Minnesota Women’s Press, March 2012 1 Changing the Universe through Women’s Stories Peacemakers issue “Half the Sky” Q&A Pelican Rapids peacemakers “Sisterhood of War” Nobel Laureates & noble dreams Refugees are not a burden I LOVE A PARADE I LOVE MARCH 2012 Volume 28, Issue 3 www.womenspress.com INSIDE: Minnesota Book Awards Special Section 2 Minnesota Women’s Press, March 2012 Minnesota Women’s Press, March 2012 3 Changing the Universe through Women’s Stories 22 Peacemakers issue ContaCtUs 651-646-3968 email: [email protected] www.womenspress.com send a letter to the editor 12 8 [email protected] subscribe [email protected] advertise [email protected] suggest a story idea [email protected] Enter your online calendar listing at www.womenspress.com, click on Calendar, then “add an event” Join book activities [email protected] MWPstaFF REaDERs’WRItE Publishers/Editors FEatUREs Kathy Magnuson, Norma Smith Olson tHInKABOUTIt .......................................6 YoUSAID ....................................................5 Contributors “Pink Ribbons, Inc.” & more Letters from our readers Jill Boyles, Johanna Christianson, Suela PEaCEFEATURE .......................................8 BooKSHELF ........................................... 20 Deva, Shannon Drury, Joan Ellison, Linda Sheryl WuDunn: Women are the solution “Sisterhood of War” ... and peace Foster, Anne Hamre, Kim Heikkila, Dianne Kimm, Maureen K. Reed, Diane Yeager PEaCEFEATURE .....................................10 YoURSTORY........................................... 27 Cover artist I Love a Parade Pelican Rapids peacemakers Girls: It’s OK to be smart Design Norma Smith Olson PRoFILE ...................................................12 YoURSTORY........................................... 33 advertising sales Michele Holzwarth, Fatuma Elmi: Refugees are not a burden Where’s the rage against perpetrators? Nancy Jambor, Kathy Magnuson YoURSTORY........................................... 34 accounting Kathy Malchow CoLUMnIsts Does language define people? operations Faye Kommedahl, Kari Larson WELCoMEWORDS ....................................4 Founding Publishers Mollie Hoben, YoURTHOUGHTS ..................................34 We want more of those “C” qualities Glenda Martin Readers’ thoughts about peacemaking LEaDERVOICE ........................................14 Our mission is to tell women’s stories in ways that create community and encourage change. Of Nobel Laureates & noble dreams sPECIaLsECtIon The Minnesota Women’s Press is distributed sHESAID .................................................. 21 MnBooKaWaRDs .............center pages free at 500 locations. To find one near you, visit www.womenspress.com and click on “get a From human doing to human being copy” or call 651-646-3968. Subscriptions are aCtNOW ................................................. 38 aDVERtIsInGsECtIons available by First Class mail: $52 for one-year An all-around happiness experience Fan Community membership (includes email updates, invitation to community gathering, ELDER free copy of BookWomen magazine); $28 for a GosEEDo GUIDE ................... 15 basic one-year subscription, $53 for two years. CoVERART/BOOK ..................................18 GoSEEDo GUIDE .................. 22 ©2012 by Minnesota Women’s Press, Inc. “Peace Fibres: Stitching a soulful world” All rights reserved. ISSN #1085-2603. CaMP&aCtIVItIEs Minnesota WoMen’s Press, inc. EVEntsCALENDAR ............................. 22 GUIDE .................. 26 970 rayMond ave., ste. 201, Honoring Int’l Women’s Day & more CLassIFIEDADS........................... 35 st. Paul, Mn 55114 4 Minnesota Women’s Press, March 2012 WELCoMEWoRDs Peacemakers KatHYMaGnUson noRMasMItHoLson That’s the word that comes to mind when we think about the women who share their stories in this March peace-themed magazine. These are wise women who work for peace in their own ways, from where they live. From personal inner peace to working for a peaceful community to speaking for women’s empower- ment and peace around the world, we are honored to share their stories. “When a small group of respected we should be doing a lot more. … It takes people stands up and says, ‘we must a movement to really turn these things welcome these people, we must help around. And I think we are beginning these people’ they set the standards of to see elements of a movement.” Sheryl behavior for the rest of the community,” WuDunn, Pulitzer Prize-winner and wrote a trio of peacemak- co-author of “Half the Sky,” spoke to ers from Pelican Rapids, the Minnesota Women’s Press about “We need to Minn. Once the town was empowering women from her global Coming up: honor and value primarily of Scandinavian perspective. In april our theme is Mothers of heritage. Now there are 11 “The profoundly critical moment usu- Invention. When was a time you those [feminine different languages spo- ally is not ours to grasp. … It is the long- invented change in your life? archetypal] ken by its citizens. These ing of the human spirit to be better, to Tell us about it. Send a paragraph three women work to change the world for the better, to change or two to [email protected] ‘C’ qualities— build peace with hospital- ourselves for the better,” Maureen K. Deadline: March 10 care, compas- ity. Reed wrote. Minnesota hosts the April Advertising Sections: sion, creativity, “I believe if you help annual Nobel Peace Prize Forum • inGrrrls Go Green Guide one woman, you help March. Reed, the executive director • ofHome Guide community, the whole family,” said the Forum, shares her view on global• Spiritualiy Guide cooperation and Fatuma Elmi, an immi- peace. • GoSeeDo Guide grant from Somalia who And, Kim Heikkila, author ofDeadline: March 10 contribution.” lives in Minneapolis. In “Sisterhood of War” adds her voice:Living Big is our theme for May. —Karen Lohn, “War is dirt and fear and death and cry- December, she traveled to What have you learned about author of Peace ing out for mothers and the too-soon loss Geneva, Switzerland, to living big? Fibres. See her of innocence. High ideals about the poli- attend the United Nations Send a paragraph or two to story on page 18. tics of war, whether this side or that, fade High Commission for [email protected] Refugees. Refugees are with a dying soldier’s last breath, ‘home’ Deadline: April 10 not a burden, she stated.“They only more often uttered than ‘right.’” need a helping hand.” Her work is to Watch for the results of the annual What Women Want MWP readers’ give that helping hand. and “It makes you realize that in our own survey in the May issue! circumstances, and with what we have, Co-Publishers May Advertising Sections: We asked our readers “how are you a peacemaker?” We had more responses that we have room to include in • Consignment & Thrift Guide these pages. (Thank you!) Read their thoughtful “YourThoughts” contributions, starting on page 34 and continu- • GoSeeDo Guide ing on the MWP website, www.womenspress.com. Click on ReadersWrite, then YourThoughts. Deadline: April 10 Building Strength & Achieving Results OUR WELLNESS & REHABILITATION CENTER OFFERS: > Outpatient rehabilitative therapies for all ages > Athletic sports therapy > Wellness programs & resources > Physical, occupational & speech therapies A Ministry of The Lutheran Home Association 611 West Main Street • Belle Plaine, MN • 952-873-2111 • www.tlha.org Minnesota Women’s Press, March 2012 5 YoUsaID Happily ever after reclaimed nings of myth and fairy tale for years and am convinced of their importance. The sudden eruption of interest and rep- What an uplifting story. [BookShelf, Barb Greenberg, Feb. resentations of myth and fairy tale these days tells me that a 2012] This holds true for every woman single, divorced, married or in a relationship. I can relate to the “if I spoke my strong shift in collective consciousness is occurring. truth, I felt I would be abandoned” feeling. It feels good to Wilor Bluege, St. Paul let yourself be heard. So go forth and breathe in life and be Four legs, full heart true to yourself first and foremost! Thank you Barb for voic- GotanoPInIon? ing your journey! What an amazing story of two Like something in Peg Cowart, Lonsdale, Minn. incredible individuals. [YourStory, MWP? or disagree? Terri Krake, MWP, Feb. 2012] SharingWe want to hear from What a wonderful reminder that we can’t allow ourselves your story and reaching out like you do you. Write to editor@ to give away everything. It is imperative to honor who we inspires me to do the same, to help oth - womenspress.com. are and cherish ourselves when others around us may not. ers. You and Brody are equally as giv - Include your name, Thanks for being such a beacon, Barb. ing. What a pair. address and phone Lynn Garthwaite, Bloomington Beth Kantor, Plymouth number for verification. Claiming my pink identity Letters are assumed to be Myths we’ve been told for publication and may Many solid, sound mothers lose custody of their children I found the “Pink Think” January be edited for length and to their abusers in family court. There is a cultural myth that edition of MN Women’s Press on a clarity. parents only lose custody if they are unfit. This is a myth day I was wearing one of my favorite that I think would have fit into your issue. [Myths and Fairy everyday pink outfits. The fact that pink is in my wardrobe Tales, MWP, Feb. 2012] represents a transformation in society greater than the trans- I earned a Mrs. Degree, deciding to marry before finishing formation