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 vu Contents 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 Vlll Contents 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 IX.