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Show I p . SECTION 2aily&iHcmto E3 EDITOR SATURDAY, AUGUST I Elyssa Andrus , 30, 2008 eandrusOheraWextra.com 344-255- 3 T7y7 LaRae Free Kerr Its All Relatives i.-- A - VOTE COUNTED Sherry Jones ' , . and her novel The Jewel of : Medna," are ' subjeett of debate from ' Egypt to Italy to Serbia. The former reporter went from Dollie Wadsworth the polling booth Young hertohusband where she proudly cast her ballot, knowing she was making history, even in her isolated Nevada community.. It was 1920. Warren Harding was elected with 76 percent of the votes. But in hindsight, that . . Club pick to seeing her novel dropped by Random House, which was concerned that the fictionalized story of one of Muhammad's wives might incite violence. ' wasnt the big news. The big news was that women voted in national elections for the first . time., - LYNNCSMMM WMhmston Post i: ,vyr-- F' L mbiL : .r . tf j fcw-- i i The women in both Utah Territory and Wyoming Territoiy were voting by 1870, though no ; states gave the vote to women , that early. Abigail Adams had asked her husband John, many years earlier to "remember the women. But it took until 1920 before Dollie and other women ' could march up to the polls, cast a vote and have it count! Even so, it took another 60 years before womens lives were deemed worthy of historical recording. As a high school . student, how shocked I was when I realized that all the his-toy I had learned in my most excellent schooling experience concentrated on presidents, kings, rulers, inventors (male), scientists (male), wars arid armies. In short, the history deemed important enough to teach concentrated on mens activities. Consequently, when the op-' - y port unity to attend the first Coalition for Western Womens History in Sun Valley, Idaho, came my way in 1983, 1 Jumped at k. The coalition didnt last long; M didnt need to (see www .west ernwomenshistory, org). But some great materials on women's lives came out of that decade, partly because of this coalition, which showed deary that womens lives and activkies were important to the world. Even though many of the books and bibliographies from 0 were written and compiled especially to include women in history, the hard facts came from women's journals, diaries and reminiscences. Scholars trolled the card catalogs of university and historical society manuscripts, excerpting bits from various women's writings. To genealogists, this means that decade produced at least two ways to find female ancestors. One is to search bibliographies and books combining the experiences of many women. If an ancestor is mentioned in any of those books, go to the originals. The second is to troll scholarly manuscript collections yourselves. Be sure to look at all the information on the coalition ; site given above. Perhaps my favorite book based on mukiple . . : - I wanted to tell Michelle Boontein studies professor; and Random House is saying that Jones who says she doesn't ' fear Islamic retaliation should honor a agreement and stop talking upon a time, Sherry was a Montana about their dispute. ; reporter who Ironically, Jones began with a pro-she could Islamic mind-se- t when she began writing the novel in 2002. After the Sept. 11 atto world peace a novel abotf the . tacks led her to an interest in the Taliban, Muhammad and she began to research the status of worn-- v his feminist leanings. Then she wrote it. ' en under Islam. And she came to a concluToday? She's the target of a Serbian mufti sion: Muhammad supported more rights and a Middle Eastern studies professor for women than do many of his modern with a lawyer. followers.: "I wanted to ten the story of the women Life has been a roller coaster lately for around Muhammad, and to honor them Jones, 46, who went from being a Qub pick to seeing her novel and him as well, Jones said recently from dropped by Random House, which said in Spokane, Wash., where she lives and writes abort environmental issues for the : a statement it had received "cautionary advice" that the fictionalized story of one Bureau of National Affairs. "What I see as of Muhammads wives might "incite acts ' the Islam Muhammad envisioned has, in of violence by a smalL radical segment." crucial ways, been changed I wanted to A Random House spokeswoman said show people, especially in the West, about she could not think of any other time the eary Islam." She started writing a fictionalized story company had canceled a book because of of Aisha, a young and muclvbeloved wife such fears. Jones and her novel, "The Jewel of Meof Muhammad. Seven drafts later, in dina," are subjects of debate from Egypt April 2007, Random House gave Jones a to Italy to Serbia, where 1,000 Serbian-Ianguag- e $ 100,000 contract for "The Jewel of Medina" and a sequeL copies were printed before the Chib local publisher backed out, too. "Jewel" was a g abounds. Feminist Mus- selection for August 2008, and Random lims are blaming censorship; Jones and her agent are blaming the Middle Eastern See BOOK, D2 TH WASHINGTON FQST Once . . . Finger-pointin- ; the stray of the women around Muhammad, and to honor them and him as well ' ,.. I wanted to show people, especially in the West, about eraly Islam. Sheny Jones, . author . 1980-199- ' . . 1980-199- See KERR, D2 I'M THE HMNTNNS ONE ALL UNO THE WELL, THATS WHAT HE SAID: counters around "XU (0IN6 TO BE HERE, AM OUR SERVER IS RUNNIH6 JUST FMEI LATE BECAUSE HV SERVER IS SOWN". j Li I vl I |