Book Brunch: Rachel Shteir

The author is joined by Maria DiBattista to discuss her book “Betty Friedan: Magnificent Disrupter.” Doors open at 10:45 a.m. for coffee and pastries; talk begins at 11 a.m. Book signing to follow.

From Yale University Press' Jewish Lives series, “Betty Friedan: Magnificent Disrupter” is a new portrait of the author and activist who is considered to be the mother of second-wave feminism.

From the publisher:

The feminist writer and activist Betty Friedan (1921–2006), pathbreaking author of "The Feminine Mystique," was powerful and polarizing. In this biography, the first in more than 20 years, Rachel Shteir draws on Friedan’s papers and on interviews with family, colleagues and friends to create a nuanced portrait.
 
Friedan, born Bettye Naomi Goldstein, chafed at society’s restrictions from a young age. As a journalist she covered racism, sexism, labor, class inequality and anti-Semitism. As a wife and mother, she struggled to balance her work and homemaking. Her malaise as a housewife and her research into the feelings of other women resulted in "The Feminine Mystique" (1963), which made her a celebrity.
 
Using her influence, Friedan cofounded the National Organization for Women, the National Women’s Political Caucus, and the National Association to Repeal Abortion Laws. She fought for the Equal Rights Amendment, universal childcare, and workplace protections for mothers, but she disagreed with the women’s liberation movement over “sexual politics.” Her volatility and public conflicts fractured key relationships. In her later life, Friedan was increasingly worried about the links between anti-Semitism and misogyny and acknowledged how essential her Judaism was to her strength and feminism

About the author:

Rachel Shteir is an award-winning writer whose work has appeared in national magazines and newspapers including the "New York Times" and the "Wall Street Journal." She is the author of three previous books: “Striptease: The Untold History of the Girlie Show,” “Gypsy: The Art of the Tease” and “The Steal: A Cultural History of Shoplifting.” She is also the founder and current head of the dramaturgy and dramatic criticism program at the Theatre School at DePaul University. She holds a DFA in dramaturgy and dramatic criticism from  Yale School of Drama and a BA in Near Eastern languages and literatures from the University of Chicago.  

About the Moderator:

Maria DiBattista is professor of English and comparative literature at Princeton University. She specializes in 20th century literature and film, the European novel and narrative theory. Her books include “Virginia Woolf: The Fables of Anon,” “First Love: The Affections of Modern Fiction” and “Fast Talking Dames.”

Presented with support from the National Endowment for the Humanities: Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this programming do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

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