MedlemPaulaDail

Two types of books occupy most of the space in my personal library: About half are sociological statements regarding various social problems, as seen through the eyes of my fellow, most often male, colleagues. Most represent good scholarship, but I rarely agree with their conclusions.
The other topic taking up shelf space is religion. Those shelves recently collapsed downward, creating a pile of books in the middle of my study that was eerily reminiscent of a Nazi book burning. I’m not sure there is a message in this entirely unexplainable occurrence (we don’t live in an earthquake zone) but I do wonder.
Recreationally, I read whatever catches my fancy. Currently, in preparation for my next book, CONFLICTED, I’m deeply immersed in Basic Judaism by Rabbi Milton Steinberg and Living a Jewish Life by Anita Diamant. Both are fascinating. Meanwhile, my most recent book, FEARLESS, has just been released. It is a novel, inspired by a true story, about a Catholic nun who takes on the fight for women's reproductive rights with in the largest patriarchal institution in the world.

Born (and grew up) in: San Diego, California

Education: Univ. of Colorado-Boulder and Univ. of Wisconsin-Madison (PhD) during the late 1960’s glory days

Genres: Non-fiction (feminist perspectives on socio-political poverty) and fiction

Influential writers: Iris Murdoch, Simone de Beauvoir, Gloria Steinem; Jonathan Kozol, Robert Coles, Kathleen Norris, Dorothy Day, Ernest Hemingway, Betty Freidan, Harper Lee.

I was probably born a writer but I was not born a raging feminist; however, 25 plus years as an academic poverty researcher turned me into one. I spent a few more years writing editorials, feature stories and a regular column, “WomanSpeak” for a small newspaper group, which served two important purposes. One was to solidify my resolve to push a feminist agenda at every opportunity; the other was to generate angry letters to the editor, which sold more newspapers. I really loved that job!

While in academia I published widely in the social sciences, mostly on topics pertaining to poverty, a topic that is, for me, a matter of social justice. For reasons I cannot explain the topic has held me captive since I was seven years old. That year I wrote a letter to the editor of the San Diego Tribune saying that people should contribute money so poor children who needed shoes could have them. It appeared on the front page of the Sunday edition. I don’t remember what compelled me to write the letter, but more than 40 years later, after my dad had died, I found the yellowed newspaper clipping in his wallet.

Since leaving the academic world I have written two books on 21st century poverty, neither of which would have been possible while I was still an active academic and responsible for several million dollars in research grants. Taking on these topics after leaving academia permitted me to say some things I felt needed saying, but could not (i.e., wasn’t brave enough to) say previously. McFarland Publishing Co. has published both of these books, and both have received awards. Women and Poverty was the 2012 Council for Wisconsin Writers' non-fiction book of the year, which testifies to the recognition the topic deserves. “Mother Nature’s Daughters: Stories of 21st Century Women Farmers” tells the amazing stories of eight truly remarkable farming women, including a Catholic nun who operates a chain saw and a cattle farmer confined to a wheel chair. All of these independent women farmers embody feminism at its very finest, without even realizing it. I’ve fallen completely in love with this book, and am pleased that it has also won the Council for Wisconsin Writers 2016 non-fiction book of the year award.

Once Mother Nature’s Daughters was launched, I was lead editor on a collection of essays from women protesting the 2016 presidential election, which resulted in a card-carrying misogynist being elected president of the United States. WE RISE TO RESIST; VOICES FROM A NEW ERA IN WOMEN'S POLITICAL ACTION was awarded, among other things, a Booklist starred review.

I've just finished writing a novel confronting institutionalized religion. I see this topic as handing me a marvelous opportunity for another feminist rant, this time taking on patriarchal religion – again (I’ve tried it twice previously.) Having spent 10 years in Catholic girls’ boarding school, I have a few things to say about religious patriarchy! FEARLESS is inspired by the true story of a Catholic nun who fights for women's reproductive rights within the largest institutional patriarchy in the world - the Catholic Church.

As a writer, I just can’t leave aside the notion that, for women, the personal is very political, and that various political agendas can become very, very personal.