http://www.phillyburbs.com/pb-dyn/news/351-06122008-1548079.html
By AMIE SIMPSON
June 12, 2008
With her newest literary work, talented journalist, teacher,
researcher and historian, Judith Nies, leads readers into the crux of
the Feminist movement where she worked and socialized among important
and prestigious political figures during one of America's most
turbulent decades. In "The Girl I Left Behind: A Narrative History
of the Sixties ," Nies' plea for equality and justice for women, and
the acknowledgement of the difficulties faced achieving those ideals,
serve as unflagging examples of human perseverance for both women and
men. Unwilling to settle for the gender-biased constraints of the
decade, the author pays homage to the determination of strong-minded
women devoted to equality.
In the fall of 1970, Nies finds herself leading a somewhat typical
life ("My marriage was almost ordinary. Sex, money, in-lawswe had
the usual problems, my husband and I") Ordinary that is until her
husband, Mac, an "economist for the Treasury Department," informed
her that the FBI had a file, five inches thick on her, and were
requesting her cooperation with some questions. With reserve and
suspicion, Nies examines her life in detail from 1966 to 1968the
dates of her involvement with the Women's International League for
Peace and Freedom.
Until this time, Nies had no idea that the Federal Bureau of
Investigation had kept close surveillance of her in an operation
called COINTELPRO (Counter Intelligence Program), "aimed at quashing
dissent and preventing the growth of 'dangerous' ideas in dissident
organizations." Evidently, J. Edgar Hoover had suspected that women's
liberation groups were in connection with communism, ultimately
leading to the detailed supervision of key personsenter Judith Nies.
Initially, Nies' mindset seems chaotic, as she haphazardly jumps
around from a detailed history of her work as a chief staff person
for anti-war congressmen in 1970 to the Nies' family history dating
back to 1907. The author ventures back and forth between current
affairs and historical fact. However, this unorganized series of
events can be seen in conjunction with her continual portrayal of
women's transformation in America. Nies connects her personal
involvement of current affairs with her limitless intellect for
historical facts, proving that women have been revolutionizing throughout time.
Nies's only downfall is how she combines the stories. She merges
mystery, history and autobiography, making the book nearly impossible
to categorize. This variety creates a confusing and challenging book
to follow and strips the literary work of its potential excellence.
The title of the book, "The Girl I Left Behind," is appropriate, as
the author accounts her unique history of women's liberation through
308 pages of narrative description. Nies creatively illustrates that
a person's autobiography is not just about the personal accounts of
one's own life, but also about the historical happenings that take
place during his or her lifetime. Women in the early Sixties were
seen as uncouth if they held jobs, were not married, traveled and
received an advanced education. "The Girl I Left Behind," guides the
reader through the liberating lifestyle of women in the Sixties by
highlighting the difficulties they faced in a male dominated society.
The author's historical interpretation is not a stereotypical story
about a decade revolving around drugs and music, but instead it
focuses on the monumental political revolution which took place.
Nies, after dropping out of graduate school in Bologna in 1963,
states that she joined the hundreds of others who felt they were
"fighting the colonized mind." She remarks that she, and others,
"stopped believing what [their] elders were telling them." Nies
demonstrates that she was among a group of individuals looking for
revolutionary change.
Nies's narrative, although unorganized and difficult to classify, is
an informative piece on the events of women rising from imprisonment
during the radical moments of the Sixties. Although she was one of
the key women associated with the liberation movement, Nies seems
more interested in telling the stories of women revolutionizing as a
unit rather then focusing solely on her own account. "The Girl I Left
Behind: A Narrative History of the Sixties" is an inspirational
account and a true indication of women not only transforming a nation
but transforming themselves.
--
The Girl I Left Behind: A Narrative History of the Sixties , Judith
Nies, Harper Collins, June 2008
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