CHICAGO, IL — On Thursday, October 29th, Women & Children First bookstore is thrilled to bring together two giants of feminism—Gloria Steinem and Roxane Gay—in conversation for one night only. This momentous event celebrates the release of Steinem's forthcoming memoir, My Life on the Road ( Penguin Random House, October 2015 ), and will be held at The People's Church ( 941 W. Lawrence ). Doors open at 6:15 p.m. Program begins at 7 p.m. Book signing from 8 to 10 p.m. This is a ticketed event. One ticket is included with the pre-order or purchase of Gloria Steinem's forthcoming memoir My Life on the Road from Women & Children First. Tickets are available in-store, through www.womenandchildrenfirst.com, or by calling 773-769-9299 .
When Gloria Steinem was a young girl, her father would pack the family in the car every fall and drive across country searching for adventure and trying to make a living. And so began a lifetime of travel, of activism and leadership, of listening to people whose voices and ideas would inspire change and revolution.
My Life on the Road is the moving, funny, and profound story of Gloria's growth and also the growth of a revolutionary movement for equality. From her first experience of social activism among women in India to her work as a journalist in the 1960s; from the whirlwind of political campaigns to the founding of Ms. magazine. In prose that is revealing and rich, Gloria reminds us that living in an open and observant state of mind can make a difference in how we learn, what we do, and how we understand one another.
Gloria Steinem is best known for her outspoken advocacy on behalf of women. She is the author of four best-selling books, including Revolution from Within and Moving Beyond Words. She was a founding editor of, and political commentator for, New York Magazine, and a founding editor of Ms., which she continues to write for today. She is the recipient of many accolades, including National Magazine awards, an Emmy Citation for excellence in television writing, the Society of Writers Award from the United Nations, and more. In 2013, she received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Obama
Advance Praise for My Life On The Road:
"A personal, beautiful look at the deceptively radical act of travel and how it formed one of our most important voices for human rights. By delving deeper into her own thrilling story, Steinem shows us that we all have a fighter inside us—we need only pack our bags and follow her."—Lena Dunham
"Countless times, I had to put Gloria Steinem's new book down and allow an explosive truth she had just revealed to roll through me. And they all arrived—page after page—in the most personal, unexpected ways. I won't be the same person after having read MY LIFE ON THE ROAD."—Jane Fonda
"Rarely do women have the opportunity to travel as Steinem has done — living a life full of radical adventure. Everywhere she goes, she carries with her the vitality of democracy, of freedom for women and men, and her profound love of justice. Now she offers us the good fortune of journeying with her. An inspiring work, a call for action, Steinem shares her life as a global freedom fighter, inviting readers to continue the journey — and the struggle."—bell hooks
Roxane Gay is a culture critic, blogger, and commentator and the author of the bestselling essay collection Bad Feminist. She is a professor of English at Purdue University. Her writing has appeared in Best American Mystery Stories 2014, Best American Short Stories 2012, Best Sex Writing 2012, A Public Space, McSweeney's, Tin House, Oxford American, American Short Fiction, Virginia Quarterly Review, The New York Times, Bookforum, Time, The Los Angeles Times, The Nation, The Rumpus, The Butter, and many others. She is the co-editor of PANK. She is also the author of the books Ayiti, An Untamed State, and Hunger, forthcoming from Harper in 2016.
***Please note, My Life on the Road publishes on Tuesday, October 27th. Preordered tickets and books will be available to pick up beginning October 27th at the bookstore. Ticketholders will also be able to pick up their books and tickets at the door the night of the event. To avoid the line, we strongly recommend that ticketholders pick up books and tickets at the bookstore before 5 p.m. on October 29th, the night of the event.
