what wild women, sheroes, and
uppity gals are saying
about It's a Chick Thing…
“No way can you read all these true tales of youthful escapades and matronly misdemeanors—or sense the sisterly spirit that informed them—without wanting to get down with your gal pals right this very minute. Fresh, fun, and non-phallocentric without making a big deal about it, It's a Chick Thing depicts female friendship at its finest.
—Autumn Stephens, author of Wild Women, Drama Queens, and several other books in The Wild Women genre
“Every one of my super-chick, super-siSTAR, goddess girlfriends is going to get a copy of this book as a grand and glorious ‘Thank You' for lighting up my life with their wildness, wisdom, and raging faith in all things beautiful.”
—Margie Lapanja, author of Goddess in the Kitchen and The Goddess' Guide to Love
“‘Über-chicks’ Ame and Emily have long been two of my personal sheroes for their feisty ferocity. This book unleashes enough chick power' to save the world!”
—Varla Ventura, author of Sheroes: Bold, Brash and Absolutely Unabashed Superwomen?
the chick commentary continues…
“Full of fun and female frolic. Read it with your best friend and then cut loose.”
—Alicia Alvrez, author of The Ladies' Room Reader
“Need a quick fix to cope with the frenetic world? Dive into these gleeful glory stories about female friendships that reveal the secret ways in which we nourish one another. Talk about learning from the past: these tales of soulful caring and ‘let it all hang out, mama!’ impudence echo the antics of the uppity women I’ve unearthed from history, who knew there was no better way to meet life's challenges—and have a ball doing it—than with a gal pal or a wild bunch.”
—Vicki León, author of Uppity Women of Ancient Times, Uppity Women of Medieval Times and Uppity Women of the Renaissance
“Friends are the
family we choose
for ourselves.”
—Edna Buchanan
CEl e b r a t i n G the Wild SIde of Women's F r I e n d s h i p
edited by
foreword by
author of The Sweet Potato Queens' Book of Love
CONARI PRESS
Red Wheel/Weiser, LLC
York Beach, ME
With offices at
368 Congress Street
Boston, MA 02210
www.redwheelweiser.com
Copyright 2000 © Ame Mah1er Beanland and Emily Miles Terry
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from Red Wheel/Weiser. Reviewers may quote brief passages.
Acknowledgments of permission to reprint previously published materials are on page 177 which constitutes an extension of this copyright page.
A 2 Be Book
cover and book design: Ame Mahler Beanland
illustrations: Martha Newton Furman Design and Illustration
cover photo: Vintage Superstock
chapter openers: Archive Photo
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:
Beanland, Artie Mahler, 1970-
Terry, Emily Miles, 1967-
It's a chick thing: celebrating the wild side of women's friendship/[edited by] Ame Mahler Beanland and Emily Miles Terry
p. cm.
ISBN 1-57324-196-2
1. Female friendships—anecdotes. I. Beanland, Ame Mahler. II. Terry, Emily Miles. HQ1206,1772000
302.3'4'082—de21 00-035891
Printed in the United States of America
06 RRD(H) 15 14 13 12 11 10
This book is dedicated to all our chick buddies, gal pals, sister-friends, and partners in crime for their endless support through Barbies, braces, bell-bottoms, big hair, and bad boyfriends. You are cherished.
conTents
foreword
Every word in this book is true, I only say that for the men who read it—every woman who reads it will know its truth instinctively. We could swear it was all made up and women would know better.
What we as Sweet Potato Queens (of whom I am the main most boss) have discovered—and what you are going to experience between the covers of this book—is the power of play, the magical, healing, and restorative powers of play. We never outgrow our need for it. I don't believe that we quit playing because we got too old. Rather, I believe that we get old, and seem older still, because we quit playing. The good news is, it's never too late.
I bear witness to this phenomenon