"Let me tell you what I've learned": Texas Wisewomen Speak (Louann Atkins Temple Women & Culture Series) [Hardcover]

PJ Pierce (Author), Liz Carpenter (Foreword)

Book Description

Series: Louann Atkins Temple Women & Culture Series | Publication Date: September 1, 2002

Barbara Jordan spoke for many Texas women when she told a reporter, 'I get from the soil and spirit of Texas the feeling that I, as an individual, can accomplish whatever I want to, and that there are no limits, that you can just keep going, just keep soaring. I like that spirit'. Indeed, the sense of limitless possibilities has inspired countless Texas women - sometimes in the face of daunting obstacles - to build lives rich in work, family, friends, faith, and community involvement.In this collection of interviews conducted by P.J. Pierce, twenty-five Texas women ranging in age from 53 to 93 share the wisdom they've acquired through living unconventional lives. Responding to the question 'What have you found that really matters about life?' they offer keen insights into motherhood, career challenges, being a minority, marriage and widowhood, anger, assertiveness, managing change, persevering, power, speaking out, fashioning success from failure, writing your own job description, loving a younger man, and recognizing opportunities disguised as disaster - to name only a few of their topics. In her introduction, Pierce describes how she came to write the book and how she chose her subjects to represent a cross-section of career paths and ethnic groups and all geographic areas of Texas. A topical index makes it easy to compare several women's views on a given subject.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 316 pages
• Publisher: University of Texas Press; 1st edition (September 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0292765932
• ISBN-13: 978-0292765931
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,126,282 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "Let me tell you what I've learned", November 25, 2002

By 

Donna Remmert (Boulder, Colorado) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: "Let me tell you what I've learned:" Texas Wisewomen Speak (Louann Atkins Temple Women and Culture Series, Book Four) (Paperback)

"Let me tell you what I've learned:" Texas Wisewomen Speak
by PJ Pierce
(Reviewed by Donna Remmert)
I needed perspective for my life. Even before finishing the Introduction to "Let me tell you what I've learned:" Texas Wisewomen Speak, I knew that I'd find it in this book. As I read one fascinating story after another, I made a list of friends to whom I would gift the book. They include a niece just graduated from college, a friend interested in entering the political arena, a single mom who feels guilty about her passion for artistic expression as a painter. I can't give my own copy to anyone because I'll want to read it again someday. My husband has temporarily laid claim to the book and his response is as enthusiastic as mine.
The wisdom of the twenty-five wisewomen featured in this book is profound and inspirational. And, PJ Pierce's wit and wisdom is revealed in her Author's Notes, in which she reveals her own insights as she interviewed each of these wisewomen. Another example of the author's wisdom in writing this book is how she involved her just-out-of-college daughters in the interviewing process and included her mother in the Epilogue, as yet another Texas wisewoman. These personal touches make a statement that I think is important.
This is a reader-friendly and entertaining book, full of remarkable insights about living life with a purpose while also taking time to smell the roses. I salute these high-profile Texas women for their willingness to reveal intimate details about their lives. They have all crossed the half-century mark and they represent a cross section of career paths, ethnic groups, and geographic areas of Texas. I'm not a native Texan, yet I loved reading about "the mystique of the Texas woman". These are unique stories yet they are also similar to tales told by women everywhere.
Texas women have a feisty, humorous and assertive way that fascinates me. Below are some samples of this feistiness and of the entertaining and compelling wisdom they express in this book:
`I believe that I have a spirit that is not going to disappear.' Barbara Jordan, former U.S. Representative (D-Texas) and educator, now deceased.
`Lots of solutions happen around a casserole. If you can put a meal on the table, you will find that it comes in handy, even if you are plotting a revolution.' Liz Carpenter, press secretary and staff director for Lady Bird Johnson.
`I am Texan enough that I refer to half of my relatives as `sister' or `brother,' even if they are really aunts and uncles. I even have an `Aunt Sister.' Linda Ellerbee, broadcast journalist.
`I prefer the term `Chicano' to Mexican American' because of the connotation. `Chicano' has come to mean a reclamation of our heritage; it means self-determination.' Carmen Lomas Garza, artist.
`When I see kids who have potential that they aren't developing, I raise hell with them; I push them to do what they are capable of.' Barbara Jacket, U.S. women's olympic coach, 1992 Barcelona.
`I am told that I should be careful about criticizing the CIA - that I might get bumped off.... If you hear that I committed suicide, I didn't!' Sarah McClendon, senior-most member, White House Press Corps.
`There seems to be a general feeling that if you are funny, you're not serious. But people don't know how many brain cells it takes to be funny.' Ann Richards, former Texas governor.
The complete list of wisewomen who generously shared their perspective includes: Artists - Carmen Lomas Garza, Glenna Goodacre, Violette Newton. Athletic coaches - Jody Conradt, Barbara Jacket. Attorneys/Judges - Louise B. Raggio, Mary Lou Robinson, Sarah Weddington. Educators - Juliet Villarreal Garcia, Amy Freeman Lee, Diana Natalicio, Guadalupe C. Quintanilla. Entrepreneur - Ninfa Laurenzo. Historian - Pauline Durrett Robertson.
Journalists - Liz Carpenter, Linda Ellerbee, Sarah McClendon. Lawmakers and political officeholders - Wilhelmina Delco, Kay Bailey Hutchison, Barbara Jordan, Irma Rangel, Ann Richards, Judith Zaffirini. Physician - Edith Irby Jones.
"Let me tell you what I've learned:" Texas Wisewomen Speak is a book worth reading. PJ Pierce captures the spirit of all Texas women in her writing, making it clear that she too is a Texas wisewoman, born and raised in Amarillo.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "Let Me Tell You What I've Learned.", November 30, 2002

By 

Allan R. Nilsson (Austin, TX USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: "Let me tell you what I've learned:" Texas Wisewomen Speak (Louann Atkins Temple Women and Culture Series, Book Four) (Paperback)

When you read the foreword and the dust jacket, you will understand the premise of the book: the interviews in this book represent the distilled wisdom of some of our "tribal elders." All 25 of the women interviewed are at least 50 years of age, think of themselves as Texans and are accomplished in their fields (artists, coaches, attorneys/judges, church leader, educators, entrepreneur, historian, journalists, political officeholders, physician). Most of these women have been married and have children.

There are many reasons for anyone to read these interviews: these are "feel good" stories; they represent women from varied backgrounds and persuasion; almost to a person, they understand the importance of family and friends. For young women and mothers, there are additional reasons to read these stories. Why were these women so driven to achieve significant accomplishments outside their family life and how did they balance the demands on their time and energy.

I have my favorites and you will, too. PJ finishes her collection with the chapter on her mother who reared 10 children while establishing herself as author, historian, entrepreneur, photographer and community activist. This is a remarkable group of people. The book is well organized and easy to read. You'll want to go back and reread many of the chapters.