★★★★☆ Overview Despite its title, Without Children: The long history of not being a mother is, at its core, about mothering and the various types of motherhood: postponed, denied, unrealized, created, and sometimes, unwanted. While it is not a historical perspective on childless and childfree women, some examples are featured throughout. Written by Peggy O’DonnellContinue reading “EMMA’S REVIEW: Without Children: The Long History of Not Being a Mother”
Author Archives: millennialemma
LGBTQ+ childless and childfree representation in the movie Bros (2022)
Having recently watched and enjoyed the comedy Bros – which starts as a biting satire of modern dating and turns into a cheesy rom-com – I wanted to share my excitement at seeing childless and childfree representation throughout the film (spoilers below). The movie centers around Bobby Lieber (Billy Eichner), a popular podcast host strugglingContinue reading “LGBTQ+ childless and childfree representation in the movie Bros (2022)”
EMMA’S REVIEW: Citizen Reporters, by Stephanie Gorton
When I first caught sight of Ida Tarbell’s name and photo on the cover of Citizen Reporters: S.S. McClure, Ida Tarbell, and the Magazine That Rewrote America, by Stephanie Gorton, I was immediately intrigued, because the fierce and determined 19th-century investigative journalist is one of the subjects that I’ve chosen to feature in a bookContinue reading “EMMA’S REVIEW: Citizen Reporters, by Stephanie Gorton”
Podcasts, Appearances, and Mentions
Passionate about childfree issues and women’s history, I’m grateful to have been invited to discuss those two subjects on the following podcasts: Galentine’s Day Trivia – Co-host February 2023 For this year’s Galentine’s Day, I had the honor to co-host a trivia game about famous childfree and childless women for Lighthouse Women, an online communityContinue reading “Podcasts, Appearances, and Mentions”
EMMA’S REVIEW: 25 Over 10: A Childfree Longitudinal Study, by Laura Carroll
I’m back from my summer break, during which I read Laura Carroll’s recently published “25 Over 10: A Childfree Longitudinal Study,” which follows 25 women without children over the span of ten years. Each year, the participants were asked the same questions about their feelings about not having children, the challenges faced as well asContinue reading “EMMA’S REVIEW: 25 Over 10: A Childfree Longitudinal Study, by Laura Carroll”
The Importance of Identifying Childfree and Childless Women Through History
When I started this project, over two years ago, I wanted to see how many women without children I could find. I wanted to get a sense of how prevalent (or not) it might have been in the past not to marry and/or not to have children. Until the 20th century, most women who hadContinue reading “The Importance of Identifying Childfree and Childless Women Through History”
Women’s History Month – History Books Written by Women
According to a 2016 study, over 75% of recent history books were written by men, about men. Having spent the last few years looking through different history books in search of the stories of single women with no children, I can now estimate that over 80% of the books and articles that I have read andContinue reading “Women’s History Month – History Books Written by Women”
Researching Single Women’s History – First Steps
Starting the research on the history of single women with history books that include the keywords “single” or “spinster” in the title
Why I’m writing about single women through history
Through the words of well-spoken single women and advocates, such as Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Rebecca Traister, Tracee Ellis Ross, Bella DePaulo, Oprah Winfrey, Glynnis MacNicol, Shonda Rhimes, Gloria Steinem, Jennifer Aniston, Kate Bolick, and Tamron Hall, I explain why I am so interested in telling the stories of women who were unmarried and without children.Continue reading “Why I’m writing about single women through history”
Millennial Emma 