Women writers dominate Amazon’s 2019 bestsellers list
Former First Lady Michelle Obama and J.K. Rowling are among several female authors who outsold all men on Amazon this year, according to the website’s latest bestsellers book list. The list features the highest-selling fiction and non-fiction titles. Other women who topped the lists included Heather Morris (“The Tattoist of Auschwitz”), and Catherine Allinson, Kate Allinson, and Kay Featherstone for their recipe book “Pinch of Nom.”
After Misty comes Marie: breaking barriers in ‘The Nutcracker’
Charlotte Nebres, 11, will be the first black girl ever to play Marie, the heroine of George Ballantine’s “The Nutcracker” at New York City ballet. Growing up, Charlotte looked up to the groundbreaking African-American ballerina Misty Copeland, and she currently attends the prestigious School of American Ballet. “The Nutcracker” has been an annual tradition since 1954. This year, the production will also feature a half-Chinese prince, a bi-racial Korean princess, and a half-South Asian prince.
Sally Field’s relentless quest for respect: ‘The roles I cared about deeply I had to fight for’
Actress Sally Field is a recipient of the Kennedy Centers Honors this year, and recently reflected on her career with New York Times columnist Karen Heller. Field told Heller she had to fight for the role of Mary Todd in “Lincoln” across from Daniel Day-Lewis. She said that, for most of her career, she has had to fight for respect in the wake of playing sitcom characters and “adorable” roles. She told “Lincoln” director Stephen Spielberg that the role was hers, and he ultimately agreed. She was nominated for an Oscar for her performance.
Hair dyes and straighteners may raise breast cancer risk in black women
A new study by the International Journal of Cancer found that black women who regularly use dyes are 60 percent more likely to develop breast cancer than black women who do not use dye. White women who used dyes did not see an increase. Black women who regularly straighten their hair were 30 percent more likely to develop breast cancer than women of any race who did not use straighteners. The data, however, was weak and based on only a small sample of black women. Further studies are required to prove a direct link, according to experts.
The working mom’s Guide to taking the holiday stress down a notch
Know Your Value invited Jennifer Folsom, author of the upcoming guide to modern working motherhood, “The Ringmaster,” to impart tips for quelling holiday stress. Folsom advised working mothers to order gifts to their office, so they can avoid secrecy. She also advised not getting individual gifts for everyone and instead buying many people the same gift. Furthermore, don’t over plan, she suggested. Moms will have a better shot at relaxing during the holiday season if they go the impromptu route.
Women gaining ground in the NHL
USA Today highlighted women who are up-and-coming in the National Hockey League, not as players, but as anchors, agents, senior managers and more. However, men still hold about 96 percent of NHL jobs, according to a study from The Athletic, even though women comprise 40 percent of NHL fans, and women’s hockey is growing three times faster than men’s hockey. The league created a female advisory board to discuss attracting and retaining female employees.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have taken a new approach to royal family life. In October, Markle and Prince Harry spoke candidly about the extreme stresses of fame and being in the royal family, particularly during and after Markle’s pregnancy with their son Archie. The rare interview aired in October, potentially creating tension within the royal family, according to royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams. The interview is a departure from the Queen’s “don’t complain, don’t explain” policy, and marks
Kamala’s campaign had a strong start, and a weak finish
Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) dropped out of the 2020 presidential race this week. Slate writer Julia Craven wrote about Harris’s campaign, which rose sharply last year, floundered and fell off completely. She was the first prominent black female candidate to run for president since Shirley Chisholm in 1972, and Harris garnered plenty of support out of the gate. However, her political inconsistencies would be her downfall, according to Craven, and she “failed to stick her landing.”
Halley Bondy