Heidi Schnakenberg

Radio Interview with WSJS 600, Friday, July 30th

2010-07-29T13:16:00.000-07:00

I'll be on WSJS 600AM with JR Snider tomorrow at 9:35am to discuss Kid Carolina. Tune in or click here to listen live!

Charlotte Creative Loafing Review

2010-07-29T13:11:00.000-07:00

Here's another review of KID CAROLINA that I recently became aware of--the book lives on!

Another Great Review for KID CAROLINA!

2010-04-15T12:01:00.000-07:00

Check out the review of Kid Carolina by the Charlotte Observer here!

New Web Site Design Launched

2010-03-29T15:52:00.000-07:00

Check out my new Web site design at www.heidischnakenberg.com!

Booklist Review of Kid Carolina!

2010-03-29T15:50:00.001-07:00

R. J. Reynolds Jr. (1906–64), an heir to the Camel cigarette fortune, was frequently in the public eye. Whether he gave away money, divorced wives (three of them), killed somebody while driving drunk, stood for public office, served in the navy in World War II, or competed in yachting regattas, the scion attracted attention on a tabloid scale. In this thoroughly researched account of Reynolds’ raffish life, Schnakenberg does not judge her subject, presenting a chronicle of his activities reconstructed from newspaper reports, Reynolds family archives, and previous family biographies such as The Gilded Leaf (1989). The author also adopts, in places, the liberty of re-creating dialogue in numerous scenes of domestic hostility. Dysfunctional before the invention of the term, Reynolds’ marriages were replete with boozing, screaming, and thrown objects. If not as tempestuous, his fourth and final union characteristically produced strife: Reynolds disinherited his children and bequeathed his entire estate to his last spouse. Crediting him with some enduring philanthropic legacies, Schnakenberg fairly shades in the light and the dark in her portrait of the restlessly rich Reynolds. --Gilbert Taylor

Kid Carolina Photo of the Day!

2010-03-29T15:48:00.000-07:00

Attached is the new Kid Carolina photo of the day! Visit my Kid Carolina Capzle to see more! If you're following my trivia questions on Capzle, the answer to last week's question is: Will Reynolds left the orphaned children at Reynolda instead of taking them in to his Tanglewood home.

Visit Capzle to learn more about the photos and find out the new question of the day!

Kid Carolina Photo of the Day!

2010-03-18T15:11:00.000-07:00

Attached is today's Kid Carolina photo of the day! Visit my Kid Carolina Capzle to see more! If you're following my trivia questions on Capzle, the answer to Sunday's question is that it was the headquarters of Reynolds Airways, the airline that R.J. Jr. built in the 1920s, which was one of the first domestic commercial airlines in the U.S. Visit Capzle to learn more about the photos and find out the new question of the day!

Kid Carolina Photo of the Day

2010-03-14T22:54:00.000-07:00

Attached is today's "Kid Carolina" photo of the day! Visit my Kid Carolina Capzle to see more! If you're following my trivia questions on Capzle, the answer to Thursday's question is that it's on the site of the original Reynolds mansion on 5th Street where R.J. Reynolds Jr. was born. That's the significance of the Forsyth County Public Library, which was built on the site after R.J. Jr. donated the land to the city in the 1940s. Visit Capzle to learn more about the photos and find out the new question of the day!

Kid Carolina Photo of the Day

2010-03-12T00:07:00.000-08:00

Attached is today's "Kid Carolina" photo of the day! Visit my Kid Carolina Capzle to see more! If you're following my trivia questions on Capzle, the answer to yesterday's question was "Shreve and Lamb." That's the name of the architectural firm that designed both the RJ Reynolds Tobacco building in Winston-Salem and the Empire State Building in New York. In fact, the Empire State Building was modeled after the Reynolds tobacco headquarters. Congrats to Ms. Tal for getting the answer right!

Radio Interview with Chapel Hill, NC NPR

2010-03-11T12:45:00.000-08:00

If you missed my interview with WUNC, click here to listen now!

Check out my new Kid Carolina Capzle!

2010-03-10T17:21:00.000-08:00

New content, photos, trivia, and excerpts will be added daily to my Capzle until we reach the end of the story! To learn more about any of the photos or trivia questions, pick up your copy of Kid Carolina today!

Author Essay: Navigating the Stormy Life of R.J. Reynolds Jr.

2010-03-10T12:22:00.000-08:00

Curious to read what it was like to write Kid Carolina? Check out my author article on HBG's Web site!

On North Carolina NPR's "The State of Things" tomorrow!

2010-03-10T12:07:00.000-08:00

I'll be on NPR's Chapel Hill, North Carolina (WUNC) radio show, "The State of Things" tomorrow at 12:30pm EST to discuss Kid Carolina! Check out their site for the many ways you can hear the show online if you're not in the area!

KID CAROLINA Released Today!

2010-03-10T12:04:00.000-08:00

Today is the official release of my debut biography, Kid Carolina: R.J. Reynolds Jr., A Tobacco Fortune, and the Mysterious Death of a Southern Icon! Because I just had a baby (literally, last week) and I can't yet go out and party, I'm going to be having an online launch party that lasts for several days! Grab the book, grab a drink, and come join me to discuss online. You can find me at Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, my Web site, and here!

Blog Update

2009-10-01T20:57:00.000-07:00

Because my current projects have left me with little time for leisure writing for the past couple of years, I plan to discontinue regular blogging here. I'll leave the site active for archival purposes, but I don't plan to use it much in the future except for the occasional update. If you find me here and are interested in following my work, please visit my web site at www.heidischnakenberg.com. You'll find the latest information on my upcoming book, screenplay, and other projects there. Thanks for stopping by!

UPDATE (2/2010): On second thought, this blog will likely be reactivated soon since many of my readers tend to find me here. I will be launching a new multi-media blog featuring excerpts and photos of my upcoming book, Kid Carolina: R.J. Reynolds Jr., A Tobacco Fortune, and the Mysterious Death of a Southern Icon, set to be released by Hachette Book Group in March 2010. All blog posts will be cross-posted here, so please stay tuned!

Cute: Older Generations Joining Social Networks

2009-04-13T15:49:00.001-07:00

This is adorable. Sounds like a certain "Grndmthr" I know!

How great is Departures?

2009-04-13T15:28:00.000-07:00

I love Departures magazine. I have yet to see anything covered in it that I don't find fascinating. And they even covered Pikayo! Renewed, lifelong, subscription, please.

Galileo

2009-04-13T15:26:00.000-07:00

Cool article in the Wall Street Journal on Galileo's telescope, now on display at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia.

Puerto Rico

2009-04-13T15:23:00.000-07:00

Puerto Rico made the editor's pick list in the current issue of Islands magazine. But of course...

A Little Reading, A Little Relaxing

2009-04-13T15:21:00.000-07:00

I have some time today while taking care of junior, and I'm catching up on some fun reading. Cross posts to follow.

SAG

2009-01-20T17:31:00.001-08:00

One more thought today while I'm hanging around online. What the heck is going on with SAG and Doug Allen? But, I'm always in favor of moderation if that is what they think is best. Oh, so much to catch up on....

For Michelle

2009-01-20T08:36:00.001-08:00

I haven't blogged in ages - been way too busy - but I am catching glimpses of the inauguration today in between working. I'm still unsure about Barack Obama's presidency. I really don't know what to expect. But I like Michelle Obama and I trust her as our new First Lady. I was once unsure about Michelle Obama as well, but I think she's gone through a powerful personal transformation and I think she's genuine. I was proud to be a woman today when I saw her with Laura Bush. I like them both and I think they represent the grace of our country.

That's all for this inauguration day. Oh, and happy belated 2009!

On that note...

2008-08-22T18:27:00.001-07:00

I must take another blog hiatus. No, not another babe--this time more new work. Till next time, never say never and keep on asking questions!

New Charlie Kaufman Film: Synecdoche, NY

2008-08-22T18:22:00.000-07:00

How did I miss a new Kaufman work of art? I'm off to figure out a way to get my hands on an advance copy right now.

"Theater director Caden Cotard's life in Schenectady, New York is looking bleak. His wife Adele has left him to pursue her painting in Berlin, taking their young daughter Olive with her. A new relationship with the alluringly candid Hazel has prematurely run aground. And a mysterious condition is systematically shutting down each of his body's autonomic functions. Worried about the transience of his life, he moves his theater company to a warehouse in New York City. He directs them in a celebration of the mundane, instructing each to live out their constructed lives in a growing mockup of the city outside."

The Joy of Giving

2008-08-22T18:03:00.000-07:00

At least a few times a week I try to do something to give my family and friends a boost--whether it be hooking someone up with a good doctor, scoping out a housing situation, or working through some sort of bureaucratic red tape. Nothing gives me more pleasure than helping my loved ones, truly. And this week has been especially lovely--helping a friend land a life-altering dream job and helping my nephew become the first in his immediate family to attend college.

During weeks like this, I realize that this is what I work for, and it is so worth it. If I never did another thing for myself, but I was able to keep helping people change their lives and realize their dreams, I would be happy. A friend from Ghana always used to say, "less talk and more action!" It's time to go back to action activism, where change is made with the touch of a hand and kindness in the eyes.

"Some work to live, some live to work, and then some work to help others live. It is the last group that changes the world."

Ah, Norway

2008-08-12T18:47:00.000-07:00

The homeland once again makes the top 5 in the World Economic Forum's Gender Gap Index, along with Sweden, Finland, Iceland, and New Zealand (the United States is conspicuously absent from the top 30, as usual.)

Is it a coincidence that these countries, particularly in Sweden's case, also happen to be the wealthiest, safest, healthiest, and most tolerant in the world?

From Luisito: Restaveks

2008-08-12T18:02:00.000-07:00

I was asked to post this article about Haitian restaveks--children who are forced to be indentured servants in Haiti. Human rights organizations estimate that there are 300,000 restaveks in Haiti at the moment. Children whose parents see little economic opportunity for them at home end up selling them to wealthier families as servants. The parents are usually duped into thinking their children will be sent to school and taken care of in exchange for their labor--when, in reality, the children are routinely and brutally abused, both physically and verbally, and rarely see school or any way out at all.

You can help by checking out the National Coalition for Haitian Rights here.

Thank you for sending, Luisito!

Heartbreaking, but a Must Watch

2008-08-12T17:45:00.000-07:00

This is a powerful clip of a documentary by Thomas Keith, Ph.D. It is in line with one of my most persistent arguments about everyday cultural sexism. It's not that a single hyper-sexualized image of a woman in pop culture or pornography is inherently bad or the casual use of sexist language here and there is solely responsible for women's real life problems--it is the use of these images and language against the backdrop of a very real human rights epidemic--rampant violence against women, which touches almost every American family. Sexist cultural norms don't do the victims any favors and don't exactly discourage perpetrators. Until the violence stops and the epidemic is at least somewhat under control, sexist language and sexism in pop culture must take a good, long vacation.

Watch:

Neal Ascherson's Review of Latest Glenny Book

2008-08-04T21:04:00.000-07:00

Interesting review of Misha Glenny's new book, McMafia: Crime Without Frontiers. It's going on the list!

Totally Random: Abu Simbel

2008-08-04T19:39:00.000-07:00

Came across this beautiful photo of Abu Simbel via National Geographic. Larry, Joyelle, Little T, exhaustion, and an impossibly long lorry ride come to mind. It was well worth it.

Interesting Piece on Armenia's Ties With Iran

2008-07-26T20:47:00.000-07:00

Armenians always seem to have good judgment, so their relationship with Iran is intriguing in a time when Iran is being vilified by everyone.

For a more friendly look at Iran, check it out.

Two of the Three Stooges Are Getting Ready

2008-07-26T12:37:00.000-07:00

The boys are getting ready for college--we are so proud of you! Keep up the good work!

Taking me back

2008-07-23T23:56:00.000-07:00

Really cool photos of the beautiful restoration of the Excellence Charter School in my old neighborhood. I remember walking by this place so many times...it looks incredible.

Activism, Telenovela Style: Courtesy of Maria Navarro

2008-07-23T23:04:00.000-07:00

My family watches telenovelas all day and all night. Sin Senos No Hay Paraiso is one of their favorite novelas. One plotline involves drug lords trying to convince women to get breast implants, which will then be used to smuggle drugs. The show also touches on various forms of violence against women and sexual coercion. Women in my family love it because it shows how gender violence is carefully woven into the drug trade and how women easily become involved against their will.

Telemundo 47, 10pm EST

Phoenix Projekt

2008-07-23T19:25:00.000-07:00

This is my friend Anna's amazing fire performance troupe--if you're in the L.A. area, check out their next show. We've been fantasizing about producing it in New York, perhaps next year. New Yorkers, what do you think?

I was just talking about Mayawati the other day...

2008-07-23T19:12:00.000-07:00

And here she is on the BBC, in all of her glory. Mayawati isn't just a Dalit (an untouchable), she's a women who rose to political power completely on her own merits (no husband, father, brother, etc. handing her the political limelight), and she's set to completely upset the caste system. She might just be a spoiler, but she also could be the next prime minister.

Karadzic Extradition Will Probably Be Delayed

2008-07-23T18:59:00.000-07:00

Can someone get Catherine MacKinnon on this case?? She did a great job the last time.

Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) May Help Memory Loss

2008-07-23T18:46:00.000-07:00

This article from the Dana Foundation came out a couple of months ago, but it just came to my attention. It looks like DBS, which has been used to aid Parkinson’s disease, depression, and obesity, may also enhance memory. A man who was receiving DBS for obesity had an interesting side effect--a dramatically improved memory. Now DBS is aggressively being pursued in Alzheimer’s studies, and any hope for Alzheimer’s is good news for traumatic brain injury victims. Sign us up!

Quick Tribute

2008-07-20T01:52:00.000-07:00

For all the talk this week about women, I thought I'd close with a quick tribute to two very special women--my mother and mother-in-law. They don't identify as feminists, but they both have paid a high price as women and represent in every sense of the word. I love you and te quiero mucho. Women of the world, keep fighting the good fight.

Enslaving Women

2008-07-01T17:25:00.000-07:00

How nice--an estimated 30 million women and girls have been trafficked and forced into sex slavery for the past few decades, making it the biggest slave trade ever known to man. The trade is worth $9.5 billion in sales and is the third largest most profitable criminal enterprise in the world. We are really outdoing ourselves, now!

When Austrian Nobel Prize winner, Elfriede Jelinek (whose latest book, "Greed," is about to come out, against the backdrop of the Josef Fritzl story--a perfectly normal suburban old man who happened to be enslaving his daughter for 24 years in a dungeon and fathered her seven children), was asked if feminism had made significant gains over the years, she said, "Nothing would lead one to suppose that it had."

Considering our current impressive slave trade, she may very well be right.

Three Cheers for Soledad Jarquin Edgar!

2008-06-26T22:09:00.001-07:00

It isn't easy writing about violence against women in Mexico. Particularly when editors told Jarquin Edgar that writing about abortion rights and contraception "had to do with the devil." She's a brave woman who has her nose to the grind on the population's most pressing issue: violence against women. Even though Bush is trying earmark $1 billion for drug-related crimes and violence in Mexico, Jarquin Edgar knows the bigger story is domestic violence and gender-related homicide. There is an average of 5 women murdered each month in Oaxaca alone, and Jarquin Edgar has made it her business to document it and write it about on the front page of Las Caracolas and El Imparcial. Jarquin Edgar is brave and inspiring, and is part of a growing movement among Latina women in Central and South America and the Caribbean. For more great reading, check out CIMAC Noticias.

Winning the Latina Vote

2008-06-26T08:54:00.000-07:00

Latinas represent a large part of coveted voters for both McCain and Obama. They're pretty ticked at the Republican party for their moronic immigration stances, though, so McCain can probably forget it. Most Latina lawmakers apparently missed a meeting with Obama recently due to personal reasons, but they remain unconvinced by him, too. This "unity" meeting with Latina lawmakers was followed by another meeting the week before that Obama scheduled with women's rights activists, and he didn't even show up.

It's surprising that Obama isn't falling all over himself to try and win women voters. Maybe he doesn't think he has to. Nevertheless, his ambiguous stance on women's rights is exactly why so many voters weren't convinced he would make women a priority as president, and opted to vote for Clinton instead.

As it is now, a lot of women aren't quite buying it. We shall see, we shall see...

Obama Girl, Again?!

2008-01-31T19:06:00.000-08:00

The popularity of Obama Girl just goes to show that we'd still rather see a woman exploited as a sex object than elect one as president...If Obama really is all that he claims to stand for, I hope he personally denounces Obama Girl.

Democrats, Vote for Hillary on Tuesday!

2008-01-30T11:49:00.000-08:00

I know, I know what you're thinking. I just desperately want to see a woman become president. But, really, it is more than that! I really believe Hillary is the best and just has this bad image problem that she cannot seem to shake. That's what happens when a politician is incapable of being fake and insincere, folks! She comes off as a little dispassionate and hardened sometimes.

It is amazing to me that she is not only perceived as charmless, but now she's seen as part of the "establishment." Hillary is not the establishment, even though she presents herself as moving easily in and out of all the Washington circles. I guarantee that Hillary is the only candidate who will actually do everything she says she will do as president, which would be unprecedented in the American presidency. Indeed, Hillary's record as a New York Senator has already confirmed this fact - Hillary, no matter how stiff or wooden her speeches and no matter how cold she may seem at times - has literally done everything she said she would do for the state of New York, and then some. When Hillary first became Senator, New York firefighters, police officers, and other public servants couldn't stand her. For no other reason than her image problem. A couple of years into her service and they worshipped the ground she walked on because she enforced all of the promises she made to them during her campaign.

If we all set aside her image issue, her "Clintonness," her past publicity mistakes, etc., I promise you she will have the same effect as president - more than any other candidate! Please vote for Hillary on Tuesday!!

A Sad Day for Pakistan

2007-12-27T17:02:00.000-08:00

What a sad day for Pakistan today. While Benazir Bhutto was a controversial and provocative public figure, she was most certainly the greatest hope for peace and democracy in Pakistan right now. Her assassination and death will leave a deep vacuum in the Middle East that will be almost impossible to fill.

My heart goes out to the people of Pakistan as they mourn their great leader. May she rest in peace.

Losing a Legend

2007-11-11T17:47:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we lost one of the greatest and most original American writers of the 20th Century, Norman Mailer. Although it may be contrary to my deepest feminist convictions (it looks like Gloria Steinem would agree with me), Mailer was and is one of my greatest literary inspirations. He lived across the street from my best friend in Provincetown and I used to look at his house and day dream about following in his footsteps (but of course with an opposing female sensibility and style). I believe that Mailer was widely misunderstood throughout his career as a writer and an activist, and that was in large part due to his inability to censor his most original, real, and raw ideas about the world. I would often read some of his wildest quotes and be able to completely relate to what he was saying, in spite of his abrasiveness and his loud critics.

Mailer has left a legacy that will only gain more power and influence now that he's gone. Rest in peace, Mr. Mailer, and thank you for all that you left behind. Maybe now everyone will begin to understand what it is you were saying all along.

Why Every Human Should be Opposed to Violent Porn

2007-09-22T12:38:00.000-07:00

Bravo to Don Hazen and Robert Jensen! Hazen wrote a terrific article for Alternet today on the rise of violent and cruel pornography. Hazen (and Robert Jensen, author of "Getting Off") perfectly articulates why violent and degrading porn (not all porn) is destroying women (and men.) Hazen addresses every pro-porn argument, including censorhip issues, the translation of violent porn to real life sexual violence, and women's choice in the whole matter. He essentially concludes that there is no excuse for cruelty and abuse toward women for the sake of male sexual pleasure and that we are all in denial about the raw and heartbreaking damage done to women in these films (and in society.)

I also say, imagine if we brutally abused minorities on film for pleasure the way we do women? There would be a public outrage. It would never be tolerated on the same level. Women's rights are human rights like any other, and human rights abuses should never be allowed to be documented on film for the sexual pleasure of men and for the multi-billion dollar porn industry. Thank you Don Hazen and Robert Jensen!

A Ray of Hope for Employed Domestic Abuse Victims

2007-08-28T17:38:00.000-07:00

It looks like employers are starting to implement serious programs that protect employees who are victims of domestic abuse. Oh, how we have needed these programs for so long. According to this article on Yahoo, more and more lives are saved by employers who help relocate domestic abuse victims or intervene in domestic abuse cases. Some companies, with the help of wonderful organizations like the Family Violence Prevention Fund, are conducting mandatory training among personnel to recognize and deal with employees who are victims of domestic abuse.

These measures to protect women are so valuable and can provide a safety net for employed victims who may have nowhere else to go. Now if we can just get the same accessible help to women and victims who are unemployed.

Obama Girl Videos

2007-07-18T18:07:00.001-07:00

Great post from Jen Moseley on Feministing and Alternet the other day. I couldn't agree more. From my Myspace blog:

"There was a great post from Jen Moseley on Feministing the other day on the Obama Girl (and Guiliani Girl) videos going around. I agree with Jen - it isn't funny. And it's so tiresome to see scantily clad women being used for everything in the media, even the presidential race. When are we going to realize that the relentless sexualized images of women in the media have a direct effect on the lives of women? There is a direct relationship between the portrayal of women in the media and how society perceives women in real life (and, incidentally, treats them). How many women have to suffer before we put a stop to it?"

Living With TBI

2007-05-29T18:45:00.000-07:00

There are some days when having a mother with TBI feels completely normal and manageable. It's been a part of my whole life, after all. Then there are days when it's crushing. When you've had a bad day at work and all you want to do is hear the comfort of your mother's voice, telling you everything is going to be okay. That you are safe. That you are loved. The extent of my mother's TBI is such that she cannot provide me with that maternal comfort. In fact, our roles have been entirely reversed for as long as I can remember. I must be the strong one, the caretaker, the provider, and expect nothing in return. I must be the one who is the adult - understanding, patient, and selfless at all times. And some days it's just not easy to maintain that role.

The Brain Injury Association published a study last year on the impact of TBI on family members. They found that family members experienced feelings of doubt, alienation, and decreased concentration. Family members also suffered from emotional distance from their loved ones, problems sharing tenderness, difficulty trusting others, and difficulty fulfilling roles and responsibilities in their every day lives.

As a child of a mother with TBI, I can't express how true these findings are in my life, and how comforting it is to know that I'm not alone. The Brain Injury Resource Center of Southern California also provides a comprehensive list of support groups for family members of individuals with TBI. I'd say it's time for me to sign up.

Hyman Reconstruction and Public Debate: And We Thought We Had Problems

2007-05-05T13:36:00.000-07:00

If your stomach can handle it, please read the article, "Hymen Repair on the Arabic Internet" by Bjoern Bentlage, Thomas Eich, and edited by yours truly, for the International Institute for the Study of Islam in the Modern World. Bentlage and Eich essentially conducted a study on texts, position papers, and public debate on the Arabic Internet over the controversial issue of hymen repair, a surgical practice in which the remains of a woman's broken hymen are repaired or reconstructed. The surgery is used by women with a broken or torn hymen who are about to be married and must prove they are virgins.

Are you feeling nauseous yet? Okay, moving on. As you might assume, women with torn hymens face a wide variety of harsh societal consequences if it's discovered by their future husbands, so this surgical practice has become more and more popular for women trying to escape such persecution. Of course, the practice is highly controversial and hotly debated by Muslim men (and a few fundamentalist Christian men as well) everywhere, who are mortified that the practice deceives men into thinking they're marrying a virgin when they're not. Prominent Muslim doctors acknowledge that just because a woman has a broken hymen doesn't mean she's had pre-marital sex. But never mind that. Bentlage and Eich have taken a closer look at the nature of the debate itself, which exploded in 1987 at the meeting of the Islamic Organization of Medical Sciences in Kuwait, when two religious scholars were asked to submit their opinions on the issue. The first, Muhammed Na'im Yasin, argued in favor of the operation in order to protect innocent women and girls from being unfairly prosecuted. The second scholar, Izz al-Din al-Tamimi, argued against it, claiming the practice allowed women to deceive the men they were marrying and could lead women on a "slippery slope" toward abortion practices. (Huh?) Tamimi said the practice must be forbidden.

As is to be expected, Yasin's position was slaughtered and Tamimi's barely criticized. Bentlage and Eich further studied reactions since that time on the Arabic Internet, which they presumed to be one of few mediums for free public debate in the Arab world, and concluded that Tamimi's position continues to be widely accepted, or seems to be accepted on the Arabic Internet, even though it is contested in offline texts around the world. This leads Bentlage and Eich to believe that the Arabic Internet, in practice, only serves as another form of media dominated by a few loud conservative voices with the power to influence public opinion and is not an accurate reflection of public views (in spite of the Internet's image as an uncensored medium for public expression).

Bentlage and Eich's analysis provides a thought-provoking look at how illegal hymen repair and all of the women's rights violations the issue implies, is seemingly stifled from a genuine public debate online, and why this should call into question the state of dissent on the Arab Internet.

You've Got Hate Mail

2007-05-05T12:51:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago Sally Jackson published an article on female journalists receiving hate mail in Australia, for which she interviewed me, and I was moved by the article's focus on conservative female journalists. Jackson's analysis showed that this hate mail problem is certainly not limited to liberal female writers - it is shared by all female columnists.

I'm as far left as one can get, and I consider myself a true liberal in that I try to consciously practice all of the basic principles of liberalism in my daily life - including exercising compassion toward minorities, women, nature, and all oppressed people. However, where women are concerned, liberal men have failed miserably. This is not just reflected in liberal men's treatment of conservative women, but their treatment of liberal women as well. I always say, a man's "liberalism" will always be tested by how he treats all women. Many liberal men are excellent environmentalists, socialists, politicians, and all the rest, but most cannot resist the rampant woman-hating that plagues our world - a pandemic that the United Nations says is the most pressing world problem right now.

Many thanks to Jackson for highlighting the hate mail issue for female journalists once again, and for giving conservative women the attention they deserve. I believe that all women must unite in order to really give ourselves and our daughters a chance to make a positive impact in the world, and the only way we can do that is by sticking together, no matter what our backgrounds. We must do this in the same way that other marginalized groups of people, like African-Americans, Muslims, and most other oppressed groups have figured out. Women have not figured this out yet, and too often participate in the same mud-slinging toward one another that our oppressors do. Minorities would never systematically defame each other in the way that women continue do to each other, at a persistent rate. We must defend each other, first and foremost, against hate, discrimination, and torture of all forms. Only then will we gain the power we need to improve women's lives.

Hyman Reconstruction and Public Debate: And We Thought We Had Problems

2007-05-05T11:32:00.000-07:00

Ladies of the Land by Megan Thompson

2007-03-02T17:47:00.000-08:00

The eye-opening documentary, Ladies of the Land by Megan Thompson, which was screened at NYU last month, has just won the Gracie Allen Award for Outstanding Student Documentary! The film focuses on the fastest growing demographic in the farming industry - female organic farmers. Better yet, the film features my brilliant cousin, Dr. Amy Trauger, who founded the Women's Agricultural Network in Pennsylvania (a rare institution in American culture). Check out Thompson's website soon to find out how you can order a copy!

A Human Rights Plea

2007-02-11T20:58:00.000-08:00

I sent out this plea quite some time ago, but the need is as urgent as ever. Please contact your nearest international women's rights group (or any women's rights group) or such organizations as Heal Africa, and call for action or find out how you can help. Or better yet, talk to all of the men in your life right now to find out how men can stop this violence. The torture happening to the women in the Congo is the same tortue that's happening to women in Darfur, Afghanistan, and right here in the U.S. Rape and tortue of women worldwide is an epidemic that can no longer be ignored. We are slowly destroying over half of the world's population with this oppression. It must stop now.

"Hello to my wonderful, compassionate, activist friends, family, and colleagues,

I normally don’t solicit for causes, but each and every day, with a massive lump in my throat, I read up on what is happening to women, girls, and baby girls throughout Africa (and the world, actually), and I just can’t take the pain of it, without taking action anymore. We are staring at one of the greatest humanitarian atrocities in the history of the human race – the brutal treatment of women all over the world, which is the only form of oppression that perpetually grinds on and on in every country, every single race, every culture, and every religion. It is the greatest and longest crime against humanity, 51% of it, in the world. It is the only form of oppression that is relentlessly practiced on a group of people who have been consistently and overwhelmingly non-violent since the dawn of humans. Today, the nightmares in the Congo and Darfur serve as examples of how deep hatred of women continues to play itself out in our world.

Please read the link below and donate to Heal Africa (one of the only organizations in the Congo who have specialists that can repair “fistula” for raped women and girls) or the myriad of other trusted organizations out there, if you can. Or if you want to help and are short on monetary resources, feel free to contact me and I can guide you through different options that are available. Not only do victims desperately need help recovering, the men who commit these crimes must be prosecuted. The more they get away with it, the more violent the crimes become (consider Congolese militiamen roasting baby girls on a spit after they’ve raped them). As the newsbyte indicates below, this is real. It is not a story. It is really happening. Think about that for a minute – let it in.

An earth shaking shift in gender ideology will also be required to forever put an end to these crimes (handing out machine guns to every woman and child so they can protect themselves might also work), but it must happen – things have been out of control and lives have been ruined for way too long…They say the most powerful force in the world, when put into action, is a unified American public opinion and the pressure it creates. So let’s make it happen.

Anderson Cooper: This is Not a Fairy Tale

Peace, Heidi Schnakenberg"

The Three Stooges of NYC

2007-02-10T17:51:00.001-08:00

And They Said the Blue Group Was Dysfunctional...

2007-02-04T12:13:00.000-08:00

This blog post is way overdue, but I've been meaning to promote my friend, Keith Powell, who appears as "Toofer" in the hit comedy, "30 Rock!" The show is easily one of the best on television right now, and I'm so proud of my fellow Blue Grouper's achievements. Not only is Keith starring in a hit TV series, he's already accomplished more as a theater artist at the ripe old age of 28 than most people I know. After a whirlwind of acting and directing gigs, in 2004 he founded the Contemporary Stage Company in Wilmington, Delaware, and directed the likes of Lynn Redgrave and Jasmine Guy, and won Barrymore Awards in his first productions there. He is truly a monster of creativity - and he's just beginning. Be prepared to see a lot more of Keith, and for many many years to come.

Between Keith, and my girls at Tea Girl Productions (all four of us Blue Groupers) and our work with Francis Ford Coppola, I'd say we turned out alright, PHTS!

Glengarry Glen Ross at the Actor's Playpen

2007-01-18T20:23:00.000-08:00

If you're reading this and you're in the Los Angeles area, this is the last weekend to see the hit play, Rat Bastard Productions' Glengarry Glen Ross, directed by my best friend, the unbelievably talented Ms. Lara Tal. The show is an L.A. Times Critic's Choice (well-deserved), and is diamond in the rough in the L.A. theater scene. The cast is excellent and, of course, the directing is amazing! Don't miss it!

For information and tickets check out the Actor's Playpen website or Brown Paper Tickets.

Heidi Schnakenberg: Here's to a Happy New Year in 2007

2007-01-15T15:19:00.000-08:00

Why the U.S. Must Change the Course of the Middle East Conflict

2006-07-15T12:45:00.000-07:00

While everyone around the world watches the conflict with Israel and Lebanon with increasing dread, I look out my window and see Americans delightfully going about their Saturday - heading to the beach, reading novels on their balconies, and running off to play tennis. Ironic, since American foreign policy is largely to blame for the current conflict and the level at which it is being engaged.

Israel is empowered by the U.S. and heavily funded by the U.S. This is no secret, just as the Israeli lobbies that quietly seduce U.S. foreign policy is no longer a secret. While Israel's practices and policies towards their neighbors are widely disapproved the world over, the U.S. bounces happily alongside them, pocketing the bribes, er, fruits of their agreement.

Whether the designation of Israel in the last century was a mistake or not, is no longer relevent. Israel is there and has provided a home for many Jews who have been ostracized in every country they have ever lived, for thousands of years. This could have been reasonably negotiated, had their Muslim neighbors not been treated like less than the scum of the earth. I'm talking about civilians here, not governments, and not militants (who are, for the most part, wronged civilians). Now, because militants have destroyed so much innocent life of their own for so many years, everyone on both sides is considered a bad guy.

How do we undo this tangled mess? The U.S. can do it, but won't, especially under this current administration. We've been playing both sides for too long and benefitting largely from it. The U.S.'s support of Israel, and enormous demand for oil, makes us the sketchy cousin who slyly moves from one family member to the next, talking trash and accepting gifts for being "loyal." When, in reality, we started it all and we can stop it. We can put our oil interests on the shelf for once, force Israel to rethink a foreign policy that is obviously not working by cutting off support until they do, and actually sit down and have a conversation with Muslim countries and find out what they want, what they need, and what we can do to change a landscape that breeds terrorism against the west, to a landscape of mutual compassion. But, in order to accomplish these things, we would have to put our own needs entirely on the backburner. Surely the environment and our pocketbooks would thank us for cutting back on oil, and everyone would rather operate an electric car and own a solar-powered home in a world where there is very little threat of terrorism.

The only ones who would suffer under these circumstances are the oil companies. And that's enough for this very possible, but mythical peaceful resolution, to never, ever happen.

Readers Respond to Heidi Schnakenberg

2006-06-22T11:28:00.000-07:00

Some published responses on Women's eNews:

Run Date: 05/26/06
Heidi Schnakenberg's May 24 commentary, "Female Pundits Could Use Help With Hate Mail," provoked many powerful responses from our readership. Women's eNews decided to share them. We hope that the discussion continues.
Note from Women's eNews editors. We have considered for a long time how best to have a blog on our site. As journalists, we liked the idea of presenting only reported and edited pieces. As an international news organization, we were uncomfortable providing space to only one topic or one point of view, no matter how brilliant and well-informed. As a nonprofit organization, we were concerned about legal liability for a post that had not been edited.
However, when Heidi Schnakenberg's essay provoked an unprecedented reader response, we quickly came to the conclusion that a blog on the Women's eNews site should be reserved for such strong reader reactions to the news, essays and cartoons we publish and that we should create one right away. Below is a selection of letters we selected and the writers agreed to publish. We are extremely pleased to present them to you and hope you enjoy reading them.
The Editors
P.S. All comments should be sent to:editors@womensenews.org

June 1
Hi-
I just noticed you have started a blog in response to the commentary by Heidi Schnakenberg. I have two comments.
To Heidi: The fastest route to self-esteem is to stand up for what you believe. Wish I'd said it first because it has become my mantra, but I actually learned it from a futurist named Watts Wacker who spent his Saturdays protecting women from anti-choice protestors at their local reproductive health center.
To Women's e-News: Blog on! Don't be so apologetic about it either. As journalists, you believe in free speech for goodness sakes. This should be a regular feature. Democracy can't survive until we all learn to embrace controversy and use it as a teacher rather than a reason to withdraw from the fray.
All the best,
Gloria Feldt

May 31
Hello,
I am a male reporter for the St. Augustine Record, a 20,000 circulation paper in Florida. I do the occasional column now, but for five years (2000 to 2005) I wrote a weekly column that poked the usual sacred cows: religion, drug laws, etc. Your column on the flak women columnists receive was on the mark. I got a lot of mail -- more than for any other story or column in the paper. But nothing like those direct attacks. Part of the reason may be that I am a Vietnam veteran, so I am perceived by the radical right wingnuts as a dissenting voice, perhaps. But not a traitor to their side.
I've written one letter to a female columnist, Kathleen Parker at the Orlando Sentinel. It was complimentary, because I love her spunky voice. To those women columnists who get the hate mail, I'd advise: keep writing. Write about the hate mail. The nuts hate exposure. Things that can be said in the silence of a living room look pretty stupid when the whole community sees what a jerk you are.
As my old editor, Mike Archer at the Leesburg Commercial, used to say: "Sometimes you just have to hold your nose and dive in."
Peter Guinta
St. Augustine Record

May 31
Dear Editor,
The Left often plays the victim card when they are mistreated by those who disagree with them as Heidi Schnakenberg did in her recent column. I am not an opinion writer but received death threats from leftists against myself and MY CHILDREN for supporting State legislation the Left opposed. Wackos inspired by illusions of moral/social superiority and hatred for the "enemy" are a dime a dozen in politics. If Ms. Schnakenberg is surprised by that, it only shows she has little experience in the real world of politics.
Heidi's "liberal" indoctrination into race baiting/white guilt and all its stereotypes and scapegoating invites racial reaction. Her indoctrination into feminism and all it's superiority over men, invites a reaction of sexism. But what is true is that it does not matter if a woman is promoting the liberal line or not when it comes to a reaction of hatred and even death threats for daring to have a public opinion.
When liberals named their opposition opinions "hate" and used their power to shut down debate on college campuses and for a time, in politics, that was a big mistake unless liberals like being treated with the same disrespect and intolerance they show to those who disagree with them. I despise the mean spiritedness of politics today, however, if one side is to claim the moral high ground and shout down the other side, I guess it is necessary that everyone climb that mountain of ego and shout down in equality. That is what we have today and I don't see any solution to it as we will not permit ourselves to live with one another with respect for social and moral disagreement anymore.
Sincerely,
Jo Thompson
Boston

May 31
Hi,I believe if you're an opinion journalist, you are going to get strong reactions if people don't agree with you, whether you're male or female. Maybe newspapers and magazines are different.
I totally agree they should have more women journalists. But I've visited many "opinion" sites and blogs on the Web, and I've seen no gender gap whatsoever when it comes to hate mail. I can name three sites, all created by men, that have gotten tons of hate mail. They are bushflash.com, oreilly-sucks.com, and savagestupidity.com. On bushflash.com, its creator made two animations about the hate mail he's gotten.
On oreillysucks.com, there are two Web pages and one forum section devoted to hate mail. Steve Senti, who created this site, said these e-mails were only 10% of all the hate e-mails he's gotten. He said he could fill a whole website with them. I have also seen sites created by women that get hate mail: bigbadchinesemama.com and advicegoddess.com. These ladies have a ball with the hate mails they get.
Several people also sent me hate mails after I e-mailed a fur manufacturers' website protesting animal abuse in fur farms. These people called me a bitch and a terrorist. One person said I had been reported as one. I did wonder if this person had actually done this reporting (thus resulting in a lawsuit on my hands), since I had also included my snail mail address in my e-mail to the fur manufacturers' site, and there have been cases of the FBI arresting animal rights activists as "terrorists" based on flimsy charges. But this put me much more on edge than any of these hate mails, which sounded so out to lunch I laughed reading them.
Which brings me to say that I think Heidi Schnakenberg and Maureen Dowd should have a similar attitude towards their hate-mail. I've never read these messages, but I wouldn't be surprised if most of them sound no less childish or demented than many other hate e-mails I've seen. Including my own.
Hope this helps,
Rosalind Lord
San Francisco
www.seaserpent.com

May 30
Hi, I just received a copy of your comments on female writers and the abuse they take for their opinions. (Forwarded to me from my husband.)
I want to say it is so true. I just happen to be a 72-year-old frustrated liberal--or progressive as we now try to shed our old shrouds in shame--unfortunately, who has taken too damn much from male readers of my occasional Letter to the Editor of our small town weekly paper.
I have received phone calls from too many idiot males who don’t even have the guts to say their names while they proceed to call me names, i.e., traitor, hateful, meanest person, etc. etc., because I dare to disagree with this administration. The men also write ad hominem attacks on me in response letters, which are published no matter how mean and nasty they are.
The latest attack on my character came via messages left on my answering machine. One man left his name even as he called me a person “dripping in hate” because I challenged a candidate for U.S.representative who called the horrendous war in Iraq “fantastic”! A second and third man followed up with their comments as to my being a traitor . . . why didn’t I move to Cuba or China . . . I am the meanest person he ever heard . . . and . . . every one in (our little city) knew it. When I was able to transcribe their messages from the tape and send a letter to the identified caller repeating their words, I received a second call (this time not left on tape). I could tell he was intimidated by the fact that I had a taped copy of his nastiness.This man just happens to be the leader of a bible study group in his little mountain village.
So yes, we are viciously attacked, called names, ridiculed, etc., just because we have the guts to speak out on current affairs with ideas and opinions that may run contrary to the local “cracker barrel” mentality. I’ve taken a lot, but it only gives me grist for more letters.
I have learned, however, via these mean-spirited barbs, to scrupulously avoid ad hominem attacks on others simply because they can be so hurtful and ineffective.
Thanks again for your insights.Shirley Doll-Delehanty

May 26
Dear Ms. Schnakenberg and the folks at editors@womensenews.org,
If any father has ever resorted to undeserved personal attacks on a female journalist, I apologize. About 80 percent of single fathers are ordered to live apart from their children because of gender bias. Such noncustodial parents are referred to as "Deadbeat Dads" in the media very frequently. Please do your part to eradicate name-calling and I will do the same.

Don Mathis, editor
The Fourteen Percenter, A Newsletter for Noncustodial Parents
Cheers to Heidi Schnakenberg for her commentary about female opinion writers, which was posted on a recent National Conference of Editorial Writers forum. I would like to also add that it's not just female writers who understandably fall gun shy. Far too often editors--and we all know they're mostly male--won't bother dealing with female opinion writers because for a very vocal part of the population being told something by a woman just triggers a reaction in certain people's minds.
It's a lot of work to have effective opinion writers on a publication. They trigger emotions and responses. But they also provide heart for publications.
As a female opinion writer in the San Francisco Bay Area I was blesssed with an exception to these far too common practices and my editors spent more than their fair share of time defending my words. When my critics broadcast on cable television a videotape of my house and cited its cost, it was all legally acceptable--albeit tacky. But when they threatened to also find out where my kids go to school and show them on their cable show, my newspapers got the attorneys and defended me.
When critics of a housing article said I lied to them during an interview, it came down to a he said-she said, and again, my editors stood by me. Time and again their defense of me made me a better opinion writer.
It paid off. In 2003 I took first place in the California Newspaper Publishers Association contest for column writing in the 75,000-200,000 circulation category, but more important, readers connected with the opinion page because there was writing that inspired, outraged and, occasionally, even made them happy.
I've since relocated to the East Coast and have had no luck in getting opinion pieces published in an ongoing manner, being told they're too strong, too tough. Well, what the heck are opinion pieces supposed to be? Until editors learn that it's to their benefit to keep strong women's voices in their opinion section and as an integral part of their newspaper, they will continue to read surveys that say people are no longer reading their product and especially that female consumers are looking elsewhere for their news.
For those of us who love journalism, we can only hope the message sinks in before it's too late. Thank you Heidi for reminding us that writers are also people and that female writers have an important voice that is far too often silenced.
Theresa Keegan
Kingston, N.Y. 12401

As a woman old enough to be Heidi Schnakenberg's grandmother, I would like to say that I support her all the way. My mother used to tell me that when people say mean and hurtful things, they are the jerks, not you. I hope Heidi will also take this advice to heart. It has helped me a lot in my life, especially because men don't like women that are smarter than they are, a canard, but really, really true, believe me. I thought that things had changed for the better since I was young, but based on my interactions with young women in academia, I fear that they haven't. Sock it to 'em, Heidi, don't ever give up!
Berma Kinsey
Houston, Texas

Heidi
I just learned about Women's eNews from AlterNet and was glad to read your piece on the "hate mail" issue. I am an unknown writer, sending commentaries mainly to folks I know and working my mojo against the Bush Gang while trying to stay consistent with a novel that has been in progress for several years. Also, I'm a member of Military Families Speak Out and hope to do some decent work on behalf of the veterans. I know what you mean about women getting more "hits" for having a mind of one's own and speaking words that are not solely "nice."
Very glad to have found Women's eNews and I (in my 65-year-old boldness) encourage you to stay strong, believe in yourself and know that there are many of us out here who are honored by your dedication and your courage. We carry on.
Kate Walsh
Chicago

May 25
Ms. Schnackenberg,
I’m very sorry to hear you’ve gotten so much negative feedback from a certain knuckle-dragging sector of the population.
If it’s any consolation, I’m a guy and most of my favorite columnists are in fact women. I find women offer an extremely valuable perspective in the public debate that I would otherwise miss. Being a man, clearly I cannot experience what women experience. However, I’m also not too dumb to learn or to look for information from sources other than myself.
The real problem, I fear, is that so many of these folks are of the opinion that not only are they right, but everyone else is so wrong that ANY dissent must not be tolerated. Sadly they see female columnists as ‘easy prey’ in their warped world view.
Best of luck to you and I enjoyed your column. I’ll make a point of keeping an eye out for more of your work into the future.Regards,
Gord Gilmour

Hi Heidi,
In reading your piece I felt sorrow and indignation that women are attacked this way in addition to other stuff.
I am glad your headline asks for help. I hope more men will take the trouble to answer these attackers.
I usually just ask them the simple question: What is it about women that you fear?
I think most anger and attacks are fear-based and especially so with sexism (and homophobia) though I don't know why that seems to be so. Why else try to restrain women in so many ways?
You are so much more courageous than they are and they have no idea.
Thank You
Joel Mael

Is it too elementary to remember that a critic’s comments tell you more about him/her than about yourself? The mentions of mentorship and support would seem to be most reasonable and helpful. For Marines and other folks headed for the fray, being able to “take it” is required before being allowed to “dish it out.” And that is most definitely a male-organized process. Ridicule is often the most demoralizing response to hate in any form, and that takes an indomitable sense of humor. So maybe the comedy of today is the arena where the jousting with the hate-mongers can take place. Truth-telling is never safe, but it is what is needed in this time wherein many feel that transition is imminent.
Jacqueline Pratt Roseburg,
Oregon

As a conservative female columnist for a generally liberal publication, I would have to take issue with Heidi Schnakenberg’s claim (“Female Pundits Could Use Help With Hate Mail”) that according to conservative writer Katherine Kersten, her hate mail “doesn’t seem [like] the same over-the-top, bone-chilling stuff that Rekha receives.” You’ve got to be kidding? The hate mail I receive regularly includes profanity, personal insults, sexism, anti-Semitism, blogs urging readers to harass me, and even on one occasion a death threat. Take a look at the ”Hatemail” page at my Web site (www.cinnamonstillwell.com) for examples.
In addition, conservative columnist Michelle Malkin has blogged extensively on the vicious hate mail and commentary she inspires among opponents. While this aspect of journalism is hardly pleasant, it comes with the territory these days. So I would advice Ms. Schnakenberg to suck it up and join the club. Instead of “retreating into self-censorship,” the best response to such attempts at intimidation is to continue telling it like it is. As the saying goes, you can’t let the bastards grind you down.
Sincerely,
Cinnamon StillwellColumnist, SFGate.com
(The San Francisco Chronicle online)
www.cinnamonstillwell.com

Congrats Heidi Schnakenberg for sticking your neck out for women everywhere!
No matter what your opinion or your voice, no one should have to endure the level of threats and vile language that has been used against you and the other women in this commentary. I was appalled and angered by the reaction that these readers had to the opinion of others. I have often written a letter to an editor telling them how I agreed or disagreed with an article or editorial, but not once did I attack the writer. I kept it professional, expressing an opposing or supportive view with candor and directness but without attack.
I do have to admit that I was not surprised at the gender or ethnicity of the respondents to the writer. Race matters to so many. Gender matters too. Why is it that we cannot evolve past it? Why is it that we only "see" and do not "hear"?
Although I am disheartened by the malicious attacks, I am energized at the possibility having and supporting a counter-voice to the issue of female pundits. You have my support! I will be sure that others hear the message as well.
Thank you Women's eNews for bringing this issue to the forefront and sharing this commentary with us.
Sincerely,
Yolanda Archuletta
Santa Fe, New Mexico

Tell Heidi Schnakenberg to hang in there. Women have just as much right to an opinion as men, in fact more, because our opinions aren’t tainted by testosterone. She should tell herself that those people who send hate mail are just ignorant and need to be educated, and she should just ignore them and/or continue to try to educate them no matter what they say. I hope she can stay passionate about her writing and have faith in her ability. Put me on her e-mail list. I’d like to read more of her writing.
Sherry Balkenhol
Mena, Arkansas

May 24
I would to thank Ms. Schnakenberg for her article about the crap and horror women opinion journalists have to put up with. I know this is no secret, but I think the opinions of women are degraded not only by column readers, but in conversations that take place in everyday life. For example, at work the other day, I got into a discussion with two co-workers, one male and one female, about the society of the South. My male co-worker (age 20) and I (age 19) agreed on most of the topics, but the interesting thing was my female co-worker (age 52) suggested that my opinions were based on me being a “naive young girl” while my male co-worker's opinions were accepted as “having a right to your own opinion if you know what you're talking about.” I have run into similar situations before; it seems I have to prove myself and defend my opinions more aggressively than men of my age do.
Having said that, I am extremely proud of the women that continue to speak their opinion, and hope that one day our efforts will lead to a change in our society's conscience. In the meantime, it's good to know that I’m not alone.
Sincerely,
Crystal Germond
Wilmington, N.C.

I’m not a renowned columnist like Maureen Dowd or Anna Quindlen, but I often write letters to the local newspapers on issues that are important to me, often refuting some bigoted, religious right, or stupid article or op-ed. Fortunately, although my letters have sometimes been opposed (by men), I haven’t been called awful names or been threatened. I’ve had other letters supporting my views and complimenting my writing ability. At 81, I’m not concerned or hurt by the opposition. My only regret is that I doubt that my expression of a liberal viewpoint doesn’t change anyone’s mind. But then, I may do just that unknowingly, so I’ll keep on trying.
Barbara M. Walls
Sun City, Arizona

Hello,
I was forwarded your column on the hate mail female columnists/opinion writers receive, and as a 13-year veteran of this business, I can tell you that I receive this type of vitriol all the time. My column is in four newspapers locally, plus a different version that runs in about 35 papers nationally, and I have received astounding hate mail, much like that described in your column.
You have to have very tough skin to withstand it over time, and it will develop just like a callous. Some days it gets to you, other days you tell the a-hole where he/she can stick it. Forcefully. (Yes, some of the jerks are female!)
Oh, the stories I could tell you . . . I regularly lock horns with the Right Wing. I eat that for breakfast. But it guarantees some unpleasant reactions. Comes with the territory.
Thanks for your column,Debra LoGuercio
McNaughton Newspapers Front Porch Syndicate

Hate Mail: Not Alone on this One

2006-06-22T10:31:00.000-07:00

I was moved, thrilled, and also saddened by the overwhelming response to my recent article on Women's eNews. To say the least, I'm certainly not alone when it comes to unreasonable threats and hate mail that is specifically gendered. People like to think that women are just whining "woe is me" once again, but that is sadly not the case and further confirms the fact that people don't to take the plight of women in all professions as a serious civil issue.

The attacks we refer to are most certainly unique, and uniquely misogynist, and the hate mail that falls into this category is never about a woman's actual written topic or skills. We're not complaining about the flush of everyday reader protest and disagreement - it is the hate mail that runs much deeper and sends a chill down our spine.

Threatening women and demeaning them as lesser humans isn't going to keep them from voicing their opinions, although there are millions of men and women out there who are certainly trying. This issue is not about whether or not a woman should "buck up," it is about shedding light on the fact that many men and women readers worldwide, are still deeply misogynist. They are the ones who need the attention, help, and advice, not just us.

Here's the original article:

Run Date: 05/24/06
By Heidi SchnakenbergWeNews commentator
When Heidi Schnakenberg took up opinion writing she had no idea that she would come under such savage personal attack. Female pundits, she says, take special flak and can be driven into retreat if they don't have enough moral support.
Editor's Note: The following is a commentary. The opinions expressed are those of the author and not necessarily the views of Women's eNews.

(WOMENSENEWS)--As a young woman, I stepped out into the treacherous waters of opinion journalism, and was amazed by the lack of civil discourse and the intensity of personal attacks that I received via e-mail, letters to the editor and on Web postings.
Subjects such as women's issues, racism, anti-war politics, environmental matters and virtually any topic deemed "liberal" inspired some vitriolic comments from readers that I will mention here.
I was called everything from "bitch" to "whore" and was often addressed as "sweetie" or "honey" before a launch of expletives. Most attackers took the position that I was just a cute, dumb college student (even though I was in my late 20s) in an effort to discredit me and I was most reliably attacked by a collection of right-wing Web sites and right-wing men who sent me letters.
Needless to say, I ran out of the gates, trail-blazing, and came back a wounded animal.
The experience solidified my "attack and retreat" explanation of the low numbers of women in opinion journalism.
The presence of female opinion journalists has remained virtually unchanged over the past 25 years, with only 10 percent to 20 percent of all op-eds in the country being written by women. Only about a quarter of nationally syndicated columnists are women and they tend to be white and right-wing.
While numerous professions--science, medicine and even journalism--have seen a sharp rise in female participants, opinion journalism doesn't seem to budge.
In my case, I was attacked, and then retreated into self-censorship for a period of months and in that darkened room I found no mentors and little support from editors.
Fear of Appearing Vulnerable
The psychic impact of hate mail is something female writers don't often talk about in fear of appearing vulnerable in the male world of opinion writing. I believe women can take the heat of opinion journalism as well as any man; the problem is that the heat we take and the reasons why are very different.
Maureen Dowd of The New York Times discussed reactions to female opinion in her column last year. "While a man writing a column taking on the powerful may be seen as authoritative, a woman doing the same thing may be seen as castrating." She went on to say she called Alan Dundes, a renowned folklorist, to ask about it. "Women are supposed to take it, not dish it out," Dundes told her.
Rekha Basu is the civil liberties voice at the Des Moines Register in Iowa, and she is a woman, liberal and Indian. She's been called a Hindu-worshipping slut, an Arab terrorist, a whore, a lesbian, a cunt, a skanky Muslim. Most insults are via e-mail and on Web sites, where attackers can remain relatively anonymous.
She's been stalked and followed on the highway and told readers can't wait to read her obituary in the newspaper. But nothing hurt like the time a reader said they hoped her husband, who has Lou Gehrig's disease, would hurry up and die so she would leave the country.
Rekha used to be scared, and is still hurt by some of the more malicious letters. But after a while she realized "I have the opportunity to change lives. If I censor myself, what's the point?"
Do Men Get the Same?
Do men get the same? I asked David Yepsen, who is white, male, centrist and also a columnist at the Register. He says he is called an asshole from time to time and received a death threat once, but Yepsen felt readers had paid their quarter and were entitled to an opinion. "I've heard Rekha was called a Hindu-worshipping slut and things like that. I've never gotten anything on par with that," he said.
Katherine Kersten is a conservative voice at the Minneapolis Star Tribune, and gets a lot of grief from the liberal population. But it doesn't seem the same over-the-top, bone-chilling stuff that Rekha receives. Kersten said some readers harassed her for going against women's interests and she was accused of being dishonest and greedy. However, Kersten felt men and women received equal treatment from readers, noting that Nick Coleman (a liberal voice at the Star Tribune), gets as many attacks, if not more than she does.
Coleman thinks there is a gender gap in the hate mail. "My wife is also a columnist at the St. Paul Pioneer, and there is a huge difference between the types of abuse I get, and what she gets. It's much worse for her," he said.
Michele Weldon, a contributor to Women's eNews who has also provided columns to the Chicago Tribune, recalled the time a hostile reader of a column read her memoir on the domestic abuse she experienced and wrote to tell her she deserved everything she got.
Sasha Kemmet is a young, budding liberal writer for The Des Moines Register's Young Adult Board. She has been stalked by critics who have accused her of everything from racism to elitism. She describes her detractors as deeply misogynist.
"I was surprised by the viciousness of the attacks and it was extremely disappointing. My goal in writing was to initiate dialogue, not bring about petty personal attacks." Kemmet thinks "society wants women to have opinions as long as they don't speak them too loudly . . . as long as this persists, women will believe it themselves."
Year-Old Debate
A year ago, the debate about female pundits was blazing.
In February of 2005, Susan Estrich ignited it by launching an e-mail campaign that blasted the Los Angeles Times for hiring few women to write columns.
A discussion of the situation then bounced around from Estrich to Maureen Dowd to Katha Pollitt of The Nation and included scores of columnists across the country.
I was emboldened by what Pollitt had to say on the topic last December. "Women buy the crap about women being too shy-weak-polite to express themselves," she wrote. She added that this is "not the fault of women themselves . . . women are discriminated against, not groomed or mentored."
In Dowd's column on the topic, she said that after six months writing op-eds, she retreated into submission and nearly walked away from the job, just "wanting to be liked."
Young women, like Kemmet and me, tend to go into this profession with a lot of hope and passion. But we sometimes retreat without an adequate support network.
When new female writers are bolstered by the moral support needed to survive the onslaught of anti-female sentiment flooding their inboxes, more women's by-lines will show up on the opinion pages.
Heidi Schnakenberg is a part-time columnist for the Des Moines Register, and her work has appeared in the Iowa City Press-Citizen, The Ghanaian Times, the Algona Upper Des Moines and the San Diego Union-Tribune. Heidi is also a published screenwriter for American Zoetrope.
Women's eNews welcomes your comments. E-mail us at editors@womensenews.org.
For more information:
Readers Respond to Heidi Schnakenberg:http://www.womensenews.org/article.cfm/dyn/aid/2760/
Female Op-Ed Journalists Should Ignite Fireball:http://www.womensenews.org/article.cfm/dyn/aid/2229/
The Nation--Invisible Women:http://www.thenation.com/doc/20050404/pollitt
The Washington Post--Writing Women Into a Corner:http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A38563-2005Mar15.html

Okonjo-Iweala: A Real Woman

2006-04-25T21:05:00.000-07:00

Nigeria's finance minister and former Time magazine Hero of the Year, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, must be one of the few rays of hope in Nigeria these days, with her unassuming ways, her modesty, and her tireless efforts to reorganize Nigeria's finance nightmares.

The woman left her job in DC, her husband, and four children for the love of her country. She is a soldier in the truest sense of the word, and continues to impress her countrymen and women with her dedication and integrity. While she pushes to eradicate poverty in Nigeria and chip away at the country's foreign debts, she leads by example by resisting flashy cars and flashy company.

Nigerians have found themselves placing great faith in her and her efforts, as she may well be one of the only politicians they can trust to turn the country's turmoil around.

Add Okonjo-Iweala to the ranks of women changing their worlds and building their nests, one stick at a time.

Say A Prayer for Dahab

2006-04-24T12:52:00.000-07:00

The lovely Egyptian resort town of Dahab was bombed today, and at least 90 people were killed or injured. Another beautiful place is scarred with violence. I have nothing but fond memories of Dahab, with its crystal blue waters, excellent food, sweet people, and warm environment.

Not only will this tragedy further extinguish Egypt's very necessary tourist trade, it will mar the beautiful Red Sea waters with more bloodshed and further sink our hopes for peace worldwide.

I only wish our so-called leaders could take a step back and give us what we really want, which is peace and sovereignty for all nations to live life as they see fit.

We are fast losing the "war against terror" and alienating each other. Conflict only breeds more conflict, and we must sit back and wonder how many more lives will be lost, more enchanted places ruined, before we fully understand this reality.

Goddess bless the people of Dahab and the visitors at its shores.

We Like Feisty. Feisty is Good: By Heidi Schnakenberg

2006-02-20T17:13:00.000-08:00

There is an excellent article today in the BBC News on Girija Devi's fearless mission to rebuild her community in the state of Bihar in India, in which she breaks through tough as nails barriers to make change happen.

In the rejected "untouchable" Musahar world in backwoods India, this woman is breaking through unimaginable classism and extraordinary obstacles as a woman to make her world a better place. While I don't necessarily agree with her stance that alcohol is the root cause of abuse toward women - it is really an erroneous gender ideaology that makes this happen - I have enormous respect for her cause and her strength.

Devi and her fellow female leaders are terrific examples of the power of women when they unite - having the courage to shave their men's heads when they catch them drinking up a storm, and ravaging liquor pots around village. The fire of a good woman like this is unstoppable, as evidenced by her continued efforts to improve everything from healthcare in the area to literacy.

Whatever drives Devi is sure to have positive results for women - women in the U.S. could certainly use her as well. Her courage is a source of inspiration that should be copied the world over, and may the Goddesses bless her when she speaks to the United Nations at the 50th Commission on the Status of Women on February 27th.

heidi-schnakenberg

Cartoon Controversy, Part II

2006-02-20T16:57:00.000-08:00

The violence raging on over the cartoon controversy is becoming increasingly distrubing. Theories on its origins range from a conspiracy fueled by the Saudi family's desire to cover up the pilgrimage disaster to Europeans deliberately egging on the Muslim community out of spite. No matter what is going on, the chasm between the West and the Middle East only deepens. We must beg our leaders to work harder to build an understanding and put it stop to it - starting with building ties with our local Muslim communities in the West, and ending the Iraq War. Leaving the responsibility up to Muslims in the Middle East, however, is doing us no good.

Here is my letter to the San Diego Union Tribune:

I'm normally sympathetic to the plight of Muslims in Europe and around the world, but this outrage has exploded far beyond the range of reasonable behavior. What if Christians and Jews violently bombed buildings every time caricatures of Jesus or HaShem were displayed in publications?

The Muslims who are protesting don't seem to understand that every culture and religion endure the masses poking fun at them once in a while, and that one group in the free world doesn't get to decide what is blasphemous and what isn't.

HEIDI SCHNAKENBERG
San Diego

Yes Folks, This is Crazy

2006-02-08T21:22:00.000-08:00

Syria, Rice Face Off Over Prophet Cartoon

"(CNN) -- As President Bush urged governments to help quell the violence
Wednesday, his secretary of state began sparring with the Syrian government
over the deadly protests sparked by a series of cartoons depicting the
Prophet Mohammed.
As world leaders and the editor of the paper that first published the
cartoons speculated over how the violence escalated to a level that killed
at least 10 people in different countries, Condoleezza Rice pointed the
finger at Syria and Iran.
"Iran and Syria have gone out of their way to inflame sentiments and to use
this to their own purposes, and the world ought to call them on it," she
said at a joint news conference with Israel's foreign minister, Tzipi Livni.
Although Tehran did not immediately respond, Syria's ambassador to the
United States, Imad Moustapha, denied Rice's accusation and tried to turn
the blame for the violence on Israeli and U.S. policy decisions unrelated to
the cartoon row.
"We in Syria believe anti-Western sentiments are being fueled by two major
things: the situation in Iraq and the situation in the occupied territories,
the West Bank and Gaza," Moustapha said.
He added, "We believe that if somebody would tell Secretary Rice that Syria
is not the party that occupies Iraq and is not the party that occupies the
West Bank and Gaza, then probably she would know it is not Syria who is
actually fueling anti-Western sentiments."

I’m not normally a fan of Condi, but she’s right about one thing. This
cartoon issue has gone way too far. If Muslim protestors feel they are
battling more than a cartoon, (say, the war in Iraq and the Israeli occupation),
then what’s up with the attacks on Denmark?

I’m not a fan of my own country right now either, and if you’re going to
protest the war, protest the war (along with millions of other people in the
U.S.) But Denmark, Norway, et. al., are very different countries, and are
truly some of the most tolerant folks on earth. I’m in
complete agreement with Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen that they are being unfairly attacked.

I’m all for making sure everyone from every religion and every background
feels included and welcome in every country around the world, and I’m
normally very sympathetic to the plight of Muslims everywhere. But if
you’re in Denmark, you have to do as the Danes do, and that includes free
speech.

Where would we be if we protested, bombed, and killed people every time
someone made fun of Jesus or Bhudda? I personally find it blasphemous that
we have half naked women in every other advertisement on TV and on billboards,
and that violent porn has completely infiltrated the Internet, the film
industry, and especially the minds and hearts of men, which in turn, forces
women to battle misogyny daily, causes rape and abuse, and generally
shatters women’s self-esteem in a very insidious, unholy manner. I believe
all violent porn should be censored because it hurts women on so many levels.

But, I have to live with it. After all, it's free speech.

2006-02-07T21:08:00.000-08:00

An Iowa Boy in the Motherland

Welcome to Heidi Schnakenberg's Blog!

2006-02-07T19:21:00.000-08:00

Your homebase for everything on Heidi Schnakenberg: the writer, feminist, producer, activist, playwright, and screenwriter.

Heidi has spent the past decade gathering up experiences from all over the world, and aims to reach out and connect with people through writing essays, articles, plays, and screenplays. Heidi is also dedicated to the empowerment of women, and any group that encounters marginalization on a global scale.