FEMINIST AUTHOR COMPILES
COMPLETE HISTORY OF WOMEN

“The feminist movement is the most important revolution that has ever occurred on earth,” Marilyn French writes. “Its nature is so radical that many people, even women themselves, do not perceive it; moreover, it is rooted in qualities so natural they go unspoken.”

From Eve to Dawn: A History of Women in the World, a four-volume, 1,600-page opus by feminist writer Marilyn French is being published in the US for the first time this year. French, best known for her bestselling novel The Women’s Room, took more than twenty years to research this series which was first published in Canada in three volumes in 2003. Florence Howe, founder of the Feminist Press at CUNY and an admirer of French’s work, read the Canadian edition several years ago and knew the books had to be published in the U.S.

“[French’s] secret--and the accomplishments of these volumes is dual,” Howe told FTW. ”She is an extraordinarily clear and elegant prose writer, able to bring information to a general readership: she is a fine and honorable scholar in search of a comprehensive portrait of women’s history. Add to that her incredible energy--what one might call determination--to see a long and complicated project to its close.”

Each volume focuses on a different period of history, and provides a comprehensive look at the state of women’s lives and rights all over the world during that time. Volumes one and two, which were released earlier this year, cover prehistory and the time until the French Revolution. Volume three, Infernos and Paradises: The Triumph of Capitalism in the 19th Century (978-1-55861-583-0), available this month, begins with a discussion of the way the slave trade changed African society. War and militarism that were imported with the European slave trade changed peaceful matrilineal societies to patriarchal ones where women had little or no power even in their own families. The volume moves on to discuss the industrial revolution and the difficult labor performed by women in factories for wages that were always lower than men. Life was a struggle for families who depended on two incomes, but who had children and a household to support.

French goes on to describe various attempts at socialist or utopian societies, aimed at equality between the sexes. The Shakers are mentioned, as is the New Harmony, Indiana, community founded by Robert Owen, which lasted from 1825 to 1827. She explains England’s Cult of True Womanhood, the origins of higher education for women, and examines the first labor unions for women.

In short, French does an incredible job of relating the history of the sex and the varied roles women have played--willingly or unwillingly—around the globe.

“In my view, though Marilyn is not a recognized historian per se, she is certainly an educated literary historian, and a brilliant scholar,” Howe said. “Moreover, she was wise enough to employ a score of eminent historians who provided her with the materials to write chapters that no one else in the world had even tried to put together to make a sensible, relevant, comprehensive, and understandable account of how it is that women have continued so uniformly and for so many centuries to be subjected to patriarchy.”

Volume four, Revolutions and the Struggles for Justice in the 20th Century (978-1-55861-584-7) focuses on political revolutions as well as the revolutions of socialism and feminism. She includes detailed profiles of women, including Rosa Luxemburg, who was an influential member of the Communist Party in Germany, and the Russian revolutionary, Anna Elizarova. Revolutions in China, Russia, Europe, Africa, and India are all recounted--and not just women’s roles. Although the books’ primary focus is on women, French includes a great deal of information to provide historical context.

“No one has written such chapters as those on the world’s three great religions. No one has written on Africa as she has. No one has ever put so many international perspectives into a single series of volumes,” Howe said.

Theresa Kintz, a professor of Women’s Studies at Wilkes University agreed about the importance of the volumes and their impact. Kintz reviewed volumes one and two for Library Journal.

“This it is not just about women’s history, it also addresses women’s prehistory, which is perhaps more important to understand,” she said. “As French documents, by the time we get to ‘history,’ patriarchy has been firmly established in all civilizations, a ubiquitous fait accompli! How and why did this happen? French explains the current theories very well.”

Franklin Dennis, publicist for the Feminist Press, says the books have been selling well to university and public libraries. The first two volumes, published in April, have both gone back to press for a second printing.

by Whitney Hallberg, Managing Editor

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FAST FOREWORD

Raphael Kadushin, Senior Acquisitions Editor for The University of Wisconsin Press, introduces a story he wrote for the anthology, Big Trips: More Good Gay Writing. The story, called “At Home with James Herriot,” is available in its entirety at the Book Club for the next week. Don’t miss it; it’s hilarious.

National Novel Writing Month

November is National Novel Writing Month. Since 1999, thousands of “writers” have gathered online at www.nanowrimo.org with the goal of producing a 50,000-word novel by December 1. Writers use the Web site to track their word count and share stories about their progress. The night of November 30, they submit their work to the electronic word counter. Everyone who has reached the 50,000-word goal is named a winner.

“Because of the limited writing window,” the Web site states, “the ONLY thing that matters in NaNoWriMo is output. It’s all about quantity, not quality. The kamikaze approach forces you to lower your expectations, take risks, and write on the fly.”

Sara Gruen’s novel, Water for Elephants, was begun using the NaNoWriMo program. In 2007, more than 15,000 participants completed novels.

Children’s Publisher Reintroduces Out-of-Print Classics

In the spring of 2009, Marshall Cavendish Children’s Books will release the first titles in its Marshall Cavendish Classics series. Librarians, teachers, and booksellers have helped the publisher identify out-of-print titles that deserve to be returned to print as “classics.” These are the books in the library that tend to wear out first and are difficult to replace.

The first titles in the series, which will include both novels and picture books, are Ghengis Khan by Demi, Little Sister and the Month Brothers by Beatrice Schenk de Regnier and illustrator Margaret Tomes, and If I Love You, Am I Trapped Forever? by M.E. Kerr.

“Bringing new literature into the world is important, but so is keeping alive great literature of the past that has withstood the test of time,” Marshall Cavendish publisher Margery Cuyler said.

Science Fiction Webscription Network Increases Offerings

Night Shade Books, an independent science fiction publisher has added its titles to Baen Books’ Webscription network, which already includes books from Baen Books and Subterranean Press. According to Baen Books’ Web site, the Webscription is a web-based re-creation of the serialized novel. For a fee, Webscribers receive four science fiction e-books in three installments each.

“Baen has successfully led the industry into the future with its DRM-free electronic publishing program,” Night Shade editor-in-chief Jeremy Lassen said in a press release. “This canny insight into the e-book market is just one of the many reasons Night Shade has chosen to partner with Baen for the launch of its e-book line.”

New York Book Show Open for Entries

The twenty-third annual New York Book Show is open for entries. The show, sponsored by the Bookbinders’ Guild of New York, honors beautifully designed books, covers, and jackets, published in 2008.

Entries must be received on November 17, 18, or 19. The winning entries will be displayed at the Book Show on March 24, 2009, and the Bookbinders’ Guild Web site after the show.

Visit the Bookbinders Guild of New York Web site for entry forms and more information.

New England Book Show Accepting Entries

The fifty-second annual New England Book show is also open for entries. The deadline is November 26 for this juried show that recognizes the year’s most outstanding work by New England publishers, printers and graphic designers.

Visit the Bookbuilders of Boston Web site for entry forms and information.

From staff reports. Share your news and information with Whitney Hallberg, Managing Editor.

ForeWord's Seasonal Announcements are now exclusively online! Keep up with the latest releases from small presses. The list is updated weekly.

This week at Publishing Matters, Eugene Schwartz talks about the book Nicholas in Trouble, and explores Web 2.0 and Beyond.

At Editor’s Notes, Editor-in-Chief Heather Shaw talks about a perfect book with an imperfect title: The Love Song Of Monkey.

At Shelf Space, Jen Robinson says there's a perfect gift for all seasons - helping kids learning to love reading.

At Publishing Insider, Lynne Scanlon tells publishers, editors and authors to say "No" to returns from bookstores.

Visit www.forewordmagazine.com for publishing news, book reviews, and the ForeWord Book Club.

FOREWORD FOOTNOTES

Biography and Autobiography. ROBERT SERVICE: UNDER THE SPELL OF THE YUKON by Enid Mallory (Heritage House, b/w photographs, 280 pages, softcover, $19.95, 978-1-894974-26-4): contributor to Reader’s Digest and author of the Remarkable Years: Canadians Remember the 20th Century presents the life (1874-1958) of a poet and writer famous for his interest in the snow-bound territory.

Body, Mind & Spirit. HEALING TRAUMA: A PIONEERING PROGRAM FOR RESTORING THE WISDOM OF YOUR BODY by Peter A. Levine (Sounds True, b/w photographs, 1 CD, 104 pages, softcover, $14.95, 978-1-59179-658-9): physician and physicist presents ideas on how to develop “body awareness to ‘renegotiate’ and heal traumas by ‘reinvesting’ them rather than reliving them.”

Body, Mind & Spirit. RACHEL POLLACK’S TAROT WISDOM: SPIRITUAL TEACHINGS AND DEEPER MEANINGS by Rachel Pollack (Llewellyn, b/w illustrations, 500 pages, softcover, $21.95, 978-0-7387-1309-0): one of the world’s foremost authorities on modern interpretation of tarot discusses the evolution of card meanings from the late eighteenth century and offers tips on how to use the deck in daily life.

Business & Economics. A PASSION FOR THE EDGE: LIVING YOUR DREAMS NOW by Tim Tyler (Edenscape Publishing, 100+ color photographs, 256 pages, softcover, $21.50, 978-0-9789786-1-7): past researcher for the Minuteman missile MIRV R&D project and former scientist at Texaco’s R&D laboratories uses an adventure story to show how business principles can be applied to successful living; includes getting past perceived obstacles such as age, economy, or money.

Business & Economics. MANNERS THAT SELL: ADDING THE POLISH THAT BUILDS PROFITS by Lydia Ramsey (Pelican, 192 pages, hardcover, $23.00, 978-1-58980-637-5): business etiquette expert, who’s been quoted in publications such as the Wall Street Journal, discusses interpersonal skills that are best for working with customers, coworkers, and clients; these skills could be the difference between a sale and no sale.

Family & Relationships. MARRIED WOMEN WHO LOVE WOMEN by Carren Strock (Routledge, 272 pages, softcover, $24.95, 978-1-56023-791-4, hardcover, $59.99, 978-1-56023-790-7, second edition): sociologist interviewed dozens of married women, husbands, children, friends, lovers, and therapists to update and reveal “the challengers, opportunities, and consequences” concerning this “surprisingly” common occurrence.

Health. STRONGER AFTER STROKE: YOUR ROADMAP TO RECOVERY by Peter G. Levine (DemosHealth, b/w photographs, 240 pages, softcover, $19.95, 978-1-932603-74-3): researcher with the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences at the University of Cincinnati presents a more effective treatment philosophy.

History. UNDERSTANDING CONTEMPORARY RUSSIA edited by Michael L. Bressler (Lynne Rienner, b/w photographs, 423 pages, softcover, $26.50, 978-1-58826-561-6, hardcover, $65.00, 978-1-58826-586-9): political science professor at Furman University brings together experts to discuss the history and current status of Mother Russia.

Law. WHO OWNS THE SKY? THE STRUGGLE TO CONTROL AIRSPACE FROM THE WRIGHT BROTHERS ON by Stuart Banner (Harvard University Press, 15 b/w photographs, 353 pages, hardcover, $29.95, 978-0-674-03082-4): law professor at University of California discusses aviation law and how new technologies change people’s relationship to established laws.

Psychology. POSITIVE YOUTH DEVELOPMENT & SPIRITUALITY: FROM THEORY TO RESEARCH edited by Richard M. Lerner, Robert W. Roeser, and Erin Phelps (Templeton Foundation Press, b/w illustrations, 390 pages, softcover, $39.95, 978-1-59947-143-3): child development specialists at Tufts University bring together scientists, psychologists, and sociologists to scientifically examine how spirituality may affect development.

by Alex Moore, Book Review Editor