Several classmates have shared news of their own recent writings or of publications that include their work. Holly Knox is among those featured in a memoir about the women’s movement recently published by one of the founders of the National Organization for Women (NOW), Muriel Fox. In The Women’s Revolution: How We Changed Your Life, the author says that she wrote the book to “spread the word about pioneers whom history seemed to be forgetting, great heroes like…Holly Knox…”.
Back in the 1970s and early 1980s, Holly founded and ran a national advocacy project in Washington, DC, the Project on Equal Education Rights (PEER), dedicated to making the promise of Title IX--the 1972 federal law requiring equal opportunity for girls and women in the nation’s schools and colleges—a reality. It was clear that the government had little or no interest in enforcing the law, and that local school boards had no idea of the changes the law required. PEER earned front page coverage in the Washington Post for its report on the extent to which the government was ignoring complaints that citizens had filed. Holly helped local NOW chapters monitor the law’s enforcement in their own schools, and also helped found a broad-based coalition of national organizations that blocked Congressional attempts to weaken Title IX.
Demie Kurz, a Research Affiliate in the Department of Sociology at the University of Pennsylvania, has published a new book, Letting Go: Parenting Teenagers and Young Adults in an Age of Uncertainty (Oxford University Press, 2024). A UPenn publication praises Demie’s insights from interviews with diverse mothers about their communication with their children over issues such as control and trust. “Letting Go” offers a nuanced, candid portrait of the deeply emotional dynamics involved...and the ways social policy can play a key role in helping young people succeed.”
A quite different type of writing was done by Lindsey Miller-Lerman as a Justice of the Nebraska Supreme Court. An opinion Lindsey authored regarding felon voting rights received notice in both the Washington Post and (wait for it) Cracked Magazine for its reference to Marge Simpson’s sisters Patty and Selma.
Connie O’Dea has provided a personal remembrance of Martha Shipman Andrews, whose death I reported in a recent column. She described Martha’s work as a curator and archivist in New Mexico and her deep appreciation of Native American arts and culture. Connie’s full remembrance is on our class page. [or provide a link?]
In January, Cindy Hetsko Rainey gave our class a Zoom presentation about the world’s largest telescope, the Giant Magellan Telescope. President Judy Harte coordinated the technology as Cindy presented many informational images and photos. As avid astronomy enthusiasts, Cindy and her husband, Bill, are benefactors of the astronomy program at the University of Arizona. They have traveled to Chile to see the telescope on which Arizona and other states, with partners around the world, have collaborated for more than 20 years. Our thanks to Cindy for her superb presentation.
Judy Siskind
Magazine Correspondent, Class of 1968
Please send news to jsiskind@yahoo.com