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Wisconsin Public Radio

BRAZEN WOMEN

Program 05-10-30-A

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Rose O'Neal Greenhow was the Pamela Harriman of her day - the "hostess with the mostess" in Washington D.C. But Rose ran a Confederate spy ring out of her house. In this hour of To the Best of Our Knowledge we get close to some brazen women of American history and popular culture. And we'll meet the women who created Nancy Drew.

SEGMENT 1:

Ariel Levy, author of "Female Chauvinist Pigs: Women and the Rise of Raunch Culture" tells Anne Strainchamps we are living in a Feminist's nightmare: in rebelling against their Feminist mothers, today's young women adopt the exploitive symbols of male chauvinism and claim that it empowers them. Also, Nuala O'Faolain talks to Steve Paulson about her book, "The Story of Chicago May." May was a 19th century Irish immigrant who became a con-woman and crook instead of a maid or factory worker and lived an extraordinary, operatic life.

 

SEGMENT 2:

Melanie Rehak is the author of "Girl Sleuth: Nancy Drew and the Women Who Created Her." Nancy Drew just turned 75 and still wields immense influence on the women who grew up reading her. They include Sandra Day O'Connor, Beverly Sills and Anne Strainchamps who talks with Melanie Rehak about how the character developed under various ghost-writers, and why girls love her so. We also hear an excerpt from the Laura Linney Listening Library production of "The Secret of the Old Clock." Also, Chelsea Cain was passionate about Nancy Drew. As an adult, she wrote "Confessions of A Teen Sleuth: A Parody." As she tells Anne, her book sets the record straight: Carolyn Keene was Nancy's jealous college roommate; George was gay; and Nancy married Ned but really loved Frank Hardy. Too funny!

SEGMENT 3:

Reporter Ann Blackman is the author of "Wild Rose: Rose O'Neale Greenhow, Civil War Spy: A True Story." She tells Jim Fleming how Rose, a Southerner by birth and conviction, became a social power in Washington and ran a successful spy ring for the Confederacy.

CD copies are available at 1-800-747-7444. Ask for program number 05-10-30-A.

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Books:

• Ann Blackman, Wild Rose: Rose O'Neale Greenhow, Civil War Spy A True Story (Random House)
• Ariel Levy, Female Chauvinist Pig: Women and the Rise of Raunch Culture (Free Press)
• Chelsea Cain, Confessions of A Teen Sleuth (Bloomsbury)
• Melanie Rehak, Girl Sleuth: Nancy Drew and the Women who Created Her (Harcourt)
• Nuala O'Faolain, The Story of Chicago May (Riverhead Books)

Links:

• Anne Blackmun's website
  http://www.wildrosebook.com

Music:

• Button after Levy: Big and Rich “Save A Horse, Ride A Cowboy”
• Button/Option after O’Faolain: Dordan “Queen of the West” from Irish Traditional & Baroque Shanachie CD 79079
• Button after Rehak: Music from Listening Library Nancy Drew Cassette
• Button/Option after Cain: Cyndi Lauper “Girls Just Want To Have Fun”
• Music after Blackman: 33rd Illinois Volunteer Regiment Band “All Quiet on the Potomac” from Hardtack and Coffee DIDX 048014 331861 CD Email: altohorn@dave-world.net

Distribution dates:

week of 11/12/2006 - hour 2 week of 10/30/2005 - hour 1

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Questions and comments can be addressed to: flemingj@wpr.org

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