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The Sweet SixteenThe Journey That Inspired the Canadian Women's Press Club |
eBook Available
How a train ride to the St. Louis World's Fair in 1904 revolutionized the journalism field for women.
In 1904, sixteen women travelled together by train to cover the St Louis World's Fair. The Sweet Sixteen traces the fateful ten-day trip that resulted in the formation of a professional club for the advancement of Canadian newspaper women.
Drawing upon letters, journals, interviews, and most significantly, newspaper stories written by the women themselves, Linda Kay narrates the journey to St Louis with evocative detail. Delving into the group dynamics and individual experiences of these women, Kay explores the cultural divide between the Anglophone and Francophone members of the group and provides compelling biographical sketches of each woman's life and work.
The Sweet Sixteen documents the struggles of a group of tenacious and talented women who, in 1904, did not have the right to vote, were not regarded as persons under the law, and were credentialed as journalists at a time when marriage and motherhood were considered a woman's one true calling. Their legacy -the Canadian Women's Press Club - is a testament to their daring.
Drawing upon letters, journals, interviews, and most significantly, newspaper stories written by the women themselves, Linda Kay narrates the journey to St Louis with evocative detail. Delving into the group dynamics and individual experiences of these women, Kay explores the cultural divide between the Anglophone and Francophone members of the group and provides compelling biographical sketches of each woman's life and work.
The Sweet Sixteen documents the struggles of a group of tenacious and talented women who, in 1904, did not have the right to vote, were not regarded as persons under the law, and were credentialed as journalists at a time when marriage and motherhood were considered a woman's one true calling. Their legacy -the Canadian Women's Press Club - is a testament to their daring.
Details
240 Pages, 6 x 9
13 b&w photos
ISBN 9780773539679
March 2012
Formats: Cloth, eBook
"It is astounding that until now, no one has written this remarkable and exciting story. Extremely well-researched, it reveals much about the moral debates, cultural assumptions, and general beliefs of the time." Janice Fiamengo, University of Ottawa
" ... Kay leaves us with the undeniable sense that something significant happened among the women on that train ... the biographies in the epilogue are a wonderful introduction to Canada's women reporters of the early 20th century." Quill & Quire
"Without [the Sweet Sixteen] though, Canadian journalism would be less vibrant today. The women who came afterward owe them a debt, one that Kay has showcased in this fascinating account." Literary Review of Canada
"The Sweet Sixteen generally offers a spirited and interesting glimpse into the lives of some unusual women on an uncommon journey." Montreal Review of Books
“The Sweet Sixteen is a charming and compelling story, well worth telling. The reader feels the excitement, the novelty, and the importance of each woman’s entry into that railway car, and into an amazing ten days.” Marjorie Doyle, author, columnist, and filmmaker
“Well-researched and well-written, The Sweet Sixteen is a small book with a clear message: the talented women who struggled to attain professional status for themselves and other female journalists deserve our notice.” Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly
"L'ouvrage est un bel objet, avec une couverture rigide et une jaquette ravissante. Le récit est écrit dans un style vif qui rend hommage à l'audace et l'intelligence des femmes journalistes pionnières. Il reste à traduire le livre, écrit en anglais mais citant en français les publications des francophones. Le Cercle de presse des femmes canadiennes a vécu 100 ans. Il a officiellement disparu en 2004. Il revit dans The Sweet Sixteen. Et il a laissé une trace à Ottawa: sur son site web, le Media Club of Ottawa mentionne qu'il est né en 1904, et qu'il s'appelait alors le Canadian Women's Press Club." Anne Caroline Desplanques
" ... Kay leaves us with the undeniable sense that something significant happened among the women on that train ... the biographies in the epilogue are a wonderful introduction to Canada's women reporters of the early 20th century." Quill & Quire
"Without [the Sweet Sixteen] though, Canadian journalism would be less vibrant today. The women who came afterward owe them a debt, one that Kay has showcased in this fascinating account." Literary Review of Canada
"The Sweet Sixteen generally offers a spirited and interesting glimpse into the lives of some unusual women on an uncommon journey." Montreal Review of Books
“The Sweet Sixteen is a charming and compelling story, well worth telling. The reader feels the excitement, the novelty, and the importance of each woman’s entry into that railway car, and into an amazing ten days.” Marjorie Doyle, author, columnist, and filmmaker
“Well-researched and well-written, The Sweet Sixteen is a small book with a clear message: the talented women who struggled to attain professional status for themselves and other female journalists deserve our notice.” Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly
"L'ouvrage est un bel objet, avec une couverture rigide et une jaquette ravissante. Le récit est écrit dans un style vif qui rend hommage à l'audace et l'intelligence des femmes journalistes pionnières. Il reste à traduire le livre, écrit en anglais mais citant en français les publications des francophones. Le Cercle de presse des femmes canadiennes a vécu 100 ans. Il a officiellement disparu en 2004. Il revit dans The Sweet Sixteen. Et il a laissé une trace à Ottawa: sur son site web, le Media Club of Ottawa mentionne qu'il est né en 1904, et qu'il s'appelait alors le Canadian Women's Press Club." Anne Caroline Desplanques
Linda Kay (1951-2018) was professor emerita and chair of the journalism department at Concordia University.
The Sweet Sixteen: List of Press Corps Members
Travelling to St Louis vii
Acknowledgments ix
Introduction 3
1 Demanding Equal Rights 9
2 The French Connection 23
3 All Aboard 33
4 Getting Acquainted 42
5 Crossing the Border 47
6 Meet Me in St Louis 61
7 Down the Pike 75
8 A Day of Rest 98
9 The Boer War 103
10 Farewell to the Fair 109
11 A Presidential Convention 116
12 A Club Is Born 125
13 Winnipeg and Alberta, 1906 133
14 The Rise and Fall 149
15 Epilogue 164
Notes 193
Bibliography 213
Index 221
Travelling to St Louis vii
Acknowledgments ix
Introduction 3
1 Demanding Equal Rights 9
2 The French Connection 23
3 All Aboard 33
4 Getting Acquainted 42
5 Crossing the Border 47
6 Meet Me in St Louis 61
7 Down the Pike 75
8 A Day of Rest 98
9 The Boer War 103
10 Farewell to the Fair 109
11 A Presidential Convention 116
12 A Club Is Born 125
13 Winnipeg and Alberta, 1906 133
14 The Rise and Fall 149
15 Epilogue 164
Notes 193
Bibliography 213
Index 221
