Post #6 for Kendra Bonnett and Matilda Butler — Authors of Rosie’s Daughters: The “First Woman To” Generation Tells Its Story

It’s the Memorial Day long weekend and for a classic film fan like me, it means a weekend of war films. And I confess that some of them I enjoy watching. The networks have tried to balance their presentation. They’ve shown films celebrating the grit and courage of the heroes of every war that’s involved Americans from the Revolution through to Vietnam. And they’ve shown several anti-war films. But I have just one question: Where are the women? Oh there’s a femme fatale or two, an occasional nurse or love interest thrown in. But we still come to one basic conclusion: War is sad. Men were brave. And during WWII they were fighting for Mom, apple pie and Betty Grable’s legs! [click to continue…]

Post #5 for Matilda Butler and Kendra Bonnett — authors of Rosie’s Daughters

I doubt anyone will question or challenge the importance of communication. It’s a most elemental connection, whether among family members or between countries (and every group and individual in between). If we all agree, then why do we need conferences to help us do what should not only come naturally but be our number one imperative? [click to continue…]

Post #4 for Matilda Butler and Kendra Bonnett — Rosie’s Daughters

When Matilda and I finished writing and editing the 100th iteration (some days it felt like that) of our manuscript Rosie’s Daughters: The “First Woman To” Generation Tells Its Story, we thought we had something special. Telling the story of a generation of women through a collective memoir was, at the very least, different. Integrating the women’s memoir vignettes with our socio-cultural historical narrative was (we knew) very unusual.

Our real challenge was in the page layout: How to make several separate elements on a page work together to give the reader a rich experience without creating confusion. But by the time we saw our designer Rees Maxwell’s layout that combines vignettes, narrative, pictures, quotes and a timeline on a page spread we believed Rosie’s Daughters was truly novel.

A couple of days ago we heard from our publisher, Iaso Books (a division of Two Bridges Press), that Independent Publisher thinks we have something special too. We’re a finalist for an Independent Publisher Book Award (an IPPY) in the Women’s Issues category (#62).

Thank you for all the support, kind words and reviews. We’ll keep you posted on how Rosie’s Daughters does in the final judging.

Post #3 – Rosie’s Daughters – Kendra Bonnett and Matilda Butler

On April 21st, The New York Times announced: “Patrick Becomes First Woman to Win a Major Auto Race.” Driver Danica Patrick won the Indy Japan 300 by beating the two-time Indy 500 winner Helio Castroneves.

Wow, I thought, there are still new frontiers for FW2s (First Woman To’s) to conquer. But opportunities to break new ground are fewer. And that’s good too.

So what’s the significance of being a First Woman To? Ultimately it’s not the achievement of one woman but the opening of a field to a critical mass of women. And further that the achievement occurs under ordinary circumstances. In other words, it’s no fluke that Patrick should be in the race.

The FW2-Generation of women (what we call Rosie’s Daughters) broke both the actual and perceived barriers to female participation. They succeeded in turning their firsts into accepted roles for themselves and subsequent generations of women. Shirley Muldowney (a Rosie’s Daughter) is known as “The First Lady of Drag Racing,” and a logical role model for young drivers like Patrick.

It’s nice to see that subsequent generations are still raising the bar and finding new barriers to crack. Congratulations to Danica Patrick.

Post #2 – Rosie’s Daughters: The “First Woman To” Generation Tells Its Story – Matilda Butler and Kendra Bonnett

March is National Women’s History Month. We have so many accomplished women to celebrate, and one jewel is Rosie the Riveter–an icon for courage, grace and strength during WWII. It took a world war and the government’s desperate need for a workforce to first empower Rosie, but she didn’t disappoint. She changed the question of women’s roles from “What work can women do?” to “Is there any work women can’t do?” By war’s end, the answer was loud and clear: “No!”

In late 1945, Rosie went home, but her story was just beginning. To use the vernacular, “she was out there.” Women had shown their mettle, and the millions of individual Rosie stories serve as a legacy of empowerment. They forever changed women’s sense of opportunity, self-esteem and potential. Women knew they could do it. Most important was the message they shared with their daughters. They may have left the overalls behind, but figuratively they passed their red-and-white, polka-dot bandanas to their daughters. [click to continue…]

Post #1 – Rosie’s Daughters: The “First Woman To” Generation Tells Its Story – Matilda Butler and Kendra Bonnett

It’s February 2008 and I’m still going through my favorite Christmas presents — books. Alice Waters’ new book, The Art of Simple Food: Notes, Lessons, and Recipes from a Delicious Revolution is now on top of one of the many tempting piles that fill my desk, my bedside table, and the kitchen counter.

In researching Rosie’s Daughters: The “First Woman To” Generation Tells Its Story, I investigated numerous sources to compile a list of prominent women born during World War II. Imagine my delight to find that my idol, Alice Waters, is a Rosie’s Daughter. Of course, I shouldn’t have been surprised. Waters, like so many “First Woman To” Generation women brought about change and continues to do so.

[click to continue…]