My writing class is fabulous. The assignment for this week is to write a profile of the worst boss I ever had. (In prior weeks, we were assigned to write a piece about something we didn't want anyone to know and a piece in which each paragraph begins with the phrase, "I remember..." We get two pages in which to express ourselves, and working within very specific parameters is helping me in many ways.) The instructor gave us an example of an excellent profile, a story called "Mazie." It was written by the infamous New Yorker writer Joseph Mitchell in 1940, and is about a woman who works at a movie theater on the Bowery. To say she is a total character is an understatement.
At one point in the piece, Mazie talks about meeting Fannie Hurst and being suspicious of her because she didn't want to appear in Hurst's writing. I'd never heard of Fannie Hurst before, so I looked her up online. (Sorry mom, I don't have any encyclopedias sitting around the apartment, although I know this is your preferred method of research.) Hurst was a well-known novelist in the 1920s and 1930s. Even better, she was a member of the Lucy Stone League, an organization that fought for women to be able to keep their maiden names after they got married and use them legally. (Motto: "My name is the symbol for my identity and must not be lost." I get shivers down my spine reading that.)
Is this not the coolest thing ever? Now, I acknowledge that a woman's maiden name is really her father's family name, indicating that you are your dad's property (thus a boy is also his dad's property) and thus changing your name at marriage just signals that another man now owns you. To some women, it is important to take their husbands' names, and who am I to tell them otherwise? If that's what you want, good for you. But, I felt very strongly associated with the name I was given at birth. Suzanne Reisman is me. So I didn't change my name, and happily, most people didn't bat an eyelash. (And those who did received swift tongue lashings from me that made them sorry they said anything. Stupid fucks.)
I just love picturing these strong, smart, sassy women in the 1920s sitting around in their little fur stoles and chapeaus agitating for their rights. Even better, it turns out that the League is again active today, and fights for equal rights! I'm totally joining up. It's just amazing what unexpected things you can learn while taking a class, isn't it?
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That is very cool. I have a story to my name, which I did change. It was not when I married (egad), but when we had children, looking prospectively at whose name they would receive. It was good because I had not liked my name for a buncha reasons, but it was bad because our new name (we both switched) was hyphenated, and I now realize that that is a crazy-ass thing to do, especially if you are a teacher. Actually, an excellent colleague called me Ms. Wollstoncraft-Shelley, and that did amuse. I still have no solution, as I wanted my kids to have my name and their dad's name.
ReplyDeleteOn another topic: What excellent writing assignments! And also: How many comments can I leave you in one day? Stop writing such interesting stuff!
That's really neat; I went through the site and wish I could persuade myself to buy one of the /Mrs/ shirts... They sort of imply that you're divorced (if you're not familiar with Lucy) but I am, so :shrug:
ReplyDeleteA thought though- It seems most common, after taking the husband's name, for women to hyphenate. Which is cool for the first generation, but imagine if my great grandmother had started it? My daughter's name would be Jacelyn Jakobs-Knopf-Stevens-Hill-FutureMarriedName. What a mouthful! Imagine signing that every time you go to the bank. :/ I wish there were a better solution.
Their gear is pretty neat. It's funny, but I don't think I have the balls to wear one of their shirts in public. I don't want people yelling at me. :) And yeah, the whole hyphen thing can get really out of hand. It's a really complicated issue in a lot of ways, especially because it is so wrapped up with identity. I think people should just make up new last names for their kids. That'll solve everything.
ReplyDeleteMs. Wollstonecraft-Shelly is hilarious. I think I might demand that people call me that from now on. Or, if I need a fake name for anything, I am totally using it.
ReplyDeletei'm thinking maybe using the mother's name as a middle name and then putting the father's name as the last name for the kids might work better than hyphenating... its pretty common in spain and latin america for people to end up with 4-5 names due to this.
ReplyDeleteor, like my mom, her official name in argentina is "first name, middle name, maiden name, "of" husband's last name". its quiet a mouthful and she shortened it in america.
The hyphen thing is truly absurd at times. Rugelah and I make up silly ones. Our fave was when Joe Cheezun met Mary Cracker. They became the Cheezun-Cracker family. (I believe the baby's first name was Cheddar.) And we're hyphenated! My poor children will have to fend for themselves.
ReplyDeleteWhen I read Eat,Pray,Love (Ugh! I cringe at the thought of actually finishing such a puky inspirational book!),the author talked about the naming ritual in Bali. If I remember correctly,it is based on just a few first names, and the order of birth.
ReplyDeleteViva La World Book!
The "I remember" prompt is one I learned when I was a counselor at the UVa Young Writers Workshop ten years ago. I have done it every year since then when doing writing with my students- 2 classes for 8 years. In all of the 16-ish times I've done it, I ALWAYS come up with more great stuff.
ReplyDeleteIt's amazing what we keep in our brains...