Live from New York...it's Mojo Mom
I am back from New York and I feel like I have an adrenaline-letdown hangover. I am on borrowed time with this blog post as my daughter has already overslept for an hour, but I'll see what I can write.
The trip to New York was fantastic, and the best part was going with my friend Meghan. The trip made me realize both how much we'd shared and how much we still had to learn about each other.
We saw The Color Purple on Broadway on Friday night and it was a perfect Mojo Mom inspiration heading into Satruday morning. I was so proud of Fantasia. At age 22, she stepped into the lead role in a cast that had already been working together. She rocked the house and seeing her expressions during curtain call, I sensed that she is truly amazed by this opportunity.
I am still processing my Today Show experience and I will write more later. Most importantly I want to write about the writings I referred to this week as I was preparing. I felt like I was writing a term paper--I knew I would not be able to say much during a 5-minute TV appearance but I wanted to have my facts straight. I will share these resources with you in a later post.
Quick Today Show thoughts:
My goals were to #1 represent the motherhood movement with integrity, #2 look like I belonged on the panel, #3 not say anything stupid, and #4 get my points out.
With only about 5 minutes split 4 ways it was very, very quick. The whole experience was overwhelming and surreal. I didn't feel nervous in the moment but I did feel a little blanked out just before we started.
I was proud not to take Mommy War bait AND to work in the mention of MomsRising.org.
I think Pamela Stone's new book "Opting Out?" is brilliant. Finally we have a rather objective, qualitative but thorough research-based study. I want to get in touch with Professor Stone because in writing "Mojo Mom" I am essentially one of her subjects narrating her experience as it happened. I am so interested to put my book into her context, both in an exploration of identity and my link between each woman's individual process and the need to work toward women's leadership and collective activism.
Ironically, Pamela Stone is much more up front about her biases and interpretations than is Leslie Bennetts. Bennetts should own up to the fact that she's written what I call a "researched polemic." It may be journalism but it is not social science and she must take responsibility for the tone of her book. She's not just "the messenger" as in "don't shoot the messenger." She had selective interviews and is the interpreter.
After the Today Show I kind of wished I had said that while Leslie has a valid point about financial planning, the experience of reading her book feels like choking down a plate of barbed wire.
Gotta run, family calls. Have a great Mother's Day everyone.
The trip to New York was fantastic, and the best part was going with my friend Meghan. The trip made me realize both how much we'd shared and how much we still had to learn about each other.
We saw The Color Purple on Broadway on Friday night and it was a perfect Mojo Mom inspiration heading into Satruday morning. I was so proud of Fantasia. At age 22, she stepped into the lead role in a cast that had already been working together. She rocked the house and seeing her expressions during curtain call, I sensed that she is truly amazed by this opportunity.
I am still processing my Today Show experience and I will write more later. Most importantly I want to write about the writings I referred to this week as I was preparing. I felt like I was writing a term paper--I knew I would not be able to say much during a 5-minute TV appearance but I wanted to have my facts straight. I will share these resources with you in a later post.
Quick Today Show thoughts:
My goals were to #1 represent the motherhood movement with integrity, #2 look like I belonged on the panel, #3 not say anything stupid, and #4 get my points out.
With only about 5 minutes split 4 ways it was very, very quick. The whole experience was overwhelming and surreal. I didn't feel nervous in the moment but I did feel a little blanked out just before we started.
I was proud not to take Mommy War bait AND to work in the mention of MomsRising.org.
I think Pamela Stone's new book "Opting Out?" is brilliant. Finally we have a rather objective, qualitative but thorough research-based study. I want to get in touch with Professor Stone because in writing "Mojo Mom" I am essentially one of her subjects narrating her experience as it happened. I am so interested to put my book into her context, both in an exploration of identity and my link between each woman's individual process and the need to work toward women's leadership and collective activism.
Ironically, Pamela Stone is much more up front about her biases and interpretations than is Leslie Bennetts. Bennetts should own up to the fact that she's written what I call a "researched polemic." It may be journalism but it is not social science and she must take responsibility for the tone of her book. She's not just "the messenger" as in "don't shoot the messenger." She had selective interviews and is the interpreter.
After the Today Show I kind of wished I had said that while Leslie has a valid point about financial planning, the experience of reading her book feels like choking down a plate of barbed wire.
Gotta run, family calls. Have a great Mother's Day everyone.
posted by MojoMom at 9:55 AM
2 Comments:
I totally agree with you. Leslie Bennetts really needs to take ownership of her work. It is very difficult to take someone seriously who seems to want to detach themselves from the creative product they have presented. And I do not believe for a second she did not realize the subject matter is controversial. If so, she is obviously not a very good journalist. On a more positive note- You looked great on television! So much more optimistic about motherhood and the challenges WE ALL face. Bravo!
Amy,
I got to see you on TV and you should be proud that you did not get at all flustered and you were able to meet the goals you set for yourself. Which,after all, is what you encourage other moms to do in your book. You not only preach it, you practice it too!
As for Bennetts', her "I'm just the messenger" line is wearing on many people. Just own up to "yeah, I wrote a book that will get people's dander up, but there are issues I feel many women need to consider and I don't think they are doing so." THAT would be the approach I could get behind, I cannot get behind someone who holds other women in contempt merely because they make different decisions and don't follow what Bennetts' feels is the correct and true path. Bennetts' hasn't walked in my shoes, but more important, she hasn't even looked to see that I own a pair.
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