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Let Me Be Frank
Let Me Be Frank: A Book About Women Who Dressed Like Men to Do Shit They Weren't Supposed to Do | Tracy Dawson
9 posts | 5 read | 2 to read
In this entertaining and eye-opening collection, writer, actor, and feminist Tracy Dawson showcases trailblazers throughout history who disguised themselves as men and continuously broke the rules to gain access and opportunities denied them because they were women. This book will surprise, astonish, and hopefully anger you on the lengths women have had to go to pursue their dreams. Tracy has such a gift for storytelling and making history leap off the page. Her book has a wit that suggests it was written by a man since everyone knows women aren't this funny.Kay Cannon, writer, producer, director (the Pitch Perfect films, Cinderella) A smart, funny journey through history that introduces us to the rule breakers who made history worth traveling through.Patton Oswalt, comedian, actor and author I came up with Tracy as a fellow sketch comedian on the vomit-soaked stages of the Toronto comedy scene. And like the brilliant, resourceful, rule-breaking, damn-well-stubborn sisters in Let Me Be Frank, Tracy is someone who gets the job done, and gets it done well.Samantha Bee, Full Frontal with Samantha Bee Let Me Be Frank illuminates with a wry warmth the incredible stories of a diverse group of women from different ethnicities and cultural backgrounds who have defied the patriarchy, refusing to allow men or the status quo to define their lives or break their spirit. An often sardonic and thoroughly impassioned homage to female ingenuity and tenacity, the women profiled in this inspiring anthology broke the rules to reach their goals and refused to take no for an answer. These women took matters into their own hands, dressingsometimes literally, sometimes figurativelyas men to do what they wanted to do. This includes competing in marathons, publishing books, escaping enslavement, practicing medicine, tunneling deep in the earth as miners, taking to the seas as pirates and serving on the frontlines in the military, among many other pursuits. Not only did these women persist, many unknowingly made history and ultimately inspired later generations in doing so. This compendium is an informative and enthralling celebration of these revolutionary badasses who have changed the world and our lives. Let Me Be Frank is filled with more than two dozen specially commissioned, full-color illustrations and hand-lettering by artist Tina Berning, whose multi-award-winning work has been published in numerous publications and anthologies worldwide, and is designed by Alex Kalman. WOMEN PROFILED INCLUDE: Jeanne Baret * Anne Bonny and Mary Read * Christian Caddell * Ellen Craft * Catalina De Erauso * Louise Augustine Gleizes * Hatshepsut * Annie Hindle and Florence Hines* Pili Hussein * Joan of Arc * Rena Rusty Kanokogi * Margaret King * Dorothy Lawrence * Tarp Mills * Hannah Snell * Kathrine Switzer * Maria Toorpakai * Dr. Mary Edwards Walker * Cathay Williams
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TieDyeDude
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Pickpick

Started this audio book on the drive to Alaska, finally got around to finishing it 😁 An excellent collection of empowering stories. I appreciated that, while not all ended well, many of the stories had positive, or at least not horrific, outcomes. Good bite-sized profiles with a very enthusiastic narrator.

Crazeedi How long of a drive did you have?? 3mo
TieDyeDude @Crazeedi It took 6 days. My wife's not big on audiobooks, though, so we didn't listen to much 3mo
Crazeedi @TieDyeDude wow! That's a drive!! We're you in PA? Glad you're home safely 3mo
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TieDyeDude
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Ready to read a literary smackdown? I just learned about this exchange between Charlotte Brontë and Robert Southey while listening to the tagged audiobook. Future Jane Eyre author Bronte writes to the poet laureate of the time asking for his advise on her poetry. He responds that she is talented, but once she's married, she won't have the desire to write ⬇
https://richbyrne.blogspot.com/2013/04/charlotte-bronte-and-robert-southey.html

TieDyeDude A taste of her response: “Once more allow me to thank you with sincere gratitude. I trust I shall never more feel ambitious to see my name in print ; if the wish should rise, I'll look at Southey's letter, and suppress it.“ His sincere and oblivious second letter is hilarious! (edited) 3mo
Ruthiella Love the sarcasm! 😂 3mo
38 likes2 comments
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Brooke_H
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This is exactly what the subtitle says it is...not any kind of exploration of gender identity, but simply easy breezy essays about women all over the world throughout history who have disguised themselves as men to do the things they want to do that women weren't/aren't allowed to do. (I have issues with Joan of Arc being included here, but I'll let that go.) The essays are short, and this was a perfect book for me to read in between heavier books

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Lindy
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After being told in a Hollywood job interview that none of the shows she was interested in writing for had any “female needs,” Canadian comedy writer Tracy Dawson turned her attention to some of the women in history who dressed as men or used pseudonyms in order to evade misogyny. Tart, brief, witty bios showcase women throughout history. The print edition has lovely illustrations by Tina Berning. Audio by Kendra Hoffman. (I read both formats.)

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Lindy
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My most recent roundup of what I‘ve been reading, plus adventures at Indigo bookstore at West Edmonton Mall:

https://youtu.be/5nCDUKp_J8g

mcctrish Love your channel, I‘m off to put some books on hold at my library 1y
Lindy @mcctrish Thanks Patricia! 🤗 1y
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KathyWheeler
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I loved the stories in this book, but was thrown off a little by the breezy, sometimes a little vulgar, conversational manner in which they were told. There‘s also no discernible organization to the book. One story, we‘re in the 1700s and the next we‘re in 1989. Some stories aren‘t really about women dressing as men but are about them using pseudonyms or initials instead. But it‘s a fun book and worth reading.

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KathyWheeler
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I went by the actual, physical library today — usually I use the audiobook and ebook apps — and picked up Let Me Be Frank, The Divorce Colony, and The Water Dancer. The first two are #blameitonlitsy as I‘d never heard of them until I saw posts here. They look good though.

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Ericalambbrown
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Just finished this gloriously snarky little gem of a book! It had me at “A book about women who dressed like men to do shit they weren‘t supposed to do.” There were some stories I knew but so many I did not. In some instances women posed as men in name to write, in others women just simply refused to dress the norm and delightfully alienated the society around them. The author often interjects her snarky asides, which I completely enjoyed!

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Augustdana
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Just browsing libby while waiting for dinner to cook and put this delightful looking book on hold.