Claire Myers Owens and the Banned Book
Why did the New York Public Library ban a novel about women\u2019s independence? What was the Human Potential Movement? And who was Claire Myers Owens?\nToday\u2019s book is:\xa0Rivers of Light: The Life of Claire Myers Owens\xa0(Syracuse University Press,, 2019)\xa0by Miriam Kalman Friedman, which is a biography of Owens, who grew up in a conservative, middle-class family in Texas, but sought adventure and freedom. At twenty years old, she left home and quickly found a community of like-minded free spirits and intellectuals in New York\u2019s Greenwich Village. There Owens wrote novels and short stories, including the controversial novel\xa0The Unpredictable Adventure: A Comedy of Woman\u2019s Independence, which was banned by the New York Public Library for its \u201crisqu\xe9\u201d content. Drawn to ideals of self-actualization and creative freedom, Owens became a key figure in the Human Potential Movement along with founder Abraham Maslow and Aldous Huxley. In her later years, Owens devoted her life to the practice of Zen Buddhism, and published her final book,\xa0Zen and the Lady, at the age of eighty-three. Dr. Friedman\u2019s rediscovery of Owens brings attention to her little known yet extraordinary life and passionate spirit. Drawing upon autobiographies, letters, journals, and novels, Dr. Friedman chronicles Owens\u2019s robust intellect and her tumultuous private life.\nOur guest is: Dr. Miriam Kalman Friedman, who is a writing coach, editor, and lecturer. She has published multiple books on feminism, women, and women's studies. She is the author of\xa0Rivers of Light: The Life of Claire Myers Owens.\nOur host is:\xa0Dr. Christina Gessler, who is the host and producer of the Academic Life podcast. She holds a PhD in history, which she uses to explore what stories we tell and what happens to those we never tell.\nListeners may also be interested in:\n\nExploring the Emotional Arc of Turning a Dissertation into A Book\n\nBecoming the Writer You Already Are, by Michelle R. Boyd\n\nThis discussion of the book Becoming the Writer You Already Are\n\n\nWelcome to Academic Life, the podcast for your academic journey\u2014and beyond! Join us here to learn from experts inside and outside the academy, and around the world. Missed any of the 200+ Academic Life episodes? You\u2019ll find them all archived\xa0here.\nLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices\nSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/gender-studies