Product Description

Blue Jean - previously enjoyed as a magazine for and by teen girls is back as a book. Blue Jean What Young Women are Thinking, Saying, and Doing is a captivating and empowering collection of the best of Blue Jean fiction, reporting, essays and opinion pieces. Experience the entrepreneurial vision behind the only magazine written and produced by young women.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1168694 in Books
• Published on: 2001-05-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 256 pages

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.

From Booklist
Gr. 9-12. This wide-reaching anthology groups articles from blue jean magazine that were written and edited by teen girls. A long-winded, indulgent introduction by Handel, the founder of the publication, notes that blue jean was created to "bridge the vast age gap" between Ms. for adults and New Moon for girls. The selections in the book reflect the magazine's range of subjects, from activism and feminism to sexual harassment, race, and creating zines. They are varied in sophistication, maturity, and politics, but all deliver girls' viewpoints in fresh, direct, passionate voices. There are survivors' stories of sexual violence, voices from high-school's social fringe, articles about homeless teens, and more. Relevant addresses and contact information often conclude the pieces. Many teens, including reluctant readers, will find these peer-authored stories inspiring and empowering, and they may want to log on to the online magazine, which unlike its print counterpart, is still going strong. Fans of bluejeanonline.com might also enjoy gURL.com, a hip, albeit commercial Web site for girls. Gillian Engberg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Customer Reviews

Reads Like a Breath of Fresh Air
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.

Creates a Sense of Solidarity Amidst Young Women Everywhere
by Dashini Ann Jeyathurai,18

When I first received my copy of Blue Jean: What Young Women are Thinking, Saying, and Doing in the mail, I wasn't quite sure what to expect. On one hand, I had seen the creative talents working on Blue Jean Online but on the other hand, I had read many paltry attempts of young women attempting to address issues they knew little of. I should have known better than to doubt Blue Jean.

Numerous young women individually mold subjects that are close to their hearts ranging from the meaning of feminism, the attention deficit disorder to the dilemmas of mixed parentage. The success of their writing lies in a simple formula that each young woman adopted and that was to write about something that they knew and felt intimately about. Dina Rabadi, 21, dispells the myths of studying in a women's college through her honest insight into the hidden benefits of studying at Smith College. I find myself re-evaluating my own choices for college and wondering why a women's college is conspicuously absent from my own list. It is this kind of writing that compels me to look inward and to reflect instead of simply heaving a sigh of relief at the end of an estrogen pumped collection of works. Erica Bryant, 16, reaches beyond the pages of the book through her mature outlook on "Black Feminists Talkin' Back". Being an Indian, I found myself unconsciously nodding my head as I read her piece that tackled the double prejudice of being a colored woman. When I read the various pieces, it wasn't so much the writer's creativity or fluency that captured my attention, but the sincerity with which they wrote. With Lida Haber-Thompson's piece on the attention deficit disorder, there is a conscious effort to take this condition out of a medical journal and put it into the words of a teenager. What made me want to know more about the disorder was the turmoil within Lisa's that is reflected in her words. Anne Preller, 15, presents an informative and passionate piece on sexual harassment that made me stop to think of the times I may have dismissed something I was not comfortable with for fear of being called school marmish or priggish.

Blue Jean: What Young Women are Thinking, Saying, and Doing is crucial in creating a sense of solidarity amidst young women who are separated by geographical and cultural boundaries. That leap in one's heart to see that "I'm not the only one who feels this way" is what a collection of such works offers young women everywhere. It's captivating to read the way young women have jumped at the opportunity to defend their own beliefs and to stand up to the flawed images of women that one is constantly bombarded with by parents, boyfriends, tradition and the media. Sarabeth Matilsky and Danielle Kabelle, both 16, look at the manner in which gender stereotypes are instilled in us from childhood and whether size determines beauty, respectively. Such writing is living proof that while there is a majority that strives to achieve Barbie-like proportions, there is a significant minority that determines success and beauty by their own standards.

Alongside these key issues, Blue Jean: What Young Women are Thinking, Saying, and Doing showcases young talents in creative writing that build new worlds for us to venture into through the words on a page. If I could, I would go on and on about what a feast this book is for the reader, but I think Julia Rodriguez sums this book and what it represents beautifully in the last two lines of her short story "Lilacs Bloom Every Spring". "We will find our right to be. Until then, lilacs bloom every spring".

Empowering, Inspiring, and Stimulating
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.