Jessica Valenti, author of The Purity Myth, on The New Virginity on VH1

Tune into VH1 this Thursday, January 14th at 11pm to see Jessica Valenti, author of The Purity Myth, Full Frontal Feminism, He's a Stud, She's a Slut, founder and editor of Feministing.com, and all around fun fabulous feminist. Valenti will be one of the talking heads on The New Virginity, a show discussing pop culture's current obsession with chastity--from the purity rings of the Jonas Brothers to the chastity balls being held across the country. Jessica Valenti dissects this phenomenon in The Purity Myth: How America's Obsession with Virginity is Hurting Young Women, which is out now in paperback.

Valenti is also answering questions on Formspring,where anyone can send in a question for consideration. Here's your opportunity to ask Valenti the question you've had on the tip of your tongue since you read her first book, Full Frontal Feminism.

An Apology to a Congo Activist

Recently, Lisa Shannon, author of the upcoming book, A Thousand Sisters: My Journey Into the Worst Place on Earth to Be a Woman, wrote a very personal and moving letter on her blog to her friend "Kelly," who accompanied her on her first trip to the Congo. The letter was inspired by PS: What I Didn't Say, edited by Megan McMorris, which is a beautiful collection of unsent letters to female friends



In this letter, Shannon talks about how she wanted to keep the tension that arose between her and Kelly out of the memoir, but eventually realizes she has to be honest about her experiences. Now, Shannon regrets what she wrote in her upcoming memoir: A Thousand Sisters. Shannon says, "But I do want you to know this: whatever judgment or frustration I express in the book, absolutely none of it trumps my profound respect for the fact that you showed up for Congo."

Shannon captures the difficulties in writing a memoir. She is opening herself up to the world by writing about her experiences in the Congo, but at the same time, she wanted to keep certain things off limits and private and finds it impossible to do in the end. She has to be real, raw, and open about what she went through. What makes A Thousand Sisters so compelling, is that Shannon is willing to share her most difficult times, and the ways in which she felt torn about her experiences in the Congo, and how those experiences made her stronger.

You can read Shannon's letter here, and also take a moment to look at her other blog posts. Shannon also has a facebook fan page for A Thousand Sisters, which will keep you apprised of upcoming events and the current situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. A Thousand Sisters is coming out in April 2010 and Shannon will be reading and attending events all over the country. We'll keep you posted!

Girldrive! Videos, Interviews and More!

How do young women feel about feminism? What are their hopes, their dreams, their passions and their fears? Nona Willis Aronowitz and Emma Bee Bernstein set out on a roadtrip across America asking young women these questions. Over almost 200 interviews with feminists, activists, young mothers, college students and working women they shed light on the inner workings and feelings of young women across the nation. Girldrive: Criss-Crossing America, Redefining Feminism is out now and Aronowitz has been spreading the message far and wide. Her co-author, Emma Bee Bernstein took her own life before the completion of the project, but her legacy lives on in her photography, her art and her words in Girldrive.

Check out what's been going on with Girldrive over the last two weeks!

An awesome review on Feministing

A Q&A with Salon.com’s Frieda Klotz.

Listen to Aronowitz on Word of Mouth, New Hampshire Public Radio.

Read a great piece in the Chicago Reader by Jessica Hopper (of Girls’ Guide to Rocking fame)

And check out Nona's site www.girl-drive.com for information on the book, her upcoming readings and links to great articles and insight into the current state of feminism.

Also check out this video with one of the Girldrive participants. Erika works in the offices of PODER- People Organized in Defense of Earth and her Resources and was interviewed in Austin, TX.

Girldrive Mini-trailer #1--Redefine Feminism from Girldrive on Vimeo.

Publishers Weekly Announces "Yes Means Yes" as one of its Top 100 of 2009

Today, Publishers Weekly posted its highly anticipated list of Best Books of 2009. Of 50,000 titles, Seal is proud to be recognized in the general non-fiction category for Yes Means Yes: Visions of Female Sexual Power and a World Without Rape, edited by Jaclyn Friedman and Jessica Valenti.

PW states, "Activist writers Friedman and Valenti present an extraordinary, eye-opening essay collection that focuses on the importance of sexual identity and ownership in the struggle against rape in the U.S., as well as a number of related issues, including sexual pleasure, self-esteem and the mixed societal messages that turn 'nice guys' bad."

Congratulations to Seal, the editors, and to all the contributors!

To see the rest of the Best Books of 2009, head over here.