The Seal Press Women's Interest Blog

julia serano on sexism

2008-08-06T09:59:00.000-07:00

Julia Serano, author of Whipping Girl: A Transsexual Woman on Sexism and the Scapegoating of Femininity, is one of the smartest women I know. Of any book Seal has ever published, Whipping Girl is the one that most opened my mind and most altered my perceptions of sexism, misogyny, and trans issues at large.

Julia's AlterNet article, "Rethinking Sexism," out yesterday, is a worthwhile read. In fact, Julia's always worth reading. Here she covers the three differing feminist perspectives with regards to the Michigan Womyn's Music Festival's womyn-born-womyn only policy, which bars trans women from attending. One of the commenters points out the fact that feminism and transgender ideology make "uneasy bedfellows." Which is exactly why Julia is such a trailblazer---because she's working from within "the movement." She's an outspoken feminist and trans activist. I feel like the burden lands on feminists to first acknowledge the ways in which transphobia and trans misogyny negatively impacts all women. And admittedly, many do. And yet, some of the biggest stand-offs are happening among feminists and inside the LGBT community (and yes, there's overlap there). It's a battlefront, that's for sure, and I commend Julia's unwavering dedication to thoughtful, balanced, and patient analysis of these issues.

---Brooke

brushing up on the backlist: HUNGRY FOR MORE

2008-08-01T13:29:00.000-07:00

It's always cool to see one of our authors being interviewed years after their books come out, and especially when the book is mentioned. Today I want to call attention to Hungry for More, by Robyn McGee, which was actually the second book I acquired at Seal Press when I started in 2004.

On CNN.com today, Robyn talks about the misrepresentation, and/or limited representation, of black women in film and television. "Female film roles are prone to stereotype," she said.

McGee lost her sister to gastric bypass surgery, which prompted her to write this book on black women's body image.

Thanks, Robyn, and check out the book.

Brooke

is pink the enemy?

2008-07-31T10:35:00.000-07:00

Over at th Guardian this week, there's a little commentary about books aimed at women are becoming increasingly homogenised, girly and bland-looking.

As a press that publishes books by women for women, Seal struggles with the pink thing, too. I've described us as the antithesis of chick lit. We're a content-driven press that doesn't do much fluff. That said, we've published pink covers, bOObs and Rock Your Stars being two stellar examples of pink (still anti-chick lit) covers we've done recently.

So why do we do it? Finding the perfect cover is a tricky business. Marketing is an imprecise science, no doubt. We put our trust in our designers, and at the point of designing a book cover, oftentimes the designer is working from a cover memo and a summary of the book and just their own design sense to go on. I'm not a fan of the chick lit genre, but I also don't think books aimed at women are increasingly homogenized, girly, and bland-looking. I spend time looking at covers because I work in publishing, and if anything I think books aimed at women (chick lit and romance aside) are getting increasingly smarter and edgier.

Seen any good covers lately that fit this bill that you'd like to share?

(via Salon.)

women who eat meat

2008-07-29T15:40:00.000-07:00

Back in January I posted about craving hamburgers, a post inspired by Sex and Bacon, which was just written up on AlterNet yesterday.

Jen Rios (right), our Online Marketing Manager, and I (yep, left) were having this very conversation on the Friday of BlogHer, an occasion for treating ourselves to burgers and wine, along with Krista and Seal author Jennette Fulda. A civilized Friday lunch if I may say so myself.

Cheers. Just wanted to share that the burger-lovin' lives on. And thanks to Jennette for the photo. She and Krista ate cobb salad.

---Brooke

entrepreneurialism and cupcake love

2008-07-28T10:57:00.001-07:00

For those of you who aren't familiar with Rachel Kramer Bussel's cupcake blog, Cupcakes Take the Cake, now's the time to check it out.

Her interview of Seal authors Lauren Bacon and Emira Mears, coauthors of Boss of You has great insight into the business of running your own business, plus Emira and Lauren's cupcake preferences. That's right, it's practical and fun!

---Brooke

"The Business of Being Born"

2008-07-17T12:02:00.000-07:00

Hi! This is Andie East, publicist at Seal Press and this is a guest post.

Last night I watched this truly amazing film, "The Business of Being Born". I'm sure most of you have just had the words "Ricki Lake" pop into your head and for good reason. She was the executive producer of the film and the film does feature her, and director Abby Epstein, in their quest to learn more about the capitalistic culture behind childbirth.

I learned that many women don't know their options when it comes to childbirth and that hospitals and doctors have things on a tight schedule that encourages interventions to speed up the process of labor. I also learned that laying flat on your back to give birth is the absolute worst option and, surprise surprise, rather than midwives being a more expensive and unsafe way to give birth, are actually more safe and less expensive. A midwife costs around $4,000 start to finish for a birth whereas a hospital birth that is completely normal will cost $13,000. In fact most doctors have never even seen a natural childbirth that does not involve drugs.

The most amazing part of the film were the numerous women who were documented having at home births. I can't tell you how beautiful it was to see a baby drop down from between a woman's legs, and have it held to her chest and then see the look of wonder and joy on each woman's face. Women in their own homes being held by their partners, their other children nearby patting the newborns head. It was amazing.

The saddest thing to me was that so many people didn't know the facts and figures and options when it comes to childbirth. It made me think of a book we published a few years ago called "Deliver This!" by Marisa Cohen. It's a comprehensive book about the choices out there and how to make them regardless of what you hear from doctors, friends or society.

Though what I'd really like to hear is your own labor stories. The choices you made when it comes to childbirth. I myself have never had a child and had never thought of having a child at home. But after watching "The Business of Being Born" I don't think I could do it any other way.

Let me know! What did you do? What did you experience? When are you going to see the film!

open marriage, celebrity style

2008-07-15T09:24:00.000-07:00

In what one blogger called the "worst-kept secret in Hollywood," Will Smith has confirmed his open marriage with Jada Pinkett Smith.

This is a timely subject---one our staff has been thinking about a lot since the publication of Open: Love, Sex, and Life in an Open Marriage, by Jenny Block. There's no way this option works for all couples, and Jenny doesn't even begin to suggest that. But she makes a compelling case for open marriage and why it should be more widely accepted, at least. Open marriage is all about honesty, after all, and who can claim they've never known anyone who's cheated. Yeah... The argument being, if you're gonna cheat, why not be open about it. Jenny asserts that it saved her marriage.

One of Jenny's aims has been to open the bedroom door on open marriage, as it were, and say to the world that it's way more common than you think, and that being involved in an open marriage is not sexually deviant. And so it seems that with people like Will and Jada, and other celebs like Oscar-winning actress Tilda Swinton (among others) that goal is getting closer and closer to being realized.

For more, check out Jenny's website and blog.

---Brooke

BlogHer 2008

2008-07-14T14:20:00.001-07:00

This year I'm pleased to announce that four Seal authors are speaking at BlogHer.

If you're going, check these amazing ladies out!

Jennette Fulda, author of Half-Assed: A Weight-Loss Memoir

What We Do: Blog to Book Redux

"On the "Blog to Book" panel, I'll be happy to talk about how my blog led to a book deal, the ways I used my blog to promote my book, and incentives I used to motivate my readers to get the word out. I can also answer questions about how to set up a book web site, how to plan your own book release party, and how to sell autographed books from a corner of your apartment with PayPal and a big box of bubble mailers."

Jennifer L. Pozner, founder and executive director of Women In Media & News (WIMN) and author of a forthcoming book about the how reality television is harmful to women (Seal Press, fall 2009)

What We Believe: Top-notch Political Opinion Commentary

"Pozner’s journalism and media criticism has been widely published in corporate news outlets (eg., Newsday, Chicago Tribune, Boston Phoenix) independent media (eg., Ms., The American Prospect, Bitch: Feminist Response to Pop Culture), new media (eg., AlterNet, Salon, HuffingtonPost), and anthologies (eg., BitchFest: Ten Years of Cultural Criticism from the Pages Of Bitch Magazine, Catching a Wave: Reclaiming Feminism for the 21st Century, The W Effect: Bush’s War on Women), among others."

Laura S. Scott, author of Childless by Choice (Seal Press, fall 2009)

Who We Are: Women Without Children and the Blogosphere

"Lately, I’ve been spending all of my time on the 'Childless by Choice Project,' a research, book, and documentary project on the childless by choice in North America. In the sixteenth year of my childfree marriage, I asked 'How and why do people, like us, "opt out" of parenthood? Is it a choice? Or, is it a process?'"

Fueled by curiosity and introspection, I traveled to ten American states and two Canadian provinces to survey the childless by choice and to determine why, for millions of North American couples, the question 'When should we have kids?' had morphed into 'Should we have kids?'"

Melissa Ford, author of The Land of If: Understanding Fertility and Exploring Your Options (Seal Press, spring 2009)

MommyBlogging: When the Road To Motherhood Is Anything But Smooth: Infertility, Adoption and Miscarriage Bloggers

Melissa is the author of the infertility and pregnancy loss blog, Stirrup Queens and Sperm Palace Jesters. It started as the space she wished she had found when she was going through treatments for the first time and has evolved into hub of activity and information--from the newly-diagnosed to those parenting after infertility or adoption or living childfree after infertility. She is the keeper of a categorized blogroll of over 1300 infertility blogs and writes the daily Lost and Found and Connections Abound, a news source for the infertility blogosphere.

Good luck to all of you, and for any readers who don't know about BlogHer, check it out. And if you're a blogger, you need to be going to this conference.

---Brooke

is buying your own home on the horizon?

2008-07-09T17:08:00.000-07:00

Last night I went and saw the Sex and the City movie. I loved it. I was a fan of the show, and despite the fact that I'd heard peeps here and there about the movie not being "very feminist," I was totally swept up by it.

One of Carrie's dilemmas at the beginning of the film is about the fact that she won't have any rights to the home she and Big are moving into together if she doesn't pony up with some money for part of the down payment. It's all glitz and glamor and pretty ridiculous to think about the many millions of dollars the penthouse suite they're considering purchasing in downtown NYC would actually cost, but I thought the very fact that Carrie's friends (mostly Miranda) are on her to make smart choices about home ownership were very progressive and smart.

This spring we published OWN IT! The Ups and Downs of Homebuying for Women Who Go It Alone, by Jennifer Musselman. I thought about this book while I was watching the movie last night, and then I got into the office this morning to find this awesome interview from the lovely women at WOW! Women on Writing.

I have a handful of single friends who own their own homes. Though it's true that the dream of owning a home is often wrapped up in fantasies of falling in love and having a family, deciding to put off the decision because you don't have those things is something that I think too many women can relate to. I love this book because, like the women from Sex and the City, Jennifer is hardly giving up on the dream of love. But in the meantime, until that happens for her, she's got security and a home she can call her own. And the coolest thing, it's not even as unobtainable a dream as it seems.

---Brooke

two must-reads

2008-07-07T15:47:00.000-07:00

It's not too often that we get side-by-side hits in a major magazine. But this month's Shape features two of our spring titles:

Half-Assed, by Jennette Fulda, and About Face, edited by Anne Burt and Christina Baker Kline.

This is very awesome, and congrats to our authors!

---B

the pregnant man memoir

2008-07-03T09:13:00.000-07:00

Today's Salon article, "What the Pregnant Man Didn't Deliver," sort of tries to give a balanced approach to Thomas Beatie's story, though of course the title itself speaks to the goal of the piece: to pinpoint what Thomas didn't deliver.

I'm proud to announce that Seal has picked up this title. Today's Salon piece and a June 22 New York Times piece, both mentioned that the memoir has been shelved, but not that it's on track for fall publication here at Seal.

The Times presented what I thought was a thoughtful perspective, essentially concluding that gender is complicated, and that the Beaties' story is one that shows there’s plenty of room for the reshaping of traditional ideas about husband and wife, mom and dad, and what constitutes family. The Salon piece, on the other hand, seemed intent on finding trans activists who wanted to condemn Thomas and point out places where he's failed the trans community. For what, I wonder?

Thomas's whole story will be told in his memoir, and it's a fascinating and moving story about family and identity and love, and ultimately about wanting to have a baby with his wife. I think it's true that the notion of family is ever-changing, and that having loving parents, no matter what those parents look like, or how they express their gender, is what matters. Thomas is a trailblazer because he's willing to share his story and he's not shying away from his truth. Why should he have to? He could have done this all in silence, like some trans men before him, but it seems to me that his willingness to be public with his choices can't do anything but help the trans community. Thomas also defines as a man, and he's legally a male, and a husband. If the trans community does in fact want visibility and equal rights then Thomas is doing his part. He's comfortable in his skin, as a man, and proud of his wife and family. He's an honest guy who wanted to have a family and who's opting to tell his story publicly. And who has brought a wanted and loved child into this world. Congratulations Thomas and Nancy!

---Brooke

more on Maternal

2008-07-01T09:52:00.000-07:00

Susie Bright has an awesome post about our new anthology, Maternal Is Political, which she contributed to.

I purposely refrained from writing about the whole Rebecca Walker fracas (above all because it was just too upsetting and frustrating to make sense of), but Rebecca also has a piece in the anthology, and part of Susie's post mirrors my own wonderment over the whole thing:

I can't feature why Rebecca would wash her dirty laundry in public... unless she were desperate for money. Or losing her mind. Or both. And even then— how are you suppose to reconcile with your family after this? I guess you pretend they're dead. But they're... not. R. says A. has cut her out of the will, which is presumably worth millions. For having a baby? Does money really drive people this batshit? You feel like calling each member of the Walker family into the room, and interviewing them separately. What a tragedy.

Anyways, I've recommended this book before, and I'm doing it again. I think it's one of the more insightful, educational, and needed books on our spring list.

---Brooke

not funny . . .

2008-06-27T12:59:00.000-07:00

Men who joke about beating their wives are either:

a) really beating their wives
b) have beat their wives in the past (reformed wife-beaters)
c) have thought about beating their wives and thereby somehow feel they can justify being verbally abusive
d) sick

So here's a recent interview transcript from John McCain, in which he jokes about beating his wife.

As far as I can tell, McCain is definitely "c." It's been rumored for years that he's verbally abusive---calling Cindy a "slut" and a "cunt" and god knows what else. So it's just not okay. It's not funny. It's not something to shine the spotlight on. It's "d."

---Brooke

thank you, StirFry Seminars

2008-06-26T15:50:00.000-07:00

Today was our antiracism training. We'll have a follow-up 2-hour session in late July. Thirteen of us attended, and it was a solid step in our larger journey and toward the commitment we made to our readers around building awareness, diversifying, and so much more.

Today felt like a small but important step, as it provided a space for our staff to talk about where we stand, what we want to achieve, and where we're going from here. We'll check in periodically about what we're doing and what we're acquiring, but I hope that this message reaches many of you who commented to our blog back in April: We understand the difference between intention and impact and we are taking it all in, listening, and learning. The conversations that are coming from the mistakes we made are productive and promising, and I know that they'll carry Seal to a better place.

Thanks to StirFry, our readers, and our staff.

Brooke

Thank you NWSA conference

2008-06-24T15:07:00.001-07:00

Another conference, good panels, great discussions, lots of booth duty, new friends, and good times. Despite extended exhibit hall hours and a raspy voice from talking way too much, Andie and I had a good time in Cincinnati (and an evening in Kentucky). Thank you to all the wonderful professors and graduate students who came by the Seal booth to express their appreciation for what we do. And many thanks to the Seal authors who came to the conference this year to sign books, talk to conference attendees, and join lively discussions. The new Seal Studies books were a hit, and Andie and I were both touched by the outpouring of support for Seal. We feel reinvigorated to bring quality books to your classrooms and to your lives.

Next year, NWSA is in Atlanta in November, and we'll be there.

K.

Michelle Obama clearly rocks

2008-06-19T10:35:00.001-07:00

Michelle Obama has been getting tons of press since her appearance on The View yesterday. More proof of the power of daytime TV on middle America. She talked about sending Laura Bush a thank you note, which people seemed to agree was a very stand-up thing to do. She talked about wearing her heart on her sleeve and about being passionate and taking risks.

If Hillary couldn't take the nomination, all I have to say is thank god for Michelle Obama. It remains to be seen how she's going to handle everything the media is throwing her way. The New York Times ran a piece on Michelle's "subtle makeover," which was picked up on by the Today Show this morning. From my take on it, the segment seemed to imply that Michelle would do well by the campaign to just fade into the background and let her husband shine. They talked about her fashion sense, and the hoopla about her $150 dollar dress from White House || Black Market (one of my faves) and how it's selling out across the country now.

As they sat there alternately comparing her to Jackie O. and Barbara Bush (whose popularity, apparently, is due to the fact that she doesn't do jack shit), I found myself thinking (hoping) that there's no way Michelle has it in her to be a wallflower, no matter how much the media and the public and even the campaign try to force her into being more palatable. I can see her doing it for the sake of doing it, until Barack is elected. And you know, if she's gotta play the game then she's gotta play the game. Here's wishing her luck for the long months until November!

---Brookes

another awesome anthology

2008-06-16T11:44:00.000-07:00

The concept behind our newest anthology, About Face, is truly unique. Women writers write about the ways their faces have impacted their lives. At first pass that seems like an esoteric concept, and then you consider how important our faces are. Twenty-five women of all ages, ethnicities, and backgrounds considered this question, and their stories are moving---tragic, hilarious, revealing. I felt inspired to journal about my own impressions of my face when I acquired this book, to consider how I present and the impressions I make in the world because of the face I live with. I'm very pleased to announce this book to the world. It's a beautiful collection, a beautiful group of women.

Thank you to our editors, Anne Burt and Christina Baker Kline, for making it happen.

---Brooke

feminism is an idea, not a movement

2008-06-13T09:34:00.000-07:00

A recent blog post by Amanda Marcotte asserts just this: "feminism is an idea, not a movement."

Amanda, along with Seal author Jessica Valenti, was recently referenced in an article by Linda Hirshman that's created a lot of upset in the feminist blogosphere and beyond.

The debates are complex, in part because the centerpiece of the conversation focuses on intersectionality---feminism through the lenses of race and age and gender. It's a huge topic, and it's been fascinating to follow those writers who are articulating all of it so eloquently. I highly recommend Jill Filipovic's amazing post if you want to read more.

But what's come out of this, and what's been coming up a lot in recent months (largely due, I think, to Hillary and Barack as the nation's first female and black presidential hopefuls), is that the feminist "movement" is pretty much over.

Its reference here and elsewhere in quotation marks speaks to the fact that we're in a different place than our foremothers of the 1960s and 70s. I've found myself trying to figure out where I stand in the movement, whether my own feminism is feminist enough; the Seal staff has been undergoing our own internal dialogue about our feminisms as a press, and what it means to be a women's press with a feminist sensibility that doesn't always publish exclusively feminist books.

I want to thank Amanda for her realization. Feminism as an idea helps me, at least, to better understand why we fight and struggle and grow and debate the way we do. It's an important struggle, and one that's wrought with frustration and reward alike.

Onward ladies. Have a great weekend.

---Brooke

check out Rachel Kramer Bussel

2008-06-12T10:41:00.000-07:00

And check out Dirty Girls while you're at it!

brushing up on the backlist: DESIRE

2008-06-09T11:11:00.001-07:00

I like this interview with Lisa Solod Warren, editor of Desire because there's a lot of information here for aspiring anthology editors, and because Lisa speaks to Seal's mission to publish books that inform women's lives.

Desire is all about women's wants---and it's a fascinating exploration. Krista wrote about Desire last year, so here's a cool reminder that our backlist books are still out there and making an impact on readers.

---Brooke

sucked away by BEA

2008-06-05T15:56:00.000-07:00

We've been MIA, swept away by the blitz of BookExpo America.

The weekend was amazing. It's a treat to get to see what publishers are up to, and to experience the way the entire industry comes together once a year to show their wares. I'm always stunned and overwhelmed and humbled and grateful and inspired and moved. This year's show was in LA, and so it had its share of celebrities, most of whom I missed. I would have liked to have seen Brooke Shields, but the only celeb I saw was Dionne Warwick.

Krista and Andie and I manned our little Seal booth and took meetings---and thank you to all of you who were there and stopped by to say hello.

We're back in full swing and sort of glad to be home. I had no idea that downtown LA was such a happening place.

If you have any fun BEA stories to share, by all means, please do. The highlight for me was sitting in the nipple-shaped semi-enclosed full-size waterbed on the roof of The Standard Hotel.

---Brooke

SEND A MESSAGE: Sexism Sells, But We're Not Buying It!

2008-05-27T09:55:00.000-07:00

WATCH THIS VIDEO.

If you know anyone who's thinking that Hillary is just whining about being unfairly treated by the media, maybe this video will change their minds.

The Women's Media Center and Media Matters launched "Sexism Sells, But We're Not Buying It" to illustrate "the pervasive nature of sexism in the media's coverage."

If you watch the video and think to yourself, This is not okay, then sign the petition.

---Brooke

an update for our readers

2008-05-21T16:05:00.000-07:00

This post is to let our readers, authors, supporters, and critics know that we are moving forward with our anti-racism training with StirFry Seminars and Consulting. Thank you, Elusis, for suggesting them. Our training date is on June 26th, and every employee who works on Seal titles will be encouraged to attend, and the four of us dedicated to Seal (Krista and I, along with our publicists, Andie and Eva) are absolutely attending.

In addition to our training, we are taking steps toward hiring consultants to help us review some proposals and possible acquisitions. I've personally reached out to agents and a handful of authors as well. These are our first steps, and we are committed to the constant pushing forward of these larger agendas and goals we've promised to pay attention to.

Thanks for checking in and we'll continue to update you periodically on our progress.

---Brooke

Ode to authors

2008-05-20T14:19:00.000-07:00

This week I'd like to thank the amazing The Boss of You duo, Lauren Bacon and Emira Mears.

It's been such a pleasure to work with these two incredibly smart women. We're proud to have their book on our list. Not only did they write a great book, which we've all found to be really helpful and informative, but they're really working the promotion part of their publishing experience effectively---like pros. We appreciate their efforts immensely.

Lauren and Emira's production schedule was smack in the middle of Seal's acquisition by PBG. Their editor was laid off, and they had to go with the flow as we shuffled and reorganized. We did, and they did, and everything turned out A-OK. Thanks you two for being patient and having faith.

Check out their website www.laurenandemira.com---a great example of what a website can be and do.

Thanks you two.

K.

three cheers, California!

2008-05-15T16:23:00.000-07:00

Five years ago I was the maid of honor in my childhood friend's wedding. My dad officiated. Family and friends came from miles away to celebrate. The day was perfect. The brides were beautiful. I've always referred to that day as a wedding, but it wasn't. It was a commitment ceremony, which never lessened its validity in my mind or my friend's, but it certainly did in the eyes of the law.

So here we are, almost five years to the date (their anniversary is in June), able to say that we're making progress---though certainly circuitously. Today's California Supreme Court decision (READ IT) apparently still has to go to the voters in a constitutional referendum from what I've read today. Then California will be the second American state (after Massachusetts) with full marriage rights.

I especially appreciated this part of the opinion:

"[A]ffording same-sex couples the opportunity to obtain the designation of marriage will not impinge upon the religious freedom of any religious organization, official, or any other person; no religion will be required to change its religious policies or practices with regard to same-sex couples, and no religious officiant will be required to solemnize a marriage in contravention of his or her religious beliefs."

Yay for separation of church and state, something that's been far too conflated during these long Bush years.

---Brooke