Essays by Contemporary American Women

THE BEACON BOOK OF

Essays by Contemporary American Women

Edited by Wendy Martin

with the editorial assistance of

Thomas Allen, Kimberly Cortner,

Rochelle Johnson, and Jamie Marchant

BEACON PRESS

BOSTON CONTENTS

Acknowledgments XI Introduction xiii

I. GENERATIONS: ESSAYS ON THE FAMILY

JOAN DIDION On Going Home 3 ALICE WALKER Brothers ana Sisters 6 SANDRA CISNEROS Only Daughter 10 GLORIA STEINEM Ruth's Song (Because She Could Not Sing It) 14 AMY TAN Mother Tongue 32 NANCY K. MILLER My Father's Penis 38 DANI SHAPIRO Balancing Act 43 MAYAANGELOU The Deterioration of My Marriage 46 NANCY MAIRS Here: Grace 53 BETTY FRIEDAN Thoughts on Becoming a Grandmother 65

INSIDE PASSAGES: ESSAYS ON SELF-IDENTITY

MARY MCCARTHY Names 85 MARCIA ALDRICH Hair 93

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KATHY DOBIE A Friendship Forged on Concrete 1OO LEANNE HOWE An American in New York 103

GWENDOLYN BROOKS Dreams of a Black Christmas 113 TONI MORRISON A Knowing So Deep 122 CHERRIE MORAGA La Giiera 125 ADRIENNE RICH Split at the Root: An Essay on Jewish Identity 134 BELL HOOKS Writing from the Darkness 152 MAY SARTON Monday, May 3rd, 1982 160

III. BREAKING THE SILENCE: WOMEN CONFRONT OPPRESSION AND VIOLENCE

SUSAN FALUDI Speak for Yourself 167 PATRICIA J. WILLIAMS On Being the Object of Property 171 JANE SLAUGHTER A Beaut of a Shiner 181

LINDA KATHERINE CUTTING Give and Take 184 SHANA PENN Death of Popeye 188 ANONYMOUS ARape 191 BARBARA MOR Amazing Rage 199

IV. WOMEN'S BODIES, WOMEN'S CHOICES

MARGARET MEAD On Having a Baby 205 CAROLYN COM AN Trying (and Trying and Trying) to Get Pregnant 218 ANNE TAYLOR FLEMING Sperm in ajar 225 FELICITA GARCIA I Just Came Out Pregnant 231

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MARY GORDON A Moral Choice 241 LETTYCOTTIN POGREBIN Consequences 251 JANE SHAPIRO Standard Operating Procedure 255

V. WHAT THE LOVER KNOWS: ESSAYS ON NATURE

ANNIE DILLARD Sight into Insight 265

LINDA HOGAN Walking 278 Waking Up the Rake 281 TERRY TEMPEST WILLIAMS The Bowl 286 A Woman's Dance 289 URSULA K. LE GUIN A Very Warm Mountain 291

Contributors 299 Credits 307

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