Who Does She Think She Is?
Wild congratulations to UNL grad student Danielle Luebbe, who won the Atlantic Monthly Student Writing Contest with her beautiful essay, "Palm to Palm." It's a gorgeous piece, and the honor is more than merited. I can't wait for Danielle's work to start finding the audience it deserves.
And under the category of Extremely Hard to Believe Yet True, the second place winner of the Atlantic Monthly contest was Kelly Grey Carlisle, about whose work I've waxed rhapsodic on here before. Unbelievable. UNL's creative writing program: kickin' ass and takin' names. (Do you think the department would go for a t-shirt with that motto?)
Who Does She Think She Is? refers not to Danielle and Kelly--though they should be rocking chutzpah galore right about now--but to a documentary about women artists and the persistence of gender bias in the art world. It's showing at the Ross this Thursday evening at 7:30, and director Pamela Tannerwill be there to discuss it. I think I'm going to take my Little Sister Amara, who's pretty good with a paintbrush herself. Go here to watch a trailer and learn more.
My mom used to ask me that question angrily when I was little: "Who do you think you are?" It always baffled me and hurt me. Her anger made me feel small and frustrated.
I know now that the question was intended to express her indignation that I'd gotten above my place, that I'd talked back, "gotten smart" with her. But then, the question was an existential stumper. Could you think you were someone you weren't? Who did I think I was? I'd stand there dumbly, taking her literally, lost in thought, confused and yet fascinated by the possibilities.
The only correct answer, to my mother's mind, was probably, "Who do I think I am? I think I'm sorry. Very, very sorry." But I'd usually spin mentally off into some six-year-old version of cosmological, ontological inquiry and just stand there with my mouth open--not fruitful for mother-daughter relations.
I grew up to be sort of shy, quiet, and insecure--something I'm still outgrowing, slowly and with effort. I've never quite felt the dangerous uppityness my mother was sure I possessed. But I favor uppity women, and I hope Danielle and Kelly revel in a little well-earned uppityness today.
Congratulations, Danielle and Kelly! Hurray! Woo-hoo!
And under the category of Extremely Hard to Believe Yet True, the second place winner of the Atlantic Monthly contest was Kelly Grey Carlisle, about whose work I've waxed rhapsodic on here before. Unbelievable. UNL's creative writing program: kickin' ass and takin' names. (Do you think the department would go for a t-shirt with that motto?)
Who Does She Think She Is? refers not to Danielle and Kelly--though they should be rocking chutzpah galore right about now--but to a documentary about women artists and the persistence of gender bias in the art world. It's showing at the Ross this Thursday evening at 7:30, and director Pamela Tannerwill be there to discuss it. I think I'm going to take my Little Sister Amara, who's pretty good with a paintbrush herself. Go here to watch a trailer and learn more.
My mom used to ask me that question angrily when I was little: "Who do you think you are?" It always baffled me and hurt me. Her anger made me feel small and frustrated.
I know now that the question was intended to express her indignation that I'd gotten above my place, that I'd talked back, "gotten smart" with her. But then, the question was an existential stumper. Could you think you were someone you weren't? Who did I think I was? I'd stand there dumbly, taking her literally, lost in thought, confused and yet fascinated by the possibilities.
The only correct answer, to my mother's mind, was probably, "Who do I think I am? I think I'm sorry. Very, very sorry." But I'd usually spin mentally off into some six-year-old version of cosmological, ontological inquiry and just stand there with my mouth open--not fruitful for mother-daughter relations.
I grew up to be sort of shy, quiet, and insecure--something I'm still outgrowing, slowly and with effort. I've never quite felt the dangerous uppityness my mother was sure I possessed. But I favor uppity women, and I hope Danielle and Kelly revel in a little well-earned uppityness today.
Congratulations, Danielle and Kelly! Hurray! Woo-hoo!
Kelly said:
Congratulations to you, too, Joy! For your own wonderful work as a writer and teacher. Thank you for supporting your students in so many ways. And, yes, we SO need a creative writing program t-shirt!!!!!
March 5, 2009 4:34 AMKelly Madigan Erlandson said:
March 11, 2009 3:43 AMHi Joy - Thanks for blogging about the movie -- I went last night and thought it was great. I really needed to see it ten years ago, but still, better late than never! Also, congrats to Danielle and Kelly. Way cool.