 Introduction
by Charlotte Milholland
As a girl today, you are more courageous, more open
to challenge, and more curious about the world than
girls at any other point in history. The Girl Pages
is an invitation to you: to explore, to learn, to create,
and to dream. Everything in this book was chosen with
you in mind--stories and essays; summer programs and
camps; books, movies, and web sites; and women who were
interviewed about their careers.
The Girl Pages is a book I wish I had had when I was
a teenager. Writing it comes from a deeply felt personal
interest and commitment: to help you, as young women,
discover what you love and begin to create the lives
that you imagine for yourselves. The Girl Pages is about
pursuing your passions--diving in to the activities
and subjects you love and discovering all the amazing
careers that include those things.
But even more than developing your current interests,
I hope The Girl Pages opens doors to new worlds for
you--to things you are curious about and have never
tried, and things you don't even know about. It takes
courage, openness, and a trust in yourself to explore
new areas, but just remember, you can learn whatever
you set your mind to, barely anyone is good at something
the first time. Skill and success come from practice
and hard work, whether it's shooting hoops, painting
paintings, or learning a new language. And if it's not
your thing, give it your best effort, and move on.
I grew up in Seattle, Washington, and I was really
shy as a teenager. I didn't try out for sports' teams,
or learn to ski, or take chemistry, or go on my school's
wilderness program. I wanted to do all of those things,
but I was afraid I wouldn't be any good at them. I didn't
think I was an athlete or "outdoorsy" or science-oriented.
I hated to be called on in class because I was sure
I would say something stupid. I felt like I was watching
everyone from the sidelines. I missed out on so much!
In many ways, today (I'm 35!) I am finally the "girl"
I always wanted to be. What I mean by this is that,
now I will try anything that interests me. I don't worry
about failing because I know I'll learn something no
matter what happens. And if I find it meaningful and
enjoyable, it becomes part of my life.
A few years ago, I got interested in rock climbing.
I liked the idea of an activity that combined strength,
grace, and bravery. I had read an anthology of stories
written by women climbers and they seemed "normal" (They
didn't seem like lunatic daredevils.) I decided to take
a vacation in Wyoming, and go to climbing school for
a week, and assuming all went well, climb a mountain
called the Grand Teton. In the end, bad weather prevented
going up the Grand, but I did learn to rock climb some
pretty steep faces, rappel off them, and even how to
ice climb. I had discovered that I loved rock climbing
and all it took, on my part, was curiosity, desire,
and trusting in my ability to learn. This doesn't mean
that I wasn't scared at some points and a little bruised
and sore on the way back to New York! It does mean that,
by taking the risk of exploration, I opened myself up
to a whole new part of the world, and of myself.
We are all athletes, artists, writers, activists, adventurers,
and even scientists. Never believe that anything is
off limits to you. If you think you might like something,
go for it. Test the waters. Even if your parents can
still tell you you have to go to Aunt Zelda's for dinner,
it's your choice how curious you are, how much of an
effort you put out, if you stand up for your opinions,
and if you challenge yourself. Your life is your own
unique work of art. "Creating you" is an ongoing project
and it's the most fun and important one of all. It takes
all sorts of experimenting and perseverance (and a sense
of humor!) to discover who you are, and become who you
want to be So, play, laugh, be original, take smart
chances, and most of all, believe in you.
How
do you use this book?
How you read The Girl Pages is up to you. You can start
at the beginning or turn straight to a chapter or section
that you know interests you. If you love the outdoors
and nature, you might take a look at summer programs
in marine biology, archaeology, even paleontology. To
get an idea of some of the fascinating careers that
involve being outside, read the interviews with a woman
marine mammal biologist in Alaska, an entomologist who
studies killer bees, and an environmental chemist whose
work takes her all over the world. If you're into basketball,
for example, turn to Chapter Two. See what a basketball
camp is like and read a coach's story about one girls'
team. There are also basketball books and movies and
interviews with a college team coach, a sportscaster,
and a sportswriter.
There are six chapters in The Girl Pages: Outdoor Adventure,
Sports, Science and Technology, Writing and the Arts,
Leadership and Activism, and School and Work. Each chapter
begins with a personal story written by a woman or a
girl. Author Shirley Abbott talks about her love of
writing and gives you tips on how to get started. Cristina
Page tells a funny story about her first activist act
and offers five ways to jump start your activist agenda.
Historian and girls' advocate Phyllis Eckhaus proves
without a doubt that studying women's history is activism.
Susan Fox Rogers explains why she rock climbs and how
it has made her a better writer. More stories and essays
are sprinkled throughout the book and many of the book
excerpts read like mini-stories.
Within each chapter there are summer programs and camps
that focus on everything from acting to ice hockey to
engineering. Some are coed and some are girls-only,
but they all are pro-girl. If you have never done something
with just girls, try it. Girls-only programs, camps,
schools and colleges have been created just for you.
They are places that foster friendships and challenge
you to take risks and learn new skills, in a supportive
environment. You might want to also read Genevieve Webster's
story in Chapter One about going on all-girl canoe trips
every summer, or in Chapter Six, a Smith College student
writes about her decision to go to a women's college.
There is also a "question and answer" about girls' high
schools.
All the chapters also have reviews of, and excerpts
from, books about incredible women--women adventurers,
women athletes, women scientists, women artists, women
political leaders, and more. Read about them. Write
papers about them. Adopt them as role models and heroes.
They will inspire you and make you proud to be a girl
and a woman. Women's history is your history. Our history.
It's empowering to know about the women who came before
you--their struggles and their achievements. They have
passed the torch to you. There are also fiction books
with female heroes in Chapter Four. For the most part,
these are not the books you'll read in classes at school.
And hopefully, the movie lists will give you ideas for
the next time you go to the video store.
At the end of each chapter are interviews with women
working in careers related to the subject of the chapter.
Some of the women are famous, and some aren't, but they
are all passionate about what they do. How they got
where they are, and what exactly they do, is interesting
and often surprising. They also offer some helpful,
practical advice. One thing they all said, no matter
what their field, was, "Believe in yourself!"
We would love to hear from you about how you like The
Girl Pages and what you would like to see in the next
"Girl Pages" book. You can e-mail us at girlpage@interport.net.
Also, be sure and check out our web site at www.girlpages.com.
Charlotte Milholland
June 1998
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