Jane Fonda's Words of Politics and Passion

by Mary Hershberger (Editor)

Overview

Jane Fonda's Words of Politics and Passion collects Fonda's most stirring public statements from 1970 through 2005, in speeches, interviews, and articles from over thirty years of tireless campaigning against war and militarism and on behalf of women's rights, women's health, feminism, and the environment. Historian Mary Hershberger "has unearthed a treasure trove," according to Ms. magazine. "Whether discussing peace, feminism or girls' empowerment, [Fonda] is thoughtful, courageous and always committed to the betterment of others."

In 1970, at the height of an award-winning acting career, Jane Fonda took a sharp turn into politics. She would go on to play an influential role in the anti–Vietnam War movement and in nearly every subsequent movement for social justice in the United States.

Hershberger has culled Fonda's words from a range of little-known and previously inaccessible sources, including the declassified FBI files obtained by Fonda herself in a federal lawsuit, and from antiwar movement archives that have never been made available to a general public.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781595582171
Publisher:	New Press, The
Publication date:	01/30/2008
Pages:	161
Product dimensions:	5.10(w) x 7.90(h) x (d)

About the Author

Mary Hershberger is a professor of history at Capital Universityin Ohio and the author of Traveling to Vietnam: American Peace Activists and the War. She lives in Columbus, Ohio.

Table of Contents

Foreword   Eve Ensler     ix
Permissions     xi
Introduction   Mary Hershberger     xiii
Political Awakening
Why a Movie Star Became a Peace Activist     3
From Fantasy to Radicalism     5
Finding Politics in Film     8
Against War
Radio Hanoi Broadcasts
Dikes in the Red River Delta     23
Ruins of Nam Dinh     25
POWs Call for Peace     28
"I Didn't Think of That"     30
Traitors and Patriots     34
Living Up to Our Country's Ideals     37
A Vietnam Journal: Birth of a Nation     42
Looking Back on Vietnam     54
For Girls (and Boys)
Global Education for Girls and Women     69
Speaking Out for Justice     79
Sex and Destiny     84
Real Boys and Good Girls     92
Preventing Teen Pregnancy     98
For Women (and Men)
All the Joys of a Woman in Childbirth     113
Putting Women at the Center     115
The New Feminism: Reuniting the Head, the Heart and the Body     22
Female Empowerment and the Battle over Reproductive Rights     136
Fighting Margaret Sanger's Battle     140
Against theRealists     142
My Third Act     147
Women and Men and the Head/Heart Business     153

Editorial Reviews

Following Jane Fonda's enormously successful autobiography, My Life So Far, independent historian Hershberger (Jane Fonda's War: A Political Biography of an Antiwar Icon) here offers a selection from Fonda's passionate speeches, radio broadcasts, interviews, and articles extending back almost 35 years. The result is an inspiring read. Divided into four thematic sections "Political Awakening," "Against War," "For Girls (and Boys)," and "For Women (and Men)" the book shows Fonda's transformation from actress and wife to antiwar activist and advocate for reproductive rights and education for women and girls. Fonda's words, both persuasive and illuminating, are reinforced by hard data and examples from her personal experiences traveling the world as a champion for peace, women's rights, and the environment. Fonda's fearless advocacy and relentless quest to make a difference in the lives of others are legendary and controversial. The speeches and writing collected here address both her reputation and her vision for the future, offering a compelling account of how her activism has influenced her personal growth and vice versa. Recommended for all public and academic libraries. [For an interview with Fonda, see "Becoming the Change We Seek" on p. 74.] D.L. Davey, New York Univ. Lib. Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

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