This week will be all about women, be they well known, unknown, bloggers, joggers, or something in between. As a prelude to International Women’s Day I will transform Wonderland or Not into mini celebration of women.
IWD is observed annually worldwide on March 8th, it is now an official holiday in China, Armenia, Russia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bulgaria, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Macedonia, Moldova, Mongolia, Tajikistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan and Vietnam. Events are being held all over the world throughout the month of March. You can find events at the official IWD site, by Googling, or checking Women’s Watch.
The United Nations theme for the year 2009 is “Women and men united to end violence against women and girls”. The theme is not set in stone, and may differ from nation to nation. Those who choose to acknowledge the day are not held to specific rules.The Bloggers Unite site is also hosting the day. It’s a good way to share your post on March 8th.
On this very Monday morning full of blustery wind, and falling temperatures, but lacking the predicted snowstorm, I leave you in the hands of a woman. The woman is Dorothy Parker. An American short story writer, poet, and critic known for her searing wit. A theoretical communist, though never a member of the Communist Party, she stood early against Fascism and Nazism. A co-founder of the Screenwriter’s Guild, she was placed on the infamous Hollywood Blacklist during the McCarthy era.
I’m bitter, querulous, unkind.
I hate my legs, I hate my hands,
I do not yearn for lovelier lands.
I dread the dawn’s recurrent light;
I hate to go to bed at night.
I snoot at simple, earnest folk.
I cannot take the gentlest joke.
I find no peace in paint or type.
My world is but a lot of tripe.
I’m disillusioned, empty-breasted.
For what I think, I’d be arrested.
I am not sick, I am not well.
My quondam dreams are shot to hell.
My soul is crushed, my spirit sore;
I do not like me any more.
I cavil, quarrel, grumble, grouse.
I ponder on the narrow house.
I shudder at the thought of men….
I’m due to fall in love again
Parker exploration links:
American Poems: Biography of Dorothy Parker
Modern American Poetry U OF ill
Explore Dorothy Parker’s New York
The Comprehensive Dorothy Parker Bibliography
Dorothy Parker, Lillian Hellman and the NAACP
Listen to Parker’s story “Arrangement In Black And White”, read by Tyne Daily in this October, 2000 piece in Salon.
peace
Aaahhhh…the good ol’ blacklist. I miss those days where we could put people on a list and then excommunicate them from life. Just kidding. It’s just amazing to me that we are still today debating with the very same people, or at least the very same mindset, who think blacklisting is a great idea.
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There are still blacklists as others have stated. I imagine they are not just in education either.
Dorothy Parker was a perfect woman.
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She would be my choice for you Doug, were she of your age and still alive.
I had a friend once who told me that men were the bane of her existence.
Chris — blacklisting is still alive and well. In public education of all places.
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That is not an uncommon sentiment amongst some women. I personally think those women are silly — given men such a standing in their life that they could even be bane — such a wasteful energy sucker.
How cool… I was planning on doing a post on women too for women’s history month. I’ll make sure to check out that Bloggers Unite site.
Also to the other commenters — blacklisting does still happen in public education.
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That whole blacklisting thing in public education is disturbing.
A great idea cooper.
I plead ignorance on Dorothy Parker’s body of work but I know her story. I have some catching up to do.
There are blacklists in public education, they call them ineligible lists in some systems. I bet there are lists like this in many industries.
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Get familiar with her, you will like her. Your wife is probably familiar with her on some level.
Cool shades Jacob.
I’m all for a week about women. Love the Parker links.
Ah, but the snow came at last.
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I was disappointed in Doug the channel 4 guy .He changed his forecast at 11PM so I assumed, because as of 3AM the snow looked paltry, we weren’t going to get that much, but it did mess up my driving day and my library time, as the uni library opened late.
“Big Blond” from the collected stories of Dorothy Parker – I have the original from the 40’s and I miss my books so much. Big Blond is a story you can read in your teens and love and read again 20 years later and see so much more
Most people do know her “men don’t make passes at girls who wear glasses” “candy is dandy but liquor is quicker”
She is among my favorite of favorites. I used to work across from the Algonquin and go for lunch dinner or drinks – the food was passable and pretend it was years earlier and I was a Knight of the Round Table though no matter how stimulating the company I was with they were never as acerbic, witty and charming. On the other hand I heard they fell down a lot etc and my friends didn’t
Great choice Cooper. There’s a lot of revisionist history about her work but I read ‘Big Blond” just before moving last year and it was amazing. I can quote lines from it. She has an ability to make characters come alive as few writers do
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I’m being audited just as I try to get my 08 taxes together and have to wait for my NY lawyer to send my Oct closing docs – well anyway, I google to sooth nerves
Candy is dandy…is often attributed to Willy Wonka who as far as I know was a creation of Roald Dahl but
is also attributed to both Dorothy Parker and Ogden Nash – as Nash wrote for the New Yorker as the same time and frequented the same bar stools it could have been either
I hate it when people can’t get facts straight so.…
pia’s last blog post..Hey Daddy, part 3
I am familiar with her but haven’t thought of her in some time. I was reading that poem the other day, so I decided to start with her in order to introduce her to those who might be unfamiliar with her.
The drawback of teaching 5th grade i — not teaching Dorothy Parker.
The week of the woman. I love it.
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Me too.
I think the 5th graders might be perplexed by Ms. Parker.
Curious now about Dorothy Parker.
I haven’t heard anything about International Women’s Day to be honest with you. But I guess reading sport websites it isn’t surprising.
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Well you’ve heard about it now Mr. Casey. Check her out you might enjoy some of her stuff.
terrific poem… so very honest and somewhat gritty..
I have heard of Dorothy Parker but hadn’t read any of her work…
thanks for the links Cooper
just checked out Australia’s theme.…..
Unite to End Violence Against Women…
good …very good!!
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You would probably really enjoy her stuff Kim.
Yes it looks like most nations took up the international theme.
Love the poem. Thanks for sharing, Cooper.
As a runner myself, I’m especially looking forward to seeing which jogger you feature
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Now I admit the jogger thing was just a rhyme, but I feel guilty, so I’ll have to go investigate some runners.
I run too Bone.
Absolutely great set of Dorothy Parker links. “Arrangement in Black and White” is one of my favorites of hers.
The poem is too good which I enjoyed reading and I would surely like to check out on the information I can get on Dorothy Parker. It is good to know that Women’s Day is celebrated in such a major scale worldwide…
great post idea! i’ve been thinking of doing something for women’s history month too.. thanks for sharing!
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