The First Lady of Radio: Eleanor Roosevelt¿s Historic Broadcasts

by Stephen Drury Smith (Editor), Blanche Wiesen Cook (Foreword by)

Overview

“This anthology of 38 addresses . . . offer[s] a means for visiting anew the lifework of an extraordinary American woman” (HistoryNet).
 
A tie-in to the American RadioWorks® documentary—with audio and video content.
 
Eleanor Roosevelt’s groundbreaking career as a professional radio broadcaster is almost entirely forgotten. As First Lady, she hosted a series of prime time programs that revolutionized how Americans related to their chief executive and his family. Now, The First Lady of Radio rescues these broadcasts from the archives, presenting a carefully curated sampling of transcripts of Roosevelt’s most famous and influential radio shows, including addresses on the bombing of Pearl Harbor, D-Day, V-E Day, and women’s issues of the times. Edited and set into context by award-winning author and radio producer Stephen Drury Smith—and with a foreword by Roosevelt’s famed biographer, historian Blanche Wiesen Cook—The First Lady of Radio is both a historical treasure and a fascinating window onto the power and the influence of a pioneering First Lady.
 
“An intriguing glimpse into the social and political changes of the period.” —Publishers Weekly
 
“[Eleanor Roosevelt] was terrified of speaking in public at first, and her high-pitched voice could sail off uncontrollably. Yet she became one of the most effective speakers of her time.” —David McCullough

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781620970423
Publisher:	New Press, The
Publication date:	10/14/2014
Pages:	272
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.10(h) x 1.10(d)

Table of Contents

Contents

Dedication
Acknowledgments
A Note on the Transcripts
Foreword by Blanche Wiesen Cook
Introduction
“The Girl of Today”
“Woman's Career vs. Woman's Home”
“A Mother's Responsibility as a Citizen”
“Concluding Broadcast”
“Negro Education”
“When Will a Woman Become President of the US?”
“Shall a Woman Be Herself?”
“A Day in the White House”
“Peace Through Education”
“World Court Broadcast”
“Making the Wheels Go 'Round in the White House”
“Keeping House on a Budget in the White House”
“What It Means To Be the Wife Of The President”
“Education of a Daughter for the 20th Century”
“Problems of Working Women”
“Life in a Tenement”
“Eleanor Roosevelt Interviewed on the Causes and Cures of War”
“Domestic Workers and Government Housing”
“Questions About the White House”
“Democracy”
“Political Conventions and Campaign Trips”
“Planning for War and Post-War Periods”
“Peace, Democracy and Ideals”
“Address to the Democratic National Convention”
“Shall We Arm Merchant Ships?”
“Freedom of Speech”
“Propaganda”
“Isolationists”
“Pearl Harbor Attack”
“Civilian Defense”
“Preparedness for War”
“Enemy Aliens and Women in War Work”
“Answering Her Critics”
“Broadcast From Liverpool”
“Wartime Conditions in Great Britain”
“D-Day Message”
“V-E Day Radio Message”
“V-J Day Radio Message”
Endnotes

Editorial Reviews

09/15/2014
In her time, Eleanor Roosevelt redefined the role of First Lady, and one of the ways she did so was through her constant public communication with the U.S. citizens. Smith, executive editor and host of American Radio Works, has selected transcripts of broadcasts from 1932 to 1945, including important addresses on the bombing of Pearl Harbor, D-Day, and V-E Day, as well as several aimed at the woman of the day. Eleanor didn’t shy away from difficult topics; an advocate for women, she promoted the value of the female wartime labor force on the home front. She also grasped that social roles were changing for women. The fact that her show was commercially sponsored by the likes of Sweetheart Soap and Pond’s Cold Cream opened her up to criticism, as did some of her other political activities, such as her stint as an assistant director for volunteer coordination in the Office of Civilian Defense, a post she had to give up after only five months. The book includes her response to some of these charges, in “Answering Her Critics.” Smith provides accurate context for the transcripts, and, though they do not make for great literature, they’re an intriguing glimpse into the social and political changes of the period. (Nov.)

Publishers Weekly

Praise for Say It Plain:

“History really does come alive in Say it Plain. This unique collection is a wonderfully rich resource.”
—Marian Wright Edelman, President, Children's Defense Fund

“Say It Plain captures that passion from some of America's greatest speechmakers."
—Congressman Jesse L. Jackson Jr. (D-IL)

From the Publisher