day of SUMMER!!!

So I had to pop in and say, YAYYYYYYYYYYY! I think I've mentioned before that summer is my favorite season. Flip flops, juicy dripping peaches, steamy nights, tank tops, and crickets. What's not to love?

So happy summer everyone.

And last call for strong women from my last post--here is the "rough draft" list so far. Any others? And remember they need to still be with us (alive). And if anyone can fill in some of the descriptions it would be much appreciated. (How do you describe Oprah? She does everything.)

Oprah Winfrey, Actress, Businesswoman, TV host
Laura Bush, First Lady
Condoleeza Rice, Secretary of State
Hillary Clinton, Senator
Katie Couric, Today show host
Jamie Lee Curtis, Actress and author
Cecil Castellucci, Author
Natalie Maines
Norah Jones, Singer
Judy Blume, Author
Toni Morrison, Author
Judith Krug, Director of the ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom
Keiko Abe, First woman inducted into the Percussive Arts Society Hall of Fame
Susie Bright, Author and leader in American erotica writing and is a huge advocate of positive sexuality for women
Evelyn Glennie, Solo percussionist in the world.
Mary J. Blige is a hip-hop artist who sold her first album at 17
Joni Mitchell, Singer, songwriter, and activist
Helen Reddy, Singer
Winona LaDuke
Tina Turner, Singer
Maya Angelou, Poet and Author
Betty Friedan, Women's Activist
Jerrie Cobb
Madeline Kunin
Gloria Steinem, Women's rights activist
Carol King, Singer and songwriter
Betty Ford, Former First Lady
Carly Fiorina. CEO of a major tech company,
Teri Hatcher, for coming forward recently with the story of her childhood sexual abuse
Barbara Boxer, Senator
Randi Rhodes, Air America radio host
Cindy Sheehan, Activist
Maxine Waters, Congresswoman
Debbie Wasserman Schultz, US House of Representatives
Meredith Viera, Newswoman and TV personality
Maureen Dowd, columnist, writer
Dianne Feinstein, Senator
Helen Mirren,
Rita Moreno, Actress, Dancer
Billie Jean King, Tennis Player
Christiane Amanpour, News Reporter
Jane Goodall, Primatologist
Carol Burnett, Comedianne and actress
Julie Andrews, Singer, Author, and Actress
Robin Lechevalier, Asperger Syndrome Camp Founder.
Cynthia Leitich Smith, Author and literacy advocate
Jane Yolen, Author
A.M. Jenkins, Author
Amber Benson, Actress

I read Liz Burns blog, A Chair, A Fireplace and a Tea Cozy whenever I can, and a few days ago she blogged about 200 Cool Girls from Children’s Literature, a list compiled by Jen Robinson.

So I hop over there to see what cool looks like and I see that Jen says:
"Here is what I specified for 'cool' criteria: they should be smart and strong and independent, people who would make good role-models for girls today."

Wow, I love that definition of cool. Smart, independent, and strong. Jen, you're my hero.

I think girls and women need these role models. I think we so often reward men for being independent, strong, outspoken–even opinionated (why don’t we have any female old codgers on prime time like Andy Rooney?)–but women who exhibit the same attributes are often seen in a different light.

It would be great if we could follow in Jen’s footsteps and create a list of real live women whom we admire. We don’t have to agree with all their views, but we admire them for being strong in one way or another. Let’s keep the list to living women that we mostly all know.

Here are a few that quickly come to my mind:

1. Oprah Winfrey
2. Condoleezza Rice
3. Hillary Clinton
4. Katie Couric (hurray for bravery and televised colonoscopys)
5. Jamie Lee Curtis (her unretouched photo forever stamps her place among strong women)

Who would you add?

Like Jen, I will compile a final list.