Greetings!


"A woman is like a tea bag—you can't tell how strong she is until you put her in hot water."
~ Eleanor Roosevelt

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Happy Women's History Month! While I believe we should be celebrated every month, having a month dedicated to women is a good reason to focus on all our wonders and accomplishments. So, where do I start?

First, I'd like to honor all female writers, who were not as celebrated many years ago as they are today. For example, Enheduanna, the first known female writer and poet, was a high priestess in 2285-2250 BCE. Some of you might be familiar with the poet Sappo, who lived in the 7th century BCE.

Moving along into the 19th century, women's literature had been ignored or thought to be inferior to their male counterparts in a male-dominated society. Many of you are well-acquainted with Jane Austen, a famous novelist of the era. Austen saw modest financial success but was not made very famous by her novels during her lifetime.

In fact, it wasn't until 1929 when Virginia Woolf's book, A Room of One's Own, was published and seen as the driving force behind the women's writing movement. It was an enormous inspiration to other women. (Check out the anthology I review later in this newsletter, picturing Woolf on the cover.) Thankfully in the 20th century, women became even more prolific and accepted. Seventeen women have been awarded the prestigious Nobel Prize for literature since its inception, including Toni Morrison, Doris Lessing, Pearl Buck, and Louise Gluck.

Finally, this special month we celebrate began in the 1970s out of a week-long celebration of women's contributions to culture, history, and society. It was organized by four local women and teachers in Sonoma County, CA, in conjunction with the county's Commission on the Status of Women Education Task Force. It grew so much that a few years later word reached the White House, where President Jimmy Carter signed a presidential proclamation and declared the first week of March as National Women's History week during a 1980 address to the nation. President Carter continued his philanthropic efforts throughout his life. At 98 years old, he is now resting in hospice care at home in Georgia with his family. So many lives. So many legacies to celebrate. May his transition be peaceful and may all the women out there take a big bow--you are all amazing!

dianaraab.com


  • Write about a famous woman you admire.
  • Write a letter to a female you love.
  • Write about how your childhood was influenced by the women in your life.
  • If you're a woman, write your intentions for the next chapter of your life.

MARCH EVENTS

Email
diana@dianasraab.com
(For details)

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April 18, 2023
7pm

Writing for Bliss: Find Your Authentic Voice
Yoga Soup
Santa Barbara, CA
Details to follow


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June 18-23, 2023
1:00 - 3:30 p.m.

Santa Barbara Writers Conference
Santa Barbara, CA
Click here to register

“How to Write a Love Letter and Poem.” (article) Psychology Today. February 7, 2023.

“All You Need is Love.” (article) Sixty and Me. February 11, 2023.

“How to Write a Love Letter and Poem.” (article) The Good Men Project. February 12, 2023.

“The Timeless Art of Writing a Love Letter for Valentine’s Day.” (article) She Explores Life. February 12, 2023.

"All You Need is Love." (article). Medium. February 13, 2023.

“The Timeless Art of Writing a Love Letter." (article) Thrive Global. February 14, 2023.


“Choices.” (poem) Old Water Rat Publishing. February 2023.

“Looking in My Mirror.” (article) Open Minds Quarterly. Winter 2023.
Women Who Write by Stefan Bellman, Francine Prose (Foreword).

While this isn't a new book, it's a classic which seems fit for March as Women's History Month. Female writers have not always been honored and respected; female writers entered what was, for many years, a male-dominated profession. It's surely refreshing to read the honoring of some very famous female writers, such as Virginia Woolf, Simone de Beauvoir, Sylvia Plath, Toni Morrison, and Isabel Allende to name a few. The book brings together text, drawings, and paintings to showcase these exceptional female writers.

Francine Prose wrote a spectacular foreword, in which she lauds the book by saying that it reminds us "how many women, in every age, transcended (or ignored) the traditional barriers that have tried to keep their work from being written, published, and read."
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