MSI Press Blog

   Breaking Barriers: Women Who Shaped the Literary Landscape As we celebrate Women's History Month, it's crucial to shine a light on the remarkable women who have transformed the publishing industry, breaking down barriers and reshaping the world of literature. From pioneering editors to groundbreaking authors and visionary publishers, women have been instrumental in bringing diverse voices and critical perspectives to bookshelves around the world. Pioneering Editors and Publishers The publishing industry owes much of its richness to women who took bold steps to amplify marginalized voices. Margaret Sanger, founder of Planned Parenthood, was also a pioneering publisher who fought censorship and published groundbreaking works on women's health and reproductive rights. In the early 20th century, women like Blanche Knopf co-founded Alfred A. Knopf Publishing, bringing innovative and daring literature to readers when many publishing houses were exclusively male-dominated. ...

  Today's meditation from  Weekly Soul: Fifty-two Meditations on Meaningful, Joyful, and Peaceful Living   by Dr. Frederic Craigie. -13-   Sometimes you have to play a long time to be able to play like yourself.   Miles Davis   I am a self-taught fiddle player. I think of myself as “intermediate.” If you know traditional American music and heard me play Whiskey Before Breakfast, you’d probably at least recognize the tune, but you would not steer me in the direction of a recording contract. After many years of trying to find my own way, I decided to take some lessons. Perhaps learning some of the foundational aspects of fiddle playing—how to position and hold the instrument, how to grasp and move the bow—would help me take it to the next level. I knew I didn’t want violin lessons (yes, with some minor modifications: the “violin” and “fiddle” are the same instrument, but the approach to music is worlds apart), and I found a teacher who is a lover of old-time ...