Hello book lovers! In celebration of Women’s History Month, I would like to present to you, novelist, poet, short story writer, and artist, Sandra Cisneros. She is a pivotal figure in Chicano literature and her work explores the formation of Chicano identity, the challenges of being caught between two cultures (Mexican and Anglo-American) and experiencing poverty. Her first novel, The House on Mango Street (1983) is a coming-of-age novel that has been translated worldwide and is taught in U.S. classrooms. She is also known for her short story collection, Woman Hollering Creek and Other Stories... Continue Reading
Deliah Lawrence
Hello book lovers! In celebration of Women’s History Month, I would like to present to you, poet, writer, and educator, Lucille Clifton. Born Thelma Lucille Sayles, in Depew, New York, she moved with her husband James Clifton and family to Baltimore, Maryland in 1967. In 1969, she published her first poetry collection, Good Times, that was listed by The New York Times as one of the year’s ten best books. Her collection of poems dealt with social, racial and political issues as well as her identity as a woman and as a poet. From 1971 to 1974, she was poet-in-residence at Coppin State University... Continue Reading
Hello book lovers! In celebration of Women’s History Month, I would like to present to you, author, journalist, Min Jin Lee. She is a Korean American author (former lawyer) who has written novels, short stories, and essays that have garnered praise and won several awards. Her debut novel, Free Food for Millionaires was published in 2007 and was named one of the Top 10 Novels by The Times of London, NPR’s Fresh Air, and USA Today; a notable novel by the San Francisco Chronicle; and a New York Times Editor’s Choice and other awards. In January 2021, it was announced that Lee and screenwriter... Continue Reading
Hello book lovers! In celebration of Women’s History Month, I would like to present to you, civil rights activist, author, publisher, journalist, and lecturer, Daisy Bates. She was the co-publisher (and owner along with her husband, L. C. Bates) of the Arkansas State Press, a weekly statewide newspaper with its first issue appearing on May 9, 1941. It primarily focused on advocacy journalism and was modeled off other African-American publications like the Chicago Defender and The Crisis. The newspaper was punished for supporting desegregation (Little Rock Segregation Crisis – The Little Rock... Continue Reading
Hello book lovers! In celebration of Women’s History Month, I would like to present to you, author and philosopher, Jean Houston, Ph.D. She is a visionary thinker and one of the founders of the Human Potential Movement which centers on the belief that humans can experience an exceptional quality of life through developing their human potential. She is an advisor to UNICEF in human and cultural development and has worked around the world (over 100 countries) with many spiritual leaders including the Dalai Lama in India. Since 2003, she has been working with the United Nations Development Program,... Continue Reading
Hello book lovers! In celebration of Women’s History Month, I would like to present to you novelist, Kiran Desai. In 1998, her first novel, Hullabaloo in the Guava Orchard received many accolades from literary figures such as Salman Rushdie. It won the Betty Trask Award, a prize given by the Society of Authors for best new novels by citizens of the Commonwealth of Nations under the age of 35. Her next novel, The Inheritance of Loss won the 2006 Man Booker Prize and the National Book Critics Circle Fiction Award. In May 2007, she was the featured author at the inaugural Asia House Festival... Continue Reading
Hello book lovers! In celebration of Women’s History Month, I would like to present to you, journalist, writer, and filmmaker, Nora Ephron. After participating in a class action suit against Newsweek for sexual discrimination (the magazine told her they didn’t hire women writers), she went on to enjoy a prolific career in journalism and screenwriting. She is best known for writing and directing romantic comedy films for which she received various accolades and awards (a British Academy Film Award, nominations for three Academy Awards, a Golden Globe Award, a Tony Award, and three Writers... Continue Reading
Hello book lovers! In celebration of Women’s History Month, I would like to present to you, poet and essayist, Rita Dove. In 1987, she received the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry for Thomas and Beulah, a collection of poems loosely based on the lives of her maternal grandparents. In 1993, she was named United States Poet Laureate by the Library of Congress, a position she held until 1995. She has won several awards and collaborated on many creative projects including a live reading at the Lincoln Memorial, accompanied by John Williams’ music – a poem to Steven Spielberg’s documentary The Unfinished... Continue Reading
This is the first time I’m reading anything by Lily Zante and it won’t be the last. This novel serves up a dose of doubt, a spoonful of mistrust, and a heaping of finding love again. So, let’s meet Ava Ramirez, an entrepreneur of an online kids store, reeling from hurt after being ditched by Connor Beachcroft, her fiancé six weeks before their Valentine’s Day wedding. After the suppliers, dressmakers, caterers, and party planners are canceled she sets out for Verona, Italy – the honeymoon destination, the one thing she didn’t cancel. When Ava arrives at Verona airport, she... Continue Reading
Author’s Bio: Kristin Paul is a two-time award-winning author addressing social issues that impact women. Her books extend beyond storytelling, creating a platform for dialogue and awareness surrounding the challenges faced by women. She has spoken to numerous organizations about the difficulties women experience including domestic violence. Her books are Drowning by Katelin Maloney and Freeing Yourself Financially: A Woman’s Guide to Rebuilding Her Finances After Divorce. She is also a book publisher at Purple Ribbon Publishing. Kristin Paul, also a passionate advocate for empowering... Continue Reading