Yale Needs Women by Anne Gardiner Perkins

YALE NEEDS WOMEN by Anne Gardiner Perkins was just released this week and I am actually reading this book in tandem with Paul Tough’s new work about college, The Years That Matter Most. It is truly fascinating to reflect on changes and the differing experiences across generations. Perkins is writing about “How the First Group of Girls Rewrote the Rules of an Ivy League Giant,” chronicling the experiences of several women who were among the first of their gender to attend Yale. For some of our students, it may be hard to believe that Yale and many other schools were only integrated gender-wise in the late 1960s and early 1970s, a generation or so ago.  Perkins does an excellent job of describing the feelings of those pioneering co-eds and her work could readily apply to events at other schools, like Union College.  In fact, Booklist says that YALE NEEDS WOMEN is “recommended for teens [because] teens approaching college age, especially those involved in social justice, will enjoy this window into a not-actually-that-distant past.”   

Perkins' book, though, is not just about the decision to admit women, but about what happened next and how subtle (or not so subtle) traditions and rituals impacted their experiences: “‘The worst part was being constantly conspicuous, which is something you don’t think about until it happens to you,’ said one freshman girl.”  Extremely well-researched, YALE NEEDS WOMEN contains a chart about the sources for oral histories and interviews, plus extensive notes (50+ pages), an index, and some black and white photos from the time.  Please look for a copy on our shelves soon – I am looking forward to having many conversations with interested readers. We still have much to do, as Perkins emphasizes through a number of statistics in her epilogue: “Women students today graduate at a higher rate than their male classmates, but their bachelor’s degrees earn them just 74 cents on the dollar compared to what men with the same credentials are paid. En route to that degree, one in five women is sexually assaulted. Nationally, women represent just 32 percent of full professors, and 26 percent of college and university presidents. … The battle … is not yet done.” 

On language and writing

THE IDIOT by Elif Batuman appealed because of its cast of characters:

• Selin, daughter of Turkish immigrants beginning her undergraduate studies at Harvard
• Svetlana, a classmate from Serbia and
• Ivan, an older mathematics student from Hungary.

The time period, 1995, and setting - both in Boston and across Europe – also grabbed interest as I began reading and reflecting on college experiences, the efforts to find oneself, and to establish adult relationships. However, I soon felt that Selin was a little too self-centered; although clearly very introspective and clever. Here is an example of her mind at work: “I was thinking about the structural equivalencies between a tissue box and a book: both consisted of slips of white paper in a cardboard case; yet – and this was ironic – there was very little functional equivalence, especially if the book wasn’t yours.” After a time, Selin’s frequent musings did seem less amusing and began to grate, slowing down the story, even though  Batuman is an award winning author who provides a thoughtful commentary on culture, language and “adulting.”

Booklist, Kirkus and Publishers Weekly all gave starred reviews to this semi-autobiographical debut novel and despite its being over 400 pages, I am curious to see if any of our Senior English classes will decide to explore this unique text. 

 BLEAKER HOUSE by Nell Stevens is also about language, writing and finding oneself. She subtitles this memoir “Chasing My Novel to the End of the World” and describes her experiences during a three month fellowship writing on Bleaker Island in the Falklands.  I have to be honest and say I was a little jealous of her ability to get completely away and write in isolation. Granted, she must forego Internet access and lists some “Habits I am being forced to break: Wondering: ‘What year was so-and-so born?’ .... Or any other general, non-urgent but niggling questions, and looking it up at once. Instead, I start a WORD document listing all the things I’d Google if I could: a sprawling, eclectic list of idle curiosity ....”  

I also really enjoyed her observations of the desolation of the Falkland Islands: “I walk for hours and see only monosyllables: cliffs, birds, waves, sand, sheep, rock, moss.” Future writers, travel enthusiasts and anyone with an active imagination should read the excerpt from BLEAKER HOUSE provided by the publisher and then turn to the book itself; there is also a Reading Guide for this debut work which will appeal to book groups.  
 

We are Still Tornadoes by Michael Kun and Susan Mullen

We are Still Tornadoes by Michael Kun and Susan Mullen is the most fun and entertaining young adult book that I have read in a while.  This series of letters between Cath and Scott will have readers laughing and crying – there’s a range of emotions to experience as the two friends live through the first year after high school.  

The writing is funny, clever and biting – with wry comments about adjusting to college life, and meeting new people, including a “nutty” roommate. Plus, there's plenty of commentary about relationships – whether with parents or with past girlfriends and new boyfriends or fellow band members.  The voices are honest and real. Filled with references to 1980s pop culture, We are Still Tornadoes shares some sad and difficult moments, but overall is definitely a feel good book. I loved the banter that existed – and the obvious affection – between Cath and Scott and am highly recommending We are Still Tornadoes.

Wrecked by Maria Padian

Wrecked by Maria Padian is an extremely powerful book about sexual assault on campus which will speak to high school students, especially girls. Here, Jenny, a quiet student, goes out drinking and subsequently accuses a fellow student (Jordan) of rape. She asks her freshman roommate, Haley, to act as confidante and advisor in the campus hearing process. The situation quickly becomes even more complicated because of Haley’s attraction to “math dude” Richard who lives in the same campus housing as Jordan. College administrators, parents and lawyers all add adult perspective, although their emotions and motivations are often in conflict with the students’ own choices.

Haley and Richard tell most of the post-party events in alternating third person chapters, with occasional flashbacks to the fateful night. I agree with the starred review from Booklist which described Wrecked as having “a swift, excellently crafted plot, exceedingly readable prose, and painfully relatable characters.” School Library Journal calls Wrecked “a book that all young men and women should read,” recommending it for students in grade 10 and up. Our copy is on order.

Numerous sources and statistics are available about this important subject. In addition to the media coverage of the Brock Turner case at Stanford, CQ Researcher has published a recent 2014 report and Jon Krakauer’s Missoula provides another (non-fiction) overview of college sexual assault.  More information:

• Journalist’s Resource: http://journalistsresource.org/studies/society/public-health/sexual-assault-rape-us-college-campuses-research-roundup
• Campus Sexual Violence Resource List from the CDC http://www.nsvrc.org/saam/campus-resource-list
• NPR article on what High Schools can do http://www.npr.org/2016/08/09/487497208/to-prevent-sexual-assault-schools-and-parents-start-lessons-early