This Day: Diaries From American Women

by Joni B. Cole, Rebecca Joffrey, B.K. Rakhra

Prepare to be transported to corporate boardrooms, television studios, prisons, concert halls, classrooms, and an amazing array of households across our country—all described in the words of the women who were actually there.
Drawn from an extraordinary project in which more than five hundred women from all walks of life kept diaries on a single day, the collective voices reach across experiential, cultural, geographical, and socioeconomic boundaries. While the deliciously intimate details satisfy even the most shameless curiosity, most importantly, this book reveals the extraordinary in the ordinary—those moments that occur throughout any given day and illuminate who we really are as individuals, as women, and as Americans.
This book has entries culled from this extraordinary project, including Kim Gandy, president of NOW; Erika Harold, Miss American 2003; Judi Ehrlich, an L.A. private eye; and Janet Olson, an inmate in Minnesota. It is a vibrant collection that celebrates the diversity of women in America and their lives.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Womens, Book Club, Biography Memoir, Feminism

350 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

Joni B. Cole is the author of the new release Good Naked: Reflections on How to Write More, Write Better, and Be Happier ("Joyful, tough-minded, and heartening, these pages offer encouragement to anyone from beginners to experienced writers. Good Naked is one of the best books for writers I’ve read in a very long time."—Cynthia Huntington, National Book Award Finalist, poetry). Joni's acclaimed first book on writing, Toxic Feedback: Helping Writers Survive and Thrive, is “strongly recommended” for students and teachers by Library Journal. (“I can’t imagine a better guide to [writing’s] rewards and perils than this fine book,” American Book Review.) Joni is also the author of Another Bad-Dog Book: Essays on Life, Love, and Neurotic Human Behavior, and a contributor to The Writer magazine. She serves on the faculty of the New Hampshire Institute of Art, teaches in the Master of Arts in Liberal Studies program at Dartmouth College, and is founder of the Writer’s Center of White River Junction, Vermont. Joni has been nominated for both a Pushcart Prize and USA Fellowship Award. For more information: jonibcole.com

Reviews

[Stephanie A. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Essentially a compilation of short blogs in book form, but many of them from people who would probably never blog. Got tedious at times (especially the third-person bios and military-personnel-in-Iraq diaries), and there were some women I could not stand, but a great concept and probably best read in short bursts. I'm always wondering what other people are doing at the same time as me, and this satisfied my curiosity dozens of times over. In fact, I think I'm going to do this myself, for fun, on the project's 10th anniversary.

[Skye · Rating 4 out of 5]

"By sharing the perspective of another woman, even for just one day, we gain not only a greater understanding of who that woman really is, but equally important, how much we all have in common."

Great read!

Some excerpts I enjoyed:

From a firefighter:

"After more than 20 years as a firefighter, I find I think differently about most things than 'civilians'. When I think about the weather, I think about how it will affect fighting a fire or whether it will cause more runs. When I walk the city street, I look at buildings constantly to think about how fast a fire could travel, or how many people might have to be evacuated or searched for, or how the firefighter assigned to the roof will get there." p110

From a harpist:

"I went to play my harp in the CCU. It's usually frantic here, but I go in, anyway, knowing that it's doing both staff and patients good. I heard a story about a patient who had heard my harp in the CCU and asked a hospital volunteer, "Am I in heaven?" The volunteer told her, "Oh no, dear, that's our harpist Verlene playing right outside the door."

Later she asked the patient, who was in the process of dying, if she was afraid. The patient answered, "No.Ever since I heard the harp music, I'm not afraid." p120

"Trying to explain the theory of evolution to a four-year-old is a tough one. I realise something has been lost in translation because he asks, 'When I get to be as old as you, will I be a monkey?" p135

"Diaper change time. Wonder how many diapers I've changed in eleven years? (Four diapers per kid per day, average of 3 kids a day, five days a week, fifty-one weeks a year, times eleven - 33,660!!! God, I've got to get out of this business." - a childcare provider p274

"It's difficult because I REALLY want to talk to him. But we mostly have to wait to chat until after the kids are in bed because it's too hard to talk over their needs." :'( - from a housewife p316

"You should always discuss medical procedures with girlfriends. Women are their own greatest health resource. That's probably why we live longer than men. We share knowledge, while men compete and die." p327

"In my quiet moments, my reflective times, I am aware that I love and am loved by family and friends. I am at peace knowing so many care and want me to live. What more can we ask of life than that we would be missed if we were not here." - a dialysis patient, 66. p.345

"My boyfriend kind of smells. He smells the way something tastes when you leave it in the refrigerator uncovered, a little touched by everything mixed together in a slightly stale way. " p. 383

"Call Mom to let her know I made it home and glance around the house for intruders. Open the shower curtain fast! No one. Under the bed. Clear."

"Hot bubble bath with Johnson's Bedtime Bath. It's really to 'soothe fussy babies', but since that's how I feel most of the time, I consider it a bathtime staple."

Also enjoyed the stories from a NASA astronaut, who juggles her job and motherhood. She and her husband, a glassblower, have a commuter marriage for fourteen years and counting. p.139

[Eileen · Rating 3 out of 5]

A journaling project that took place in 2004 where approximately 500 women from all over the world (mostly American, at least from what is represented here) documented their day one day in June. Mostly random people, with a couple of moderately famous ones thrown in. I did find some of this interesting (and wish I had participated! Although my life certainly looked different back then than it does today). Some of the women I wish I could follow up on and know what happened next for them (I admit to googling a few). Parts did drag a bit. Since it did take place 15 years ago, there is a lot of talk about the war in Iraq and other events for that time period. It didn't bother me and didn't feel dated necessarily.
Time passes quickly. These women are all 15 years older now, and I wonder where they are now and how life has treated them.

[Katherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good! Hundreds of women participated in a project to write down what happened to them on the same day around the world: June 29, 2004. From a nonagenarian nun to a carefree California hippie girl to a worn-out mom of toddlers to an Army officer stationed in Iraq, these stories capture funny, sad, depressing, hopeful, wry, REAL experiences. A great read if you're feeling nosy or isolated or just need something to dip into since the sections are quite short.

[Karah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this from thriftbooks.com a few weeks ago. On top of that, I checked out more than ten books from the public library. The intrigue from the library books usurped much of my interest in this one. It's not dissatisfying. Aisha Tyler's contribution pleased me. I am glad she is not smitten by celebrity but still enjoys her profession. Many of the women had similar days: kids, coffee, groceries, dinner, ennui.

No rest for women!

[Marisa Thalberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

So proud to have been a part of this groundbreaking compilation of diaries maintained by a cross-section of American women, all on the same day. The threads that connect us are as interesting as all of our varied differences. Intimidate, detailed and real.

[Dawn Meyers · Rating 4 out of 5]

INteresting book consisting of a diary of 24 hours in their daily life, kept by a widely varied number of women. I love insights into lives so very different from my own

[kathi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting look into the lives of different women in different lifestyles on the same day.

[Liza · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was really good. it is a collection of day diaries from women all over America, even some American women in other countries. It's a look in to the lives of housewives, lawyers, police officers, firefighters, strippers, women in ever kind of profession, lifestyle or situation all on the same day. It was really interesting how many mentioned the red sox games (the day in the book was June 29, 2004), America giving Iraq back in the hands of Iraq and other important events at that time. I think it was a little too long though...

[Courtney · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the idea of having women write/blog about their typical day. I found the second volume of this project, The Water Cooler Diaries much more enjoyable than this volume. There isn't much variety in the jobs in this book, which was published a couple of years after 9/11. Because of that, there's a focus on women fighting the war in Iraq. Of course I believe it's an important job and it's great that they had a way to share what their days were like, but I would have preferred a more diverse selection of jobs.

[♥ I’d Rather Be Reading ♥]

DNF

I picked this up at the library thinking it'd be an good change of pace from the normal fiction novels I normally read. Boy was I wrong. I nearly dragged myself through the first 50 pages and then put a quits to it. Although it's an interesting concept to see what other women do from day to day, I'm thinking hour to hour isn't the way to go. It was very bland and I had to force myself through the first 50 pages. I just gave up on reading the rest of it because I dreaded picking it up anymore. Just way too boring, couldn't hold my interest.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Am really enjoying this book. Found it in the travel section(?) of my library, but it's basically one-day diary entries of 30 or so women (chosen from many) and it just gives you a snippet of their life. Writers range from a 23-year-old recent college grad to a soldier in Iraq to a nun to a 65-year-old woman taking care of her disabled husband. It's amazing to see how these women are so different from each other (and myself) and yet how we are are all so alike with the same joys and worries.

[Janice · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm sure this diverse group of contributors are bright, creative, talented women, and I applaud them for putting their names and occupations on their entries, however, I would have preferred the take away to be uplifting and celebratory, rather, I found many coming across as lack luster or whiney. The short quips were easier to take than the longer hourly diary entries. Perhaps this just was not my cup of tea.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic book. Looks at a cross section of the population--all women--who have kept a 1 day diary as a snapshot of their lives and feelings. Truly does represent all types of women from all types of backgrounds. They have a variety of jobs and their feelings on issues will resonate with almost everyone.

Would definately recommend this to my adult female readers.

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read the first book by these same authors, with the same premise (women keeping a diary on the same day but each with their own spin, their own perspective) and loved it. I found this book to be a bit less fresh than the first one.

[Raelene · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved loved loved this book. It was a book about women's lives, their struggles, their hopes, their dreams, and it was only one day. This book is about the everyday heroes. FEMALE heroes. I liked it. It did a decent job of getting women from all different backgrounds too.

[Laurie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating book!! I loved the concept and enjoyed all the perspectives from women on that day. I can picture myself...eight months pregnant, no longer working, hanging out with 7 year old Eric at the pool. :^)

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This fascinating book is all women's diary entries from the same day and year. It is a little peek into the live of some amazing women from all across the country. It makes me wish I was better and writing down the things that happen to me and they way I feel about those things...

[Ricki · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was different from any book I have read before. Each chapter was a day diary of a different American woman. What I liked better, though, were the shorter chapters that either included just a few hours from the day or one paragraph. Despite the format, it was slow reading.

[Haley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Grabbed this off of a women's display at the downtown library on a whim. It was interesting to see all the different perspectives on the one day, although I would have preferred it be a more significant day.

[Nancy Hansen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I certainly give Joni Cole, B.K. Rakhra, and Rebecca Joffrey (Editors), credit for such a creative and interesting book. It is not a book to read cover to cover in one sitting. It is a book to pick up here and there. Maybe read it between other books?

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

very interesting reading--peeking into diaries of American women all over the country, in all walks of life.

[Kameelah]

I have not read this yet, but already I think it would be really cool to do a Muslimah version.

[Jessica Jacobson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite interesting how the same day in women's lives across the countries has common themes but also so different.

[Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Had no idea how much I was going to enjoy this book--a day in the life of 35 or more different women.

[Sara · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too sappy. Many positive stories, but didn't seem realistic. It seemed all the women had great attitudes when we know that is probably not true!

[Cindy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just read this book from the library. Interesting snap shot in the lives of women across the US.

[Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it!

[Jenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unique concept. It was fun to read so many different perspectives on the same day.

[Laurel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun easy to read book. It was nice to read the everyday lives of other women and realize that I'm not as crazy as I think I am.