Collectively, American female role models are nothing short of varied. From bra-burners to domestic dames, creationists to the college-educated, this spectrum of so-called heroines is so diverse it's often difficult for young girls to decide who and what to mimic. Looking at the range of their predecessors, the forecast for the upcoming generation of females is a befuddled overcast.
But there's a rising star coming from the east, shedding light throughout the greater forty-eight before settling in the sacred City of Angels. This bright burst is writer Meghan Daum and her rationale is enlightening the conflicted females of Generation X and beyond.
Born in 1970 and raised in the suburbs of New Jersey, Daum received her bachelor's degree from Vassar College followed by her Masters of Fine Arts degree from Columbia University. She spent most of her twenties in New York City, finishing school and starting her career as an essayist for magazines such as Harper's and GQ. In 1999, Daum made a dramatic move to Lincoln, Nebraska, which took her reputation and fame to the next level.
While living in the Midwest, Daum wrote the semi-autobiographical novel The Quality of Life Report, which chronicles the story of Lucinda Trout, a female journalist who moves from the chaos of New York City to the tranquil pastures of Prairie City, Nebraska. Along with a collection of essays entitled My Misspent Youth, the novel propelled Daum to the forefront of upcoming American writers.
After her stay in Nebraska, Daum continued her own Manifest Destiny to California where she became a weekly columnist for the Los Angeles Times in 2005. In an interview with Sheelah Kolhatkar of the New York Observer, Daum commented on her transformation to column writing:
"I always thought newspaper writing would be very dry, but it’s quite the opposite. I’m allowed to be much smarter in the L.A. Times than I’ve been allowed to in any other publication. I think a lot of writers feel that way.”
Daum's column is a hodgepodge of current events, pop-culture, and politics all told from the female perspective. What differentiates Daum's outlook from that of her literary contenders? Unlike many of the voices of op-ed sections throughout the nation, Daum is balanced and refreshingly realistic, while still connecting to her middle-class, feminine roots.
In a recent piece titled "Facebook, I just can't quit you" Daum contemplates the world's addiction to Facebook and weighs out the pros and cons of leaving the social network. She thoroughly examines the usefulness and trivial aspects of the site before reaching the conclusion that Facebook is a necessity in the new world of networking. Whether you like it or not, you're better off having your picture property of Mark Zuckerberg.
In another article called "Christine O'Donnell's real roots" Daum debunks some assumptions about the suddenly popular right-wing senatorial candidate. As a contemporary of O'Donnell, Daum reasons out the politician's history and points out some of her better qualities. At the end of the column, the reader is far from convinced that the writer is conservative, but the piece paints a fair picture of O'Donnell rather than a skewed view given by many op-ed contributors.
Through her writing, Daum is able to take a step back and provide subtle evidence for big-picture reasoning. She doesn't sway to far to either side of an issue and allows her readers to discover their own conclusions. Perhaps not dramatically controversial, Daum is still a valuable asset to both literature and journalism. She seeks to uncover hidden truths in a range of subjects, all relating back to the modern day woman.
At age 40, Meghan Daum is only at the dawn of her career. Hopefully she will continue to enlighten readers for many years to come while providing a balanced perspective for a confused generation of females.
For more information on Meghan Daum and her work, visit meghandaum.com.
Bravo! Excellent profile. Any reader of this is likely asking for more, more!
ReplyDeleteBut, there are space limitations. :-(
The beginning few paragraphs are a great hook:
"Collectively, American female role models are nothing short of varied. From bra-burners to domestic dames, creationists to the college-educated, this spectrum of so-called heroines is so diverse it's often difficult for young girls to decide who and what to mimic. "
Domestic dames indeed!
Fabulous.
And, thematically, the writer also did a very nice job, portraying the columnist as:
"But there's a rising star coming from the east..."
And ending with "At age 40, Meghan Daum is only at the dawn of her career."
Rising stars, dawns...
Nicely done.
A star is born.