Throughout March, 91欧美激情 is celebrating Women’s History Month. Join us on-air and online as we honor the achievements of women in the D.C. region.
For Women鈥檚 History Month, Arlington Public Library Director Diane Kresh is highlighting books by and about women who shaped her life and career.
Kresh said the month is deeply meaningful to her.
鈥淚t’s a month that’s very important to me. I’m, I guess, second wave feminist. So I was very involved, all my adult life, in women’s issues,鈥� Kresh said.
High on her list is by Doris Kearns Goodwin 鈥� a book she said is 鈥減oignant, interesting” and provides great social history.
Kresh said she was drawn to Goodwin鈥檚 process of sifting through decades of her husband鈥檚 papers. Her husband was Dick Goodwin, a speechwriter and close adviser to Robert Kennedy.
鈥淚 liked reading about her process of going through hundreds and hundreds of boxes of material and trying to organize it to tell the story,” she said.
She also recommends by Laura Claridge, calling Knopf鈥檚 impact on publishing overlooked but essential.
鈥淚 think a lot of times we don鈥檛 know that women had a huge role in publishing,” Kresh said.
Another meaningful read for her is by Amy Reading.
Kresh noted that while many readers know E. B. White, fewer recognize his wife鈥檚 influence.
鈥淓verybody knows E. B. White because they know ‘Stuart Little’ and ‘Charlotte鈥檚 Web,’ but Katharine was a very prominent editor at The New Yorker, which just celebrated its 100th anniversary,” Kresh said.
Her list also features by Imani Perry, which she chose because Hansberry鈥檚 legacy resonated with her background in theater.
It is a portrait of the writer of “A Raisin in the Sun,” who was also an activist and member of the LGBTQ community. Hansberry, she said, is someone whose impact would have been even greater had she lived longer.
Rounding out her list is by Julia Sweig, a biography that reframes the former first lady as a key political strategist and environmental advocate. Kresh said Claudia Alta “Lady Bird” Johnson鈥檚 legacy, including the beautification efforts she remembers from growing up in Arlington, still shapes the region today.
鈥淚 remember the beautification program and all the daffodils you see on the GW Parkway 鈥� all thanks to Lady Bird Johnson,” she said.
And on the pop culture side of her list, the story of Candy Darling, Andy Warhol’s muse and transgender icon, called by Cynthia Carr.
“Because who doesn鈥檛 love Warhol and the Warhol factory and pop culture?” Kresh said.
Kresh said her goal with every list is simple.
鈥淢y goal in making lists is that people should read. You find out about the world, you find out about yourself,鈥� she said.
See from Arlington Public Library on its website.
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