OPEN SECRETS: Ninety-four Women in Touch with Our Time

by Barbaralee Diamonstein ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 28, 1971

In answer to an extensive but perfunctory questionnaire ninety-four women responded to dozens of queries on careers and salaries, marriage and children, Women's Lib and male chauvinism; peace, war, marijuana, astrology, law and order, great men, great women, and other cosmic and silly topics. Overall, the responses prove little, if anything. Opinions on Women's Lib range from ""Beautiful"" to ""Ridiculous"" with quite a few preferring to leave it blank. The majority feel they have weathered the anti-female bias of society but still think they are ""living in a man's world."" Included in the female galaxy are Bella Abzug, Aretha Franklin, Gloria Steinem, Fannie Lou Hamer, Coretta King, Eudora Welty, Beverly Sills and more, more, more. None of the questions asked are especially intimate or gossipy which will discourage the fan club audience, and none are very profound, which will discourage sociologists studying feminism. Indeed the feminist thrust (not to be confused with the ladies' magazine thrust) is generally feeble with almost everyone endorsing the cheerful truism that it's the individual and not the gender that counts. From this Diamonstein concludes that the slogan ""Women's Liberation is Human Liberation"" has been vindicated. We conclude that random hodgepodge samplings provide random hodgepodge answers.

Pub Date: Feb. 28, 1971

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Viking

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1971

Categories: NONFICTION