Blue Jean: What Young Women are Thinking, Saying, and Doing [Paperback]

Sherry S. Handel (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2001

A movement is under way among young women, and it's not about hair, make-up, or staying thin. It is about girls and young women writing and producing their own media, in their own voices, on topics that are important to them. Sherry Handel launched Blue Jean magazine with little more than a vision - to provide teen girls with an alternative to the glamour and beauty magazines. Young women themselves - editors, writers, illustrators, photographers, and correspondents created it - making blue jean the only magazine written and produced by young women from around the world. USA Today dubbed Blue Jean; The Thinking Girl's Magazine. You will be captivated by this first collection of best of Blue Jean; stories and articles, enjoyed during the magazine's heroic two and a half year run by readers in 24 countries. Blue Jean: What Young Women are Thinking, Saying, and Doing holds fresh and uplifting insights on topics from body image and confidence, ethnicity and racism, to the pitfalls and triumphs of everyday living. Learn about the entrepreneurial vision of Blue Jean's founder, Sherry Handel and the courageous launch of her dream.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

"I am woman, hear me roar... or purr... or say nothing at all, if I so choose" is this collection's theme. Handel is the force behind Blue Jean Media, a company that produces blue jean magazine, a periodical for women aged 14 to 22. Dissatisfied with the selection of teen magazines filled with fluffy articles about getting the ideal boyfriend and buying the right prom dress, Handel sought to fill a void by providing a magazine written and edited by young women from around the world. The result was a magazine whose purpose is to empower girls and young women to define themselves through their own medium. The book is a compilation of articles already published in blue jean, including such topics as feminism, body image, volunteering/activism and ethnicity/race. The authors handle these heated topics with ease, displaying a surprising maturity. Twenty-one-year-old Dina Rabadi extols the virtue of single-sex education, treating both sides of the issue, beginning with her own initial reluctance to attend Smith College. Sixteen-year-old Erica Bryant separates herself from feminists by embracing the term "womanist," noting that black women have often been called upon to attack one issue at a time (either race or gender). According to Bryant, womanist philosophy states that racism, sexism and classism can be attacked all at once. Socially active women of all ages will find inspiration in this collection; as it reminds older readers of what it was like to be youthfully optimistic, it empowers younger readers to define their own images and issues for themselves.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Gr 10 Up-This collection of essays was originally published in the now-defunct blue jean magazine, the brainchild of Handel. The writings range in topic from volunteering and activism to fiction to mind and body issues to ethnicity and race. One chapter discusses creating one's own zine or film. Each essay is well thought out and well written. Of particular note is Victoria Nam's "Why We Love and Fear the F-Word" (feminism) and Lisa Haber-Thompson's "Attention Deficit Disorder." The young women's articulate use of language is particularly striking. These teens have tackled subjects that could have easily fallen into the realm of academic debate. Instead, they "talk" to their readers in obliging tones and offer opinions rather than gospel-a tone many readers will find refreshing. A great guide for those interested in women's issues.

Elaine Baran Black, Gwinnett County Public Library, Lawrenceville, GA

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Blue Jean Press; Revised edition (May 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 097066091X
• ISBN-13: 978-0970660916
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.9 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #864,598 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I Loved it!, December 2, 2000

By 

A McKim (Rochester, New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Blue Jean : What Young Women are Thinking, Saying, and Doing (Paperback)

A good friend of mine laughed at me the other day when I proclaimed that I was a feminist. I looked at her in amazement and asked why she wasn't. A pink tinge appeared on her cheeks and she shrugged off the question. I was left speechless. Today, intelligent, strong women are afraid to align themselves with the feminist movement for fear of being chastised by their peers, both male and female. Women and their issues continue to lack prominence in the mainstream media, and when they do make headlines, they are ridiculed and portrayed in a negative light.  However, the need to educate young women about the implications of the societal burdens placed on them because of their gender is a necessity.

Sherry Handel, the author of blue jean: what young women are thinking, saying, and doing, acknowledges and welcomes the depth and complexity of young women by having chapters tackle issues such as Feminism, Reporting, and Ethnicity and Racism. She doesn't exclude the multifaceted young women either, including topics on the lighter side ranging from Mind and Body to Create Your Own Zines, Comics and Films. And instead of telling readers what they need to aspire to be or how to act, she provides a comfortable atmosphere by letting their peers write the book.  For those people who missed blue jean magazine, the first brainchild of Sherry Handel, it was a publication devoted to producing work written by young women. Endorsing this book as a compilation of the best of blue jean magazine would be limiting the power and potential that it has gained from the passion and editorial work of Handel.

Interests, voices and personalities of young women have all been represented before in other books, or magazines.  blue jean delves deeper and pushes farther into the brains of these writers, and, as a result, the reader is allowed into their creative thought processes and can witness the way they choose to express themselves, either through reporting about Title IX like Anne Preller or fighting against Title IX like Courtney Martin when she began a women's lacrosse team at her school. I developed my own definition of feminism after reading the article by Victoria Nam on "Why We Love and Fear the F Word". The reader is encouraged to think on her own and develop strong viewpoints on important women's issues. "Peaches and Dreams" by Kelly Mooney is a work of fiction where the lead character is dealing with her mom's breast cancer. The writer has a startlingly real voice and is one of many in the book who represent the honesty of young women that Handel so wonderfully captures.

Before I began reading this book, I was hesitant and fearful. I didn't know what to expect. How could I be objective when I have to share an office with Sherry? My worries ceased after the first page. I never looked up once and when I finished, I wanted more. This book fuses together Handel's creativity, intellect and womaness; leaving the reader wanting more.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Reads Like a Breath of Fresh Air, July 15, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Blue Jean: What Young Women are Thinking, Saying, and Doing (Paperback)

In her introduction Sherry S. Handel writes, "The success of Blue Jean is and always has been due to the involvement of girls who make it all happen. Without them there is no Blue Jean. I'm often asked, 'How did you get such a great idea and what inspired you?' The answer is simple...Girls and young women should be creating their own media. To me it is obvious and should have happened a long time ago."

Blue Jean: What Young Women are Thinking, Saying and Doing, a compilation of articles from back issues of Blue Jean Magazine fully captures this feminist spirit that Handel describes. It reveals the originality possible when media is created by its own demographic. No mainstream teen magazine can compare in authenticity and honesty to Blue Jean because Blue Jean is the only publication teenage girls control and write for themselves. It reads like a breath of fresh air.

I was very impressed by the "do it yourself" message promoted in many of the chapters, especially in chapter one, "Volunteerism and Activism." In this chapter there is a nice balance between essays by girls who have experienced hands on the pleasures of creating something themselves, and appreciative reports about the activism carried out by girls around them. For example, in her essay "Chix with Sticks," Courtney Martin describes how she and her peers formed a Women's Lacrosse team at her high school. By narrating her own struggles and successes, she offers sound advice and encouragement to girls who may want to start their own team. Alternatively, Larissa Masny's aricle, "Insight into the Seeing Eye," focuses not on herself, but another girl's efforts working for a Seeing Eye dog center. The combination of first hand stories and second hand reports in "Volunteerism and Activism" suggests how important it is for girls to do things themselves, but also recognize achievements in others.

I particularly enjoyed chapter three, "Feminism." I liked reading how different girls answered the question, "What does feminism mean to you?" There is no better way to understand the complexities of feminism and the women's movement than through reading a variety of opinions. By creating a written discussion on feminism, the article mirrors the sort of debate girls will experience in the real world. "Feminism" is a highly contested word; a fact Blue Jean does not efface, but rather embraces by encouraging so many different responses. Victoria Nam's essay, "Why We Love and Fear the F-Word," was similarly impressive. She thoughtfully approaches the topic of "girl power" feminism. She neither completely dismisses "girl power" feminism as might older feminists, nor does she shield it from criticism. She concedes, "Girls are recycling words and wearing clothes that have been used against women in the past, but this time they are using them to their advantage" but still insists that "relying on T-shirts and stickers for inspiration and meaning celebrates the present and erases the past." I am encouraged and inspired by Victoria's insightful commentary.

In the introduction, Handel includes a letter written to her by Kristin Purdy, one of the girls originally involved in Blue Jean. Kristin writes, "Blue Jean is an intangible grassroots global network of girl power -- uniting girls and young women (and some old women also). In a way it carries a spirit that made me realize we are all feminists." Kristin's words underline Blue Jean's greatest accomplishment: it creates a lasting sorority among young women. Blue Jean: What Young Women are Thinking, Saying, and Doing motivates feminist thought during a key transistion -- adolescence. The result is the creation of a feminist community that is broad and undefined, but because it is formed at such a pivotal moment, permanently connected.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Empowering, Inspiring, and Stimulating, February 27, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Blue Jean: What Young Women are Thinking, Saying, and Doing (Paperback)

by Mary Kate Brennan, 15

Empowering, inspiring, and stimulating. In a world full of beauty do and don't magazines and other superficial publications, this compilation is purely refreshing. Blue Jean: What Young Women are Thinking, Saying, and Doing allows for teenage girls to read about significant issues that pertain to all, not just what shade of pink is in for this spring. This anthology starts with a bang, and influences readers to get out and actually do something. In the first chapter, volunteering and activism is addressed. It tells of actual things that young women have already accomplished, such as the one with girls assisting with a seeing-eye dog project. This book goes beyond simply telling, it encourages activism, not just dreaming, doing.

Between the pages that bring down feminist stereotypes and help for the mind and soul lay the true feelings and emotions of all girls. Though targeted at the 14-19 set, Blue Jean: What Young Women are Thinking, Saying, and Doing defies age barriers. It is a collection of illuminating words that evoke dreams, hopes, and stories. Most importantly, it explains that common phrase "if you don't succeed at first, try, try again." Rather then put pressure on women, Blue Jean uplifts and helps girls shape themselves into independent, self-sufficient women. It does not make women feel as though clothes, makeup, and hot-dates define who we are, rather it coaxes our inner spirit and drive to challenge and overcome setbacks.