Celebrating Women in Literature

just talk about women. And these are three highlights of this episode. Number one, I'm having a conversation of frank conversation my wife April Mohammed about women. I'm not a woman, but season woman, and so while we were driving, I thought we could talk about we were stuck in traffic. Let's talk about women. This is women's money. So we have that conversation on this episode, and I think you're

finding rory refreshing. Now. The other two points that I'm talking about on this episode is women in literature and women in literature had to overcome milestones of oppression and discrimination. So I'm talking about trail blazers women in the literary field. They might have changed their name, but they bust down the door, and so I'm want to discuss a segment of this episode on women in literature. The other part

of this episode is my book review. The book review for this episode is The Little Black Book of Success, Laws of Leadership for Black Women by Elaine Brown, Marsha Hey Good, and Rhonda McClean. So I hope you enjoyed this episode because everything that is on this episode sixteen is about women since this is Women's Month, so sit back and enjoy Episode sixteen. Women in Literature marches Women's Month, and we celebrate Women's Month to honor women all over

the world for their achievements. And I thought of no other subject matter to discuss but the plight of women in literature, says Malik's bookshelf is all about you know, community, books, community and culture. So I thought, let's talk about a little bit about some history about women in literature and the plight that they had to go through in order to become publishers, editors and authors. You know, publishing industry

is a male dominated industry. M it is heavily dominated by men, and over the course of centuries, women voice have been silenced in that industry and many female writers have adopted male names or otherwise gender ambigorous pursudiums for a number of reasons, to publish without prejudice and male dominated circles, or to experiment with freedom of autonomy, or

to encourage male readership. Whatever the reason is, it's because this industry is dominated by men, and women had have had to kick down the door over the centuries, and in order to magnify their voice into published books and edit books, they had to take on male names. Now, some of us are familiar with some of those names. One that comes to mind is J. K. Rollys. Everybody know as the person who wrote all the Harry Potter books. Well, a lot of women take their initials first and then

use their last name. And that's what she did because she wanted to be taken seriously as a writer and she wanted people to read her books, and so she was published under her initials and then her last name. And a lot of women do that. A lot of women do that because uh, and look how big of a success Harry Potter series have been. And as you know, and that's that's modern times where authors still today have to have a pseudium in order in order to to

reach the audience and an expanding audience of their works. Uh, this is a male dominated industry. Most books are edited by men. Motes um, although women read more novels than anybody. Um, men don't have to worry about this problem, you know. And just recently, like Rollin's wanted to write a series of mystery novels if she changed her name to I

Breathe Robert Garbrough. So here's another situation. Now, for whatever reason why she wanted to move um towards actual male name instead of her initials and call herself Robert Goberth to publish her writings as a mystery writer under Robert garber I don't know personally, but it's just goes to show that women oftentimes have to transform and be other than themselves in order to be in this industry. And

so that says a lot about you know, prejudice and discrimination. Now, another author that had to publish her book anonymously, Mary Shelley, who wrote Frankenstein. When she first published her book, Mary Shelley published Frankenstein anonymously, and when she did her second print, she wanted to publish it with her true name, Mary Shelley. Everyone has seen the movies Frankenstein. Most of us read the book Frankenstein as a result, you know, of the

the screamen She wanted to be. Women want to be takes serious as writers, and they are resolved to change their names and publishing anonymously and so forth, and so even till to day this world, in this industry, in the publishing industry, women are still um voices, still being silent where they are resorting to these measures in order to get books published and reach your audience. That's much bigger.

And these are the biases that are in society. UM. One additional author that we know modern arly today that has published many romance novels um and goes by the pen name or pursudi um Selena Montgomery. It's by none other than Stacy A. Rooms. She writes all of her novels under Selina come Montgomery, and I think she got about seven of them. So so for whatever reason, hey, we all know that, UM, the first thing you look

at in the picture is your name. So if you're changing your name in order to be someone else or hw who you are, you know, for an enemy anonymously or to reach a larger audience, you know then freedom is the issue and discrimination bias is still a reality in the publishing world, and women have over the decades and centuries of chicking down the door because they buy the books. I'm telling you right now, eighty percent of

my business is what. I don't know if it's eighty saying, but I'm saying the majority of my business is women. You know, I look for events and I market towards women because they are the biggest readers there. I know we live in a planet where there is more women than men. Nevertheless, they read more, and statistics show women read more than men. So I just wanted to touch on the women's movement in lecture and how they are shifting the tide and kicking down thors and making it

possible to magnify the voice of females. Of women in the publishing and literary industry is not They're not all the way there yet because of the discrimination bias that still exists, but they're moving in the right direction and we're gonna continue to celebrate women and promote women authors at Malique Books Bleak's bookshelf. It's all about bringing the excitement, enthusiasm of reading of books and women are a major

part of why books are being read. They are the biggest readers, they are the biggest buyers of books, and we need to celebrate women and this month, this is Women's Month, and Malikue Books celebrate Women's Month and all the achievements that women have done in the publishing and literary world. Thank you for listening to my segment on the women in literature and publishing. I'm was sitting down here driving back from the valley, and I just had

a thought. You know, I'm sitting here besides secret Weapon and two grand babies in the car, is in it. It's a woman history month. Now, I'm not a woman, but I got a woman sitting right here secret Weapons. So I just wanted her to touch on like what it means to be a woman and what does you know what is like being not just what it is being a woman, but what is light being a woman as well? Being a woman is the most empowering thing that had I had to discover in my lighter here

is of life. My womanhood is beautiful because I know I'm confident, I'm beautiful, I'm smart, i am a woman of multi facet talents, and I know that I can use them at all levels. That that's a powerful statement and I definitely concurred. Did you all of that and more? What would this world be like without women? The world would method be shrimping up and dry. It wouldn't be

anything without a woman, nothing nothing, no, absolutely nothing. But without woman there's no fruit pro creation, so nothing, nothing would be. The world would be nothing. That's why women are the mothers and civilization, all the generations come through women. Absolutely, so the world wouldn't be anything. And what is the

role and responsibility of a woman in today's society? The role and responsibility of a woman differs in every situation, and every situation depends on what role she wants to claim. So one woman can't speak for all women, absolutely not, absolutely not. We would you would just speak more specific about you as a woman and what your role in terms of being a mother, um is um, your role as as far as um being a wife, and your role and responsibility to yourself well, um, being a woman.

First of all, I don't ever want to forget about myself even being a mother, wife, friend. Um. You know, when you get into these relationships either being friendships, relationship and ships, motherhood, those are all ships that you have to drive different responsibilities in. So I think I have UM. I think a motherhood has been my greatest for me, has been my greatest mirror because for a long time I didn't want to be a mother. I was just like, oh,

that wasn't for me. So when I came to become a mother and a wife, is just it hit me a different way. So me being a woman, UM, and a mother and friend and is it is? It's a blessing. Why how do you balance between men and a wife and a mother. It's not a easy task. It's not an easy task. And a career, yes, it's not an easy task balancing any of those things and trying not to lose yourself. It's not an easy task. But at the end of the day, I feel that it's it's

the task is worth the fight. The task is worth the fight. Every day is a different it's a different beast that you go out in the world and fight. Okay, So you know as a woman, your mother, as a woman, your wife, as a woman, you have a career, which one gives you the most joy? I just spoke on that. I feel me being a mother gives me the most joy. But me being a mother, I couldn't be a mother without first being a wife. For me, there are a lot of there are a lot of women that are

mothers that are not a wife. Yeah, I said for me, for me, for me, without one, I couldn't have had it another. So I think, um, me being a mother has been my greatest accomplishment of the mirror saying okay, good job. You mentioned you mentioned that at one time you you didn't want to have children. So what changed that? Me becoming a wife with a wonderful man that I've seen father I've seen fatherhood. Basically, I've been in plenty relationship to know that, oh this is not gonna work

for me having children with this cat. This ain't gonna work. This, it's not gonna work. So when I when I was blessed to see fatherhood come from you, my husband, Okay, I can do this, I can I can do this. And it came into fuition. That's what's up, you know,

And I appreciate hearing that, and thank you, thank you. Um. I think that a woman giving a man a a child is the greatest gift that you can give a man, because I can't give myself one, and so I know that that's you know, to be a mother, you know, is something miraculous and wonderful. And I can never know what that's like. I know what it's like raising kids.

I know it would be about being present and being involved, but I don't know, you know, what it's like being a a woman, And I don't know what it's like being a mother. Your key think what you just said being president and being involved was my attraction of me

changing my mind those two things. Well, I think that, you know, I think you know, I've I've done a lot of different things, and and I found that the family life is the most enjoyable life, you know, doing doing things with the wife, doing things with the kids. You know. I just think that that that brings me the most fulfillment, that gives me the most joy. And to help them and to make them, you know, smile, and to do things as a family, I find that

to be more most joyful. But um, as a woman, UM, you know, what what challenges would you give to young women? Um coming into womanhood? What challenges? What advice, what advice? What challenge? You know, in terms of the advice, is that you know comes with challenges yes. Well, my advice to a young lady that will become a mother, are is interesting to become a mother? Just be patient. Um I struggle with that a lot. Being patient and being forgiving.

My children has helped me. I mean, they could teach me something every day about myself. One thing they have taught me was to forgive and don't hold onto things. So my advice is too, ladies that's coming up and gonna become a mother, is just to be patient, be forgiving, Be forgive yourself for the mistakes you're going to make being a mother. Don't beat yourself up because sometimes we

make decisions. Um, we make decisions as mothers and you know, highsight like oh wow, I shouldn't have done that, you know, and a lot of parents beat themselves up until they came beat no more. And you have to forgive yourself from like you know, I didn't know my attentions were pure to that decision, but the decision letter later on that you realize, Hey, that wasn't the right decision to make.

So forgive yourself, forgive you. And that's important because, um, you can turn in on yourself and and the person right next to you is going through the same challenges. You're just not aware they did made mistakes and you've made mistakes. And the way it is how you deal

with those mistakes you learn from you. The reason why, one of the reasons why I know the way I am because I'm an only child, and me having children allowed me to see like, hey, you guys got to fight a little bit, and then two minutes, two seconds later they backed up under each other. And I had to learn that. I had to learn. I didn't have that experience being the only child. My only experience was me. You know, My experience was I don't know how to

get over this. You know, I'm not gonna let you do that. No, but my children has given me that that vision out of my own two eyes, like, oh that's how the thing go. Yes, you have to defuse some some you know, sibling things, but if you just let them write it out, they're figure it out. They're figure it out. So I grew up around ciblings and we fought like cats and dogs and turn around and love each other. Five minutes later we're playing and laughing. And so that I know that that has helped me

process and to deal with challenges and people. When I feel offended or whatever. But yeah, I think that it does. Having grown up with other siblings do help you to overcome you know, disappointment and challenges with people a lot faster and how you process it simply because you know you, um, you know, when you're up under each other, you're gonna rub each other and and and do things that are you know, you don't like. I mean, we we upund each other all all the time, and we rub each

other the wrong way a lot. And then I just I've learned how to just sometimes pick my battles, yes, yes, yes, like wise, likewise, pick your battles. Everything ain't worth rising up on and trying to make a grandstand and a finale. You know, you live and let go sometimes, you know. But that's you know, that's the growing pains, and that's what you learned, you know, that's what you learned along the way. Um, those are the challenges of moving forward.

But um, you know you're a strong woman. And you know, not every woman is a mother and for whatever reason, you know, by choice or whatever reason, but the one of their children's are mothers. They don't have the mothering. Um what were they? What was you called they don't have that mothering spirit. Yes, you can lay down have children, but at the end of the day, when the children come, you have to um nurture and water and love and

all that. And a lot of people that I've seen in my little lifetime don't have it, don't have it at all. You canna have kids and not necessarily um that that nature of mothering. No, no, no, no, no true. Um. I guess you get points in credit for trying trying to do it, trying to be you know, raising children, you know the best way you see fit because you know,

a lot of times people don't have the knowledge. You know, that's what team pregnancy is real and it's a lot of you know, young women are having children without the knowledge of how to take catcher, and no one took care of them. And that's pervasive all throughout you know this country. Teenagers uh having babies and and even women in their twenties uh having children and but not necessarily

having the knowledge necessary to be a nurturing mom. That I mean, to me, the greatest career of any women is being a mother, saying, being a mother, That's what I think, because juggling being a mother, juggling being a wife, if you're married, juggling a career, Um, that's challenging. And but the most rewarding thing I think is is that you know you you you can work a job, but they ain't gonna love you back. You can, but you can love your children and usually they love you back.

I ain't saying it's a no, that's not always a You can be the greatest parent that you think you have been to your children and they had turned on real quick, real quick. And that's that's really hurtful for a parent to go through that, especially if they have given their all to their children. I've seen women to that give their all and forget about themselves at the end of the day and then with their kids and

go with like oh will yeah, yeah yeah. That's a very painful and hurt ful thing does for someone to experience. And you know, um, all you can do is do your best because you can't control other adults, other people. You know. I always call that at some point in time, you gotta pick up your own cross. And what that means, what I mean by that is that at some point in time, man, you gotta make your own decisions and

you got sleep in to bid you man. My mother came my mother and came from just that looking at things, and I said, oh no, I'm not gonna do that. Okay, I like that. I picked up things along the way in life, like, Okay, I'm gonna keep that. I don't want that. I'm gonna do better on that. You have. You're gonna have to do all those things being a mother or just a woman period, You're gonna have to pick up all those things. So okay, I like the way she handles. Oh yeah she's nice. Oh she's sexy,

she got sexy pills. Oh she's smart. I'm gonna take that. I'm gonna take that. I'm gonna take that. I'm gonna leave that alone. When they say, you know, if if a child is in a bath for water that's dirty, um take you know, keep the child, but drain the dirty water, take the good and throw the bad away. You know. But this is Woman's History Month, and we celebrate women all month long. Really, we celebrate them all year long. But you know how I did. Everybody want

a piece of a celebration. So we're celebrating the Woman's month. This this money. I thought it was a good idea to talk to a woman and it happened to be my wife's secret weapon. And you know, I celebrate every day, but I wanna, you know, to hear from a woman to a woman and me just you know, dialoguing along the way and so um to every last woman in the universe. I'm thinking, which everyone I mean that touched me or put something in me. I'm thanking them not

only for Woman's Mom, but every every day. Who whoever just said, April, you can do it, or come with me or let me show you are you gonna be okay? I want to thank them for that. That's well said. So I hope you enjoy this episode. This is Women's Month, and we excel. We celebrate all the achievements, all accomplishments of women, and this this particular episode sixteen is devoted to women. And so everything I'm doing on this episode

number sixteen is just to celebrate and praise women. My book review for this week, it's a book that I came across called The Little Black Book of Success, Laws of Leadership for Black Women by Elaine Brown, mansha Hey Good, and Rhonda McClane. This is Women's Month, That's right, This is Women's Month. So all on this episode, I'm only

dealing with things about women. The book is about my book review is about these three executives, three powerful African American female executives, celebrating the agenda and heritage as they share their secrets for success. Ways to communicate thoughtfully, trust yourself, and exude self esteem are just a few tactics the authors discussed For those who want to enter the workforce as a confident leader. The book is rich with wisdom.

This practical gym focus on building blocks for true leadership, self confidence, effective communications, collaborations, and courage, while dealing specifically with stereotypes. Afford the mommy traps, and don't become the angry black woman and the pearls of self victimization. Don't assume that every challenge occurs because you are black or female.

Some leaders are born, but most leaders are made, and the Little Black Book of Success will show you how to make it to the top, one step at a time. These three women have a lot that they can share to other women there are black or just women in general, to help them become successful and overcoming all the situations that you have to deal with in a high profile executive position. And not even if you're not an executive or just a manager. Nevertheless, these tactics in this book,

these strategy in the book. The advice is given in this book, The Little Book, The Little Black Book of assess Laws of Leadership for Black Women will help you and guide you to become successful in your career. So pick up a copy of The Little Black Book of Success, Laws of Leadership for Black Women. That's my book review for this episode. Thank you thanks for listening to me Leek's Bookshow, where topics on the shelf, our books, culture and community. Be sure to subscribe and leave me a review.

Check out my instagram at Bleak Books. See you next time.