The annual Berkshire Conference on Women's History in the hills of western Massachusetts seems to be the summer camp for women's history scholars, according to history bloggers who were there. At this year's, the fifteenth, Franca Iacovetta of the University of Toronto was elected president. Franca will bring the fun to Canada next year.
(Years ago, I was a one-day a week visitor for a term at the University of Guelph history department. One of those days, at the office I had been provided, I encountered Franca, then a post-doc, I think, who had also been provided with that office. Could have been awkward, but it wasn't -- clearly Franca's management skills were already finely honed. Congratulations, Franca.)
Meanwhile we hear a domestic initiative in women's history, the Feminist History Society, has attracted some seven hundred members, whose annual membership fees support an ambitious publishing program and will provide them with an annual book in exchange. The initial volume, Feminist Journeys/ Voies Feministes, came out last year, and histories by Michele Landsberg and Constance Backhouse are forthcoming. Society info and memberships here.
