"I am woman, hear me roar... or purr... or say nothing at all, if I so choose" is this collection's theme. Handel is the force behind Blue Jean Media, a company that produces blue jean
magazine, a periodical for women aged 14 to 22. Dissatisfied with the selection of teen magazines filled with fluffy articles about getting the ideal boyfriend and buying the right prom dress, Handel sought to fill a void by providing a magazine written and edited by young women from around the world. The result was a magazine whose purpose is to empower girls and young women to define themselves through their own medium. The book is a compilation of articles already published in blue jean, including such topics as feminism, body image, volunteering/activism and ethnicity/race. The authors handle these heated topics with ease, displaying a surprising maturity. Twenty-one-year-old Dina Rabadi extols the virtue of single-sex education, treating both sides of the issue, beginning with her own initial reluctance to attend Smith College. Sixteen-year-old Erica Bryant separates herself from feminists by embracing the term "womanist," noting that black women have often been called upon to attack one issue at a time (either race or gender). According to Bryant, womanist philosophy states that racism, sexism and classism can be attacked all at once. Socially active women of all ages will find inspiration in this collection; as it reminds older readers of what it was like to be youthfully optimistic, it empowers younger readers to define their own images and issues for themselves. (Nov.)
