Girls Like Us : Forty Extraordinary Women Celebrate Girlhood in Story, Poetry, and Song

We all have moments from childhood that were turning points -- people and events that molded our perceptions of ourselves and our lives. In Girls Like Us, 40 accomplished, influential women share these inspiring moments from their own childhoods and teenage years. Novelist Amy Tan explores the life of a young girl and her relationship to her mother in The Joy Luck Club; Faye Wattleton describes how a checkered and difficult childhood shaped her into the determined leader she is today; In Paula, Isabel Allende tells of her parents' priceless gift in encouraging her to express her creativity. The book also includes photographs of some of the contributors at the age they appear in their stories, as well as brief biographies of each. Not a pretty girl / Ani DiFranco -- Starting on the south side / Georgia Anne Geyer -- Bone black / bell hooks -- The slap / Jane Shore -- My memory's eye / Joan Baez -- Paula / Isabel Allende -- News for the cafeteria / Sally Fisher -- Daughter of destiny / Benazir Bhutto -- Discovering science in my backyard / Shirley Ann Jackson -- Learning America / Agate Nesaule -- Black patent leather shoes / Karen Mitchell -- Girls like us / Jane Wagner & Tina DiFeliciantonio -- What means switch / Gish Jen -- Sugar-n-spice, etc. / Rita Quillen. Honest lullaby / Joan Baez -- Sweet Summer / Bebe Moore Campbell -- The voice from the wall / Amy Tan -- A family legacy / Marian Wright Edelman -- In praise of imperfection / Rita Levi-Montalcini -- Una mujer con compacion y gran fortaleza/A women of fortitude and compassion / Dolores Huerta -- "A table for 6 billion, please!"TM ["TM" is superscript] / Judith Wicks -- Preacher's daughter / Faye Wattleton -- A letter for my parents / Jody Williams -- Lessons from the farm / Linda Sanford -- Summer mama / Anne Hitt Keiter -- Girlfriends / Naomi Wolf -- The Strand Theatre / Teresa Cader -- Inner inspiration / Claudia J. Kennedy. Rites of passage / Dorianne Laux -- Cat's eye / Margaret Atwood -- Matinees / Katherine Soniat -- To hell with dying / Alice Walker -- Transformation / Lydia Minatoya -- Child of the sixties / Wilma Mankiller -- They will dream of greatness / Antonia Coello Novello -- My guiding light / Jackie Joyner-Kersee -- An idea of my own / Christy Haubegger -- Fierce attachments / Vivian Gornick -- A line of storytellers / Devorah Major -- Lauren Bacall -- Angela Davis -- Breaking boundaries / Nafis Sadik -- The scholarship jacket / Marta Salinas -- Spinning the globe / Ruth Colvin -- For my children's remembering / Gloria Wade-Gayles A Collection Of Stories, Songs, And Poems In Which Forty Successful Twentieth-century Woemn Share Their Memories Of Childhood And Adolescence. Not A Pretty Girl / Ani Difranco -- Starting On The South Side / Georgia Anne Geyer -- Bone Black / Bell Hooks -- The Slap / Jane Shore -- My Memory's Eye / Joan Baez -- Paula / Isabel Allende -- News For The Cafeteria / Sally Fisher -- Daughter Of Destiny / Benazir Bhutto -- Discovering Science In My Backyard / Shirley Ann Jackson -- Learning America / Agate Nesaule -- Black Patent Leather Shoes / Karen Mitchell -- Girls Like Us / Jane Wagner & Tina Difeliciantonio -- What Means Switch / Gish Jen -- Sugar-n-spice, Etc. / Rita Quillen. Honest Lullaby / Joan Baez -- Sweet Summer / Bebe Moore Campbell -- The Voice From The Wall / Amy Tan -- A Family Legacy / Marian Wright Edelman -- In Praise Of Imperfection / Rita Levi-montalcini -- Una Mujer Con Compacion Y Gran Fortaleza/a Women Of Fortitude And Compassion / Dolores Huerta -- A Table For 6 Billion, Please!tm [tm Is Superscript] / Judith Wicks -- Preacher's Daughter / Faye Wattleton -- A Letter For My Parents / Jody Williams -- Lessons From The Farm / Linda Sanford -- Summer Mama / Anne Hitt Keiter -- Girlfriends / Naomi Wolf -- The Strand Theatre / Teresa Cader -- Inner Inspiration / Claudia J. Kennedy. Rites Of Passage / Dorianne Laux -- Cat's Eye / Margaret Atwood -- Matinees / Katherine Soniat -- To Hell With Dying / Alice Walker -- Transformation / Lydia Minatoya -- Child Of The Sixties / Wilma Mankiller -- They Will Dream Of Greatness / Antonia Coello Novello -- My Guiding Light / Jackie Joyner-kersee -- An Idea Of My Own / Christy Haubegger -- Fierce Attachments / Vivian Gornick -- A Line Of Storytellers / Devorah Major -- Lauren Bacall -- Angela Davis -- Breaking Boundaries / Nafis Sadik -- The Scholarship Jacket / Marta Salinas -- Spinning The Globe / Ruth Colvin -- For My Children's Remembering / Gloria Wade-gayles. Edited By Gina Misiroglu. We all have moments from childhood that have molded our perceptions of ourselves and our lives. In Girls Like Us forty accomplished and influential women share these tender and uplifting moments from their own childhoods and teenage years. Isabel Allende tells of her parents' priceless gift in encouraging her to express her creativity; Faye Wattleton describes how a checkered and difficult childhood shaped her into the determined leader she is today; novelist Amy Tan explores the life of a young girl and her relationship to her mother in The Joy Luck Club. The book includes photographs of some of the contributors at the age they appear in their stories, as well as brief biographies of each. Girls Like Us celebrates the poignant coming-of-age moments experienced by prominent women of this century. This book is a great anthology for everyone wishing to cultivate and remember what it is to be young again. Ani Difranco (1970- ) began singing and playing acoustic guitar when she was nine, moved out of her parents' home in Buffalo, New York, at fifteen, started writing songs about the same time, and founded her record company, the aptly named Righteous Babe Records, when she turned twenty.