feminism

Literature is culture too! **DB

“Every Woman”
by Pamela Redmond Satran

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE
Enough money within her control to move out
And rent a place of her own
even if she never wants to or needs to
Something perfect to wear if the employer
or date of her dreams wants to See Her in an hour

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE
A youth she’s content to leave behind
A past juicy enough that she’s looking forward to
retelling it in her Old Age

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE
A set of screwdrivers,
a cordless drill, and a black lace bra
One friend who always makes her laugh
And one Who lets her cry

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE
A good piece of furniture not previously owned
by anyone else in her Family
Eight matching plates,
wine glasses with stems,
And a recipe for a meal that will make
her guests feel Honored
A feeling of control over her destiny

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW
How to fall in love without losing herself
HOW TO QUIT A JOB,
BREAK UP WITH A LOVER,
AND CONFRONT A FRIEND WITHOUT
RUINING THE FRIENDSHIP
When to try harder
And WHEN TO WALK AWAY

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW
That she can’t change the length of her calves,
The width of her hips,
or the nature of her parents
That her childhood may not have been perfect
But it’s over

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW
What she would and wouldn’t do for love or more
How to live alone
Even if she doesn’t like it

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW
Whom she can trust,
Whom she can’t,
And why she shouldn’t take it personally

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW
Where to go
Be it to her best friend’s kitchen table
Or a charming inn in the woods
When her soul needs soothing

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW
What she can and can’t accomplish in a day
A month
And a year.

By Julia Halperin via “The Art Newspaper”

Meryl Streep personally pledged $1m to the planned museum last year. Photo: Annie Liebovitz

A long-stalled campaign to build a national museum for women’s history in Washington, DC, has gained new momentum. Key elected officials, including Eric Cantor, the Republican majority leader of the House of Representatives, and Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic minority leader, pledged their support this week for legislation to help create the museum.

The bill’s list of cosponsors has nearly doubled in the past four months, to 85, and a vote is expected to take place later this year. A record number of women serving in Congress—98, up from 91 last year and 24 in 1983—also gives the legislation’s chances of success a boost. The latest version of the bill is designed to calm the complaints of Republicans, who blocked an earlier proposal in 2010 because they feared a new museum would cost taxpayers too much money. The estimated $500m institution will be financed entirely through private funds; a non-profit organisation started to raise money for the museum has already collected $18m, according to The New York Times, and the actress Meryl Streep personally pledged $1m last year. But the project still needs Congressional approval to be built on federal land in downtown Washington, DC.