in October, my photographer friend Emma Bernstein and I
set out to write a book. Framed around a 6-week road trip
across the United States, the book will include photographs,
thematic essays, interviews, and diary entries. We are
talking to young women--of all kinds-- about what they think
and feel about feminism... if they think about it at all.
We are also photographing and interviewing influential feminists
of our mothers’ generation and beyond—women whose activism and
strength has changed forever what young women could hope to
accomplish.
The road trip, a staple of American culture that has always
represented discovery and change, is our way of getting to know
our peers. Both of our mothers were deeply involved in Second
Wave feminism, so we are closely connected to the movement’s
history. But our roadtrip seeks to discover how other women
our age, feminist or not, grapple with this history of freedom,
equality, joy, ambition, sex, and love.
The trip is a way to reach both self-proclaimed feminists and
the untapped resource of the “I’m not a feminist but” contingent.
It’s a way to meet independent, motivated young women who are
doing big things--who are living out feminism whether they know
it or not--but may not identify with the label. It’s a way to
confront the barriers of class, race, and culture that inevitably
stand in the way of uniting half the population.
This book is about our girls. About the American city and how
it nurtures us. It’s about the past and the present, and it
glimmers on the future. It’s about getting out of the sensory
overload bubble that is intellectual, smug New York, and meeting
the American women we are dealing with. It’s about us—ambitious
young women who can’t even take a road trip without thinking about
turning it into a book.
CLICK HERE to visit our blog.
CLICK HERE to see more of Emma’s photos.
CLICK HERE to read about Nona and Emma in Metro New York
Photos by: Emma Bernstein
