MSI Press Blog

  Excerpt from  Creative Aging  (Vassiliadis & Romer) - Feminism and Creative Aging   Feminism is a word that sets some people’s teeth on edge (visions of bra-burning and man-hating fanatics flash into mind), but there’s really no other word that describes the revolution in attitudes toward women that took place in the 1970s. Feminism, like it or not, has had an enormous impact on aging Baby Boomers as they make life choices for the next span of their existence.   Feminism, defined, simply means the drive toward equality for women in all aspects of personal and professional life. We have not reached true equality—salaries, for instance, still are not equal between men and women—but compared to the households many Baby Boomers were raised in, things have definitely changed.   My mother, for example, did not have a job while my brother and I were growing up. She was there to greet us every day when we got home from school. A physical education teacher bef...

   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 book excerpt comes from Women, We're Only Old Once by Bertha Cooper. INTRODUCTION   I stood at the door to my old age, somewhat reluctant to enter. Since I was only partially committed to the inevitable, I took a cautious first look at this new territory and came up with more questions than answers. What should I wear? What must I plan? What must I pack? What do I leave behind? What does it matter? I embarked on writing Women, We’re Only Old Once!: Keep What You Can, Let Go of What You Can’t, Enjoy What You Have when I was 66 years old and found myself asking even more questions. I knew that I was not alone. I would write from a woman’s point of view. Women, We’re Only Old Once! would be a book for women. I knew that I wanted to share my journey with other women and that I wanted to invite women to share their journeys with me. Aging doesn’t start at 50, 55, 60, or 65. It starts at birth. Aging doesn’t get a bad name until accompanied by wrinkles, arthrit...