Last night, NARAL Pro-Choice America hosted our Roe v. Wade 39th anniversary dinner. The event brought together pro-choice stars from the political, activist, and entertainment worlds.

The theme for this year’s event was “It’s Politics. It’s Personal. It’s Choice.” Our brilliant speakers weaved this theme into the evening’s celebrations, and drew upon the importance of connecting personal experiences with all that’s going on in the political arena.

Susie Essman, who played the sassy Susie Greene for all seven seasons of the critically-acclaimed HBO comedy series, “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” was our mistress of ceremonies.

Susie’s opening remarks drew a standing ovation–especially after she highlighted the dangers women face should any of the anti-choice Republican candidates for president win in November:

If any of these candidates reach the White House the only way to protect my reproductive rights will be to declare my womb a corporation.

Rosalyn Levy Jonas, board chair of NARAL Pro-Choice America Foundation, also shared a personal story about seeking abortion care as a young woman, and then later, starting a family with her husband. In a moving call to action, she invited the guests to stand if they or someone they knew had ever sought abortion care.

The entire room stood.

“We do not wear scarlet letters,” she said. True.

It’s that personal element that underscores the importance of our political movement: the basic notion that women–the women we know–are the ones best equipped to make the personal, private decision that is right for them and their families.

We honored the D.C. Abortion Fund with our 2012 Champion of Choice Award. The D.C. Abortion Fund is an all-volunteer, non-profit organization that makes grants and no-interest loans to D.C.-area women who cannot afford the full cost of abortion care. Read more about this amazing organization.

Nancy Keenan, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America, put into stark relief the contrast between President Obama’s pro-choice administration and a potential anti-choice Republican one:

Just last week, the Obama administration stood up to intense lobbying from anti-contraception groups and made a decision that will guarantee insurance coverage of birth control without a copay for millions of American women. This is a huge victory.

Every time a woman goes to the pharmacy and picks up her birth control without a copay we are reminded of why it matters to have a friend in the White House.

The bottom line: ELECTIONS MATTER.

That’s why I believe that, at the end of the day, our determination will crush their anti-choice hypocrisy.

At NARAL Pro-Choice America, we are ready for the battle of 2012.

And speaking of 2012, the event’s keynote speaker was Patrick Murphy, a former two-term U.S. representative from Pennsylvania. Patrick was one of our brightest pro-choice stars in the House.

Patrick was the first Iraq War veteran to be elected to Congress, and was a professor of constitutional law at West Point–not the sort of guy our anti-choice opponents relish going up against when debating a woman’s fundamental, constitutional right to privacy.

He rallied the room to action in 2012:

Because of you, we have a President that worked with Congress to make sure women have access to contraceptives.

Because of you we had a Congress that said being a woman is no longer going to be considered a pre-existing condition.

We’re going to look back on this election and say: “that was the turning point.”

Let’s keep fighting to make sure it’s a turning point in the right direction.

We’re only getting started. We’ll fight every day in 2012 to make sure that this is the year we stop the War on Women.

Paid for by NARAL Pro-Choice America, www.ProChoiceAmerica.org, and not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.

Check photos from the event here.

Robert Massie has written another fascinating book, Catherine the Great. I bought it two days ago, and since then, I haven’t put it down. The story is about Sophia Augusta Fredrika von Anhalt Zerbst, a relatively unknown princess of minor German nobility, who traveled to Moscow to marry her second cousin, Peter, and became one of the most important and famous rulers in European history: Catherine the Great, Empress and Autocrat of all the Russia. For more information about the book, click here.

As we approach the end of 2011, we took a look back at some of our favorite books.  Here is a list with the best books of 2011 from The New York Times.  What are some of your favorite reads?

Events

The DC Abortion Fund’s annual Peace, Joy, and Choice holiday party and fundraiser is on Monday, December 12. Buy your tickets ahead of time online and enjoy yourself at One Lounge. For more info, click here.

Are you living in London or are you planning to be there next weekend? If the answer is yes to either, then do not miss the Muff March on Harley Street, next Saturday, December 10th. Marchers will be speaking out against surgeons profiting from body hatred and raising awareness about the growing pressures on women to seek labiaplasty. For more info, click here.

Via: Online MBA Blog

I Love Myself When I Am Laughing…And Then Again When I Am Looking Mean and Impressive, a unique anthology with 14 examples of Hurston’s work on fiction, journalism, folklore and autobiography will be released in the beginning of November from Feminist Press. This unique publication establishes Zora Neale Hurston as the intellectual and spiritual leader of the next generation of black writers. For more information, click here.

Anne Enright’s heroine in her latest book, The Forgotten Waltz, is Gina, an IT consultant who is in a relationship with a married man. Anne’s book is about relationships, connections, and the role of the family in people’s lives as she follows Gina on her journey. For more information about this novel of intelligence, passion and distinction, click  here.

Events

From Nov. 2-10, WIN will host its annual Week of Events – a fantastic way of new and old members to become more involved with WIN, exchange ideas, and learn more about young pro-choice Democratic women. For more information, click here.

On November 1st, the Barnard Center for Research on Women will host the event, What’s on Your Plate? The History and Politics of Food. Hilary Callahan, Kim F. Hall, Deborah Valenze, and Paige West will talk about the social, geopolitical, rhetorical, and environmental factors that influence food, including items as ordinary as sugar, coffee, milk, and corn. For more information, click here.

In her latest book, If This Is Paradise, I Want My Money Back, author Claudia Carroll’s gives us another great and entertainment book with her cheeky writing style. Because every character is strong, self-supporting and interesting, it allows the reader to remain engaged in every single scene. The main character is Charlotte Grey. She comes back to the earth to protect her boyfriend James but whatever decision she makes, it creates problems. For more information click here.

The Feminist Press brings back to print the book And the Bridge is Love  by Faye Moskowitz. A book with personal essays from a great Jewish American novelist. The author talks about the significant people of her Jewish childhood during the Depression and her experiences as a teacher, activist, parent, and writer. For more information click here.

Events

Join Feminism2.0 on October 27th. We’ll be participating in Purple Thursday by gathering in Farragut Square in DC. If you’re in the area wear purple, stop by for some Hersey kisses and a group picture. If you’re not in DC or you can’t get to Farragut Square – not to worry, you can still join in! Wear purple, take a picture and share it with us! We’ll post them right here. Now there’s no excuse not to, so follow the link and RSVP .

A book reading and a photo presentation of Nepal is happening this Thursday at the One More Page Books in Virginia. The book I Taste Fire, Earth, Rain describes the story of a woman and her solo trip to Nepal, her marriage with a Sherpa and their cross-cultural relationship. For more information about the event click here.

In his new novel The Marriage Plot, author Jeffrey Eugenides takes a closer look at the life of three characters, as they try to find their way through college and the risks of the real world after graduating from college.  The main heroine of the book is Madeleine. An English major student at Brown University, she is writing her thesis on the “marriage plot”. For more information about the book click here.

In Elizabeth and Hazel: The Women of Little Rock  David Margolick describes the story of the two central figures in one of the most recognizable photographs of the civil rights era. The author interviewed both women and in his latest book, he describes their relationship and their painful journey, as they progress from apology to forgiveness to reconciliation and, at the end to friendship. For more information about the book click here.

Events

On Friday October 14th the DC Coalition Against Domestic Violence is preparing for a very exciting Flash Mob. The goal is to raise awareness about the importance of fostering healthy, safe and loving relationships and communities in honor of Domestic Violence Awareness Month! Come and share with us your amazing dance skills while you help to send domestic violence and create healthy relationships. Please RSVP here.

On Saturday October 15th join other student leaders for a free University Student Leadership Council Training to learn more about how you can get involved and end relationship violence. The University Leadership Council is a new project of DCCADV. To learn more about joining the council or participating in the training email Andrea Gleaves.

Save the date and join Feminism2.0 on October 27th. We’ll be participating in Purple Thursday by gathering in Farragut Square in DC. If you’re in the area wear purple, stop by for some Hersey kisses and a group picture. If you’re not in DC or you can’t get to Farragut Square – not to worry, you can still join in! Wear purple, take a picture and share it with us! We’ll post them right here. Now there’s no excuse not to, so follow the link and RSVP .

Reading Materials

In the novel Zipper Mouth, author Laurie Weeks takes a closer look at the way of living on the edge in New York City.  She describes stories from crazy nights, morning hangovers and in general the chaos of everyday life. For more information about the book click here.

In her latest book This Beautiful Life, Helen Schulman says the story of a family of four whose healthy new life in Manhattan crashing down when their 15 year old son sends to a friend an inappropriate video. The author is trying to answer questions about how the online reality affects our everyday life and how the online world changed the American culture. For more information about the book click here.

Events

The New York City Ballet performs the Jewels (1967) until October 9th. An award winning ballet in three parts, it can be seen as a three separate ballets, linked by their jewel-colored costumes. Click here to get more information about the performances.

The World Affairs Council in Washington DC offers an author series event with James Farwell in October 19th 2011. A conversation about Pakistan and US foreign policy based on James Farwell book The Pakistan Caldron.  For more information about the author and the event click here.

Some of us have connected with someone who was so different from us, and who enjoyed things that we didn’t.  In the book Daughter of Smoke and Bone, author Laini Taylor explores the attraction between to contraire characters and gives us a story full of fantastic flairs and humor. For more information, click here.

In the follow- up to Witches, Midwives, and Nurses, Barbara Ehrenrich and Deidre English take a closer look at the tradition of American sexism in medicine before and after the turn of the century.  The authors analyze sex discrimination that has existed for millennia throughout many cultures. For more information about the book , Complaints and Disorders click here

Events

The New Yorker Festival is a weekend full of interesting activities that stretches across NYC.  Don’t miss the opportunity to attend and take part in some of these events. For more information, click here.

In October 1987, the first Domestic Violence Awareness Month was observed. Next week after 24 years, we continue to advocate across the nation to end violence against everyone, particularly against women and children. The Women’s Information Network is kicking off the beginning of awareness month spreading awareness about domestic violence across the Washington, DC, region.  WIN would love to have some volunteers to help out at the events. For more information please, click here.

Reading materials

Coco Channel, unlike other designers, continues to hold a fascination decades of her death. Many books have been written about her life, and a new one has just been released.  In Sleeping With the Enemy: Coco Channel’s Secret War, Hal Vaughan cites declassified documents in declaring that fashion designer Coco Chanel was a wartime spy for Germany. Another title, which includes newly discovered love letters and journals, is set for a November release under the title Coco Channel: An Intimate Life by Lisa Chaney.

Another amazing book, Might be their powers: How Sisterhood, Prayer, and Sex Changed a Nation at War, written by Leymah Gbowee, a Liberian activist discusses how she united Christian and Muslim women in a campaign to end the war in her country.  The author writes:

As a child I had often wished for health. I was sick a lot — measles, malaria, cholera. I’d also wished for good grades, and for things to go well for my family. This year, I was seventeen, finishing high school and about to start at the university. I made a teenage good girl’s wish: for good grades, interesting professors and the right classes. And I asked that those I loved be kept safe from evil

Read more about the book here

Events

The new play, Trojan Women, adapted from the Greek playwright Euripides’ 2,400-year-old original, is currently performing at the Getty Villa in Los Angeles. The play tells the story of the end of the Trojan War, when the Trojan men have all been killed and Hecuba, former Queen of Troy, and her daughters are about to be taken back to Greece as sex slaves. Learn more about the playwright Jocelyn Clarke and his new play here.

Do not miss the Brooklyn Book Festival this Sunday. When it started back in 2006, it was focused on how Brooklyn had shaped the writing of Jonathan Lethem, Paula Fox and Emily Barton. Now, it is an international festival, which brings authors from all over the world. For more info about the festival, click here.

A film screening and a panel discussion for the documentary Women in War Zones: Sexual Violence in the Congo occurs this Monday, September 20th in Washington, DC. Women in War Zones is a documentary about the day-to-day lives of the women in Bukavu, Congo. For more information and to RSVP, click here

The signs that fall has arrived:  It doesn’t stop raining, people start wearing their boots, and most importantly, we are ready to create our book list for the season.  There are many good choices from both old classic books and new releases.

A Room of One’s Own, by Virginia Wolf, is one of the first major works in feminist criticism. Wolf studies and deploys a number of methodologies, through historical, sociological and philosophical analysis to answer her major question: Why have there been so few female writers?

She also discusses that there are two major keys to freedom: fixed income and one’s own space.  Men and women both need their independency and their own rooms in life. For more information, click here.

In the new biography, Wendy and the Lost Boys: The Uncommon Life of Wendy Wasserstein, Julie Salamon describes the life Wendy Wasserstein, a woman with a very interesting life that remains a mystery after she passed away at age of 55.  For more info about the book and the playwright, who was trying to understand the complex politics of independent American women living in a society that values traditional roles and expectations, click here.

Events

The 13th annual book event is held between Sunday-Friday, Sept. 18-23 on the Fairfax campus of George Mason University. Many writers will be there to read and discuss their work with their audiences. For more information, click here.

On Monday September 14th there is a free screening of the documentary Miss Representation at Hammer Museum.  The film showcases interviews conducted by teenage girls with Condoleezza Rice, Lisa Ling, Nancy Pelosi, Katie Couric and others. For more information, click here.