Imagining Ourselves: Global Voices from a New Generation of Women

by Paula Goldman (Editor), Isabel Allende (Foreword)

Presenting the photography, paintings, poetry, fiction, songs, and essays of 105 young women from fifty-seven countries, Imagining Ourselves captures the energy of the first global generation of women. From Nasra Abubakar, a Somalian camel-farmer’s daughter who is the first in her family to go to college to Anita Khemka, who reflects on the generation gap between yesterday’s and today’s teenage women in urban India, the young women in this book will inspire and encourage you to take action to transform your own life and the world around you.

Enlightening, uplifting, challenging, and funny, Imagining Ourselves demonstrates the power of each individual life and the collective power of today’s generation of women as a whole.

Genres: Womens, Nonfiction

224 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

Reviews

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. This book was incredibly inspirational. From the likes of Zadie Smith to Jenna Bush to Queen Rania of Jordan, this collection of art, poetry, song lyrics, and book excerpts covers the gamut of what it means to actualize your dreams.

It's great to see so many women, all below the age of 40, reach out from their communities and express themselves so whole-heartedly. The basis for this book was that the editor sent out a single question to many different women; this is the collection of their responses.

While I like the idea of giving "evidence" that the Y and X Genners HAVE done so much to contribute to intercultural communication and positive globalism, I bite my tongue thinking about all of the people who were left out because they're over the age of 40 (seems ageist)... but I suppose that takes a backseat to the multiculturalism and transgressed nationalities represented in this book.

[Chelsea Cahill · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book succeeded in highlighting a wide range of women's experiences and hopes for the future from around the globe. It was fascinating to see both the similarities and differences amongst the women as they strive to make a difference with opportunity never before seen in previous generations-- as well as with challenges both new and old. Some pieces were hard to see within the general topic of the book, but then again, it is a very individual feeling about what defines your generation from your perspective, and artwork in addition can be a very personal form of expression.

[MM · Rating 4 out of 5]

The editors put out a call to artists worldwide, asking what matters to young women in the world right now. This collection is what came of that question, and includes art from all around the world -- painters, photographers, writers, performance artists, musicians, activists. Interesting approach to thinking about these things and about contemporary global feminism -- I used this in an intro gender studies course and it elicited some great conversations.

[Carrie]

women's studies

[Mariana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Women, in their 20's and 30's, tell how their generation differs.