Notes on men and women in writing & journalism

1. I should have known not to trust him when he dissed Mary Oliver.

2. What is the telephoto lens for the male photojournalist? For the female photojournalist?

3. I never see an obviously pregnant writer in the field. (That does not, however, mean they are not there). Why?

4. If I had a dollar for every time a man asked me, “He [your husband] lets you go away so often? AND you have a child?”… well, you know what I’d be.

5. Suede bucks are not superior to or more professional than sandals, especially when you are in Belize. Even if you are chasing a prince. Just wait ’til you get outside. Then we can talk.

6. “We can’t put a woman on that assignment, you know. It’s just too dangerous.”

7.

"Women" "writing"

and

"Men" "writing"

8. An editor asked me why, on Facebook of all places, there were so few submissions from women.

9. “He wanted me to write it ‘more like David Foster Wallace.’”

10. In the round-ups, the woman is typically a token, as in “Oh, right, we should probably add a woman.” This list is an exception, but will we ever stop tallying?

11. Oh, I could tell you some stories….

12. I have wanted to write this for a long time. I have wanted to talk myself out of writing this for a long time. I have wanted to say, “Aren’t we post-sexism-post-feminism-post-misogyny-post (in short)-all-this-fucked-up-gender-stuff?

13. No.