If you live alone, if your family is scattered far and wide, if you recently lost a partner or spouse, if you can’t afford the plane...
Feminism10
“Make Me Look 20 Years Younger”
Recently a professional photographer told me, “Every time I photograph an older woman she says, “Make me look 20 years younger.” I incredulously responded, “Every time?” “Without fail,” was his affirmative answer. What a sorry state for women! How can we ever enjoy old age if we hate the faces that accompany it? Our [...]
Pat Taub
Why Women Need to Stop Apologizing
What? Stop apologizing! You might be thinking, “Apologies are my way of showing respect lest I appear insensitive or rude.” I’m not suggesting that there isn’t a place for apologies in our lives, but most women apologize ad nauseum, which puts them at a disadvantage. When we constantly say, “I’m sorry” for a perceived upset in [...]
Pat Taub
Angela Davis: Woman Warrior Extraordinaire!
Which living American has done the most to articulate theories of social change and to walk the talk? For me, the answer is hands down, Angela Davis. Like Noam Chomsky, another leading public intellectual, Davis is largely ignored by the mainstream press–a fact easily explained by her brilliant critiques of neoliberalism and its vast [...]
Pat Taub
Under the Spell of Cuba
A recent trip to Cuba on a National Geographic “people to people” tour left me with admiration for a small country that has overcome staggering obstacles. Cuba deserves to be considered a profile in courage for surviving the 50 year old US trade embargo; near economic collapse in 1992 when Russia, Cuba’s main trading partner, abruptly [...]
Pat Taub
Call for a Global Women’s Peace Army!
With Trump pushing us closer to extinction daily, I’m convinced that we need an army of women to save the planet. International Women’s Day is the perfect time to mount a global women’s charge. While there are male leaders protesting Trump’s cruel policies and Dr. Strangelove fantasies, they don’t always go far enough. We need massive [...]
Pat Taub
Be An Older Woman Warrior
Who’s the older woman warrior? She’s the woman who, into her old age, continues to carry the torch for change because she sees this as central to aging meaningfully. She cares deeply about the world her children and grandchildren will inherit. She takes a stand for what she believes in. She’s not afraid to be controversial. She figures [...]
Pat Taub
I WAS THERE! WASHINGTON, DC, 1/21/17
I was on my feet for seven hours; almost half of that time was standing in place waiting for the march to start. The massive crowd made it impossible to move in one direction or another. This was a small price to pay for being among the 500,000 marchers who had come to Washington to send a message to President Trump on his first day in office. [...]
Pat Taub
A Thumbs Up for “Transparent,” a new Amazon Prime Series
My favorite part of winter in Maine is the excuse to hibernate, make soup, dig into my pile of unread books, and, best of all, binge on online shows, which is how I kicked in the New Year. After reading rave reviews of “Transparent” in The New Yorker, I decided to give it a chance. I was instantly smitten with this new Amazon Prime series [...]
Pat Taub
Channeling Emmeline Pankhurst and Susan B. Anthony
Having just seen the excellent new film, “Suffragette,” I found myself wondering what some of the early Suffragettes leaders, like Emmeline Pankhurst of Britain and Susan B. Anthony of the US might have to say about the contemporary feminist movement. I suspected they wouldn’t be too happy with us, and thought I could profit from their [...]
Pat Taub
Women Making A Difference: Dr. Jill Stein
Last Friday I found myself at the Amtrak Station in Portland waiting for Dr. Jill Stein, the Green Party candidate for President, who was in town for a Fund Raiser and a series of interviews . Since I was hosting her, I was the designated greeter and driver. When I spotted Jill, I was a little taken aback by her modest appearance. She [...]
Pat Taub