Feminism

Ellie Greenwich is a songwriter known for her pop songs of the 1960s like "Be My Baby" and "Do Wah Diddy Diddy." Greenwich worked with composers Leiber and Stoller, producer Phil Spector, and co-wrote many of her hits with her ex-husband Jeff Barry. During much of the 1970s, Greenwich wrote, produced, and performed commercial jingles before experiencing a career resurgence in the 1980s. A revue of her songs "Leader of Pack," premiered in New York and will go on a national tour.

Canadian novelist Margaret Atwood is popular in her home country and abroad. Her latest novel "The Handmaid's Tale," takes place in a future United States ruled by religious fundamentalists who assert "traditional" roles for women and force fertile women to reproduce. Atwood considers herself a feminist and is active in the writers' movement for intellectual freedom. Atwood is the President of the Canadian English-speaking section of the writers' group PEN.

Phil Donahue started his eponymous television talk show in 1967 in Dayton, Ohio. Today, it is the most popular talk show on daytime t.v. The show includes celebrity interviews, but also tackles controversial social issues, and heavily involves its audience. Donahue's latest book is "The Human Animal," which surveys what experts have to say about human nature, and is a companion to a t.v. series of the same name. Donahue joins the show to discuss his career, his conversion from a chauvinist to a feminist, and being a single parent.

Writer Grace Paley is a master of the short story form. Paley's work is interested in the stories of women, and Paley has been involved in the peace and feminist movements. Paley's latest collection is "Later the Same Day."

Writer Germaine Greer is suspicious of both the safety and sexually liberating power of birth control. In her new book, she suggests women look beyond intercourse and seek different social, emotional and physical paths toward sexual pleasure.

Writer and journalist Gloria Steinem returns to Fresh Air to discuss the issues facing women and minorities in the forthcoming presidential election. Fresh Air listeners call in with their questions.

Barbara Walker's interest in women's roles in religious and spiritual traditions led her to write a book on the subject. Her research suggests that Christianity has suppressed various matriarchal and women-focused faith practices in order to strengthen patriarchal power structures.

Bella Abzug's political career began as a student at Hunter College. After graduating, she attended Columbia Law School, and began to practice law. She is a founding member of Women Strike for Peace and served as the national political director for ten years. Abzug was elected to Congress in 1970, where she was the co-founder of the National Women's Political Caucus. Abzug is currently the president of Women USA, a group working to get-out-the-vote among women.

Activist Eleanor Smeal was the president of the National Organization for Women (NOW) from 1977-1982. She is also the author of "Why and How Women Will Elect the Next President." Smeal's book examines the political "gender gap," women's political issues, organizing women, getting out the vote, and women running for election. Smeal joins the show to discuss the women's movement and the upcoming election in which Smeal endorses Walter Mondale.

Activist and journalist Susan Brownmiller is known for her seminal work "Against Our Will: Men, Women, and Rape," one of the first to make the assertion that rape is about violence and not lust. Her new book os "Femininity." The book examines the aesthetic of femininity, explores it origins, and suggests its implications for women. Brownmiller describes femininity as a competitive survival strategy. Brownmiller is also the co-founder of Women Against Pornography.