This author had the perfect response to this age-old sexist question about work and family
Lauren Groff is an accomplished author and is used to being interviewed. Whilst talking to the Harvard Gazette, she was asked a question which is often posed to female authors with children.
“Can you talk about …how you manage work and family?”
This was her reply.
“I understand that this is a question of vital importance to many people, particularly to other mothers who are artists trying to get their work done, and know that I feel for everyone in the struggle. But until I see a male writer asked this question, I’m going to respectfully decline to answer it.”
Journalist Ann Marie Lipinski read it and was impressed.
Good for @legroff https://t.co/nuBIzkIXcr pic.twitter.com/ueYd16rJs0
— Ann Marie Lipinski (@AMLwhere) July 18, 2018
Other women recognised the pattern.
I've been asked "how do you manage being a mother and a writer" or some variation of this question literally hundreds of times. Maybe 1000x. https://t.co/U17P78g1Z8
— Shannon Hale (@haleshannon) July 19, 2018
https://twitter.com/jesshopp/status/1019690704371703809
https://twitter.com/indyfromspace/status/1019875077582655488
I googled "balancing writing and fatherhood" in quotes and got 3 results
Googled "balancing writing and motherhood" in quotes and got 685 results
"Balancing work and fatherhood" 3,260 results
"Balancing work and motherhood" 95,100 results https://t.co/Nlfmth7py7— Amanda Coppedge (@amandacoppedge) July 18, 2018
Someone had a suggestion for her.
Okay but—just saying—would also have been cool if she said “I can shapeshift into a panther.”
— Jessica Voelker (@JessVoelker) July 19, 2018
Journalist Elizabeth Renzetti shared her very different stock answer.
Epic answer to inane mommy/artist question from @legroff. I usually just say, "I put the children in their cages." https://t.co/L7Bl76O9RQ
— Elizabeth Renzetti (@lizrenzetti) July 18, 2018
That might not be such a good joke in Trump’s America.