I should also like to thank the women who have "sistered" me

through the years devoted to the preparation of this book,

especially Karen Brown, Carol Christ, Jan Clanton Collins, Ad-

ria Evans, Gail Hornstein, Puanani Harvey, Elizabeth Keiser,

Estella Lauter, Christine Osterloh, Margaret Pavel, Sabine

Scheffler, Ruth Rusca, Suzanne Valery, and, most importantly,

River Malcolm.

I want to thank Frank Oveis without whose persistent and

loving prodding this book would still not be completed and

George Lawler whose editorial "midwifery" and enthusiastic

encouragement of my work has helped me immeasurably. I am

,~)o~O zgpp)'t'/~J~JY~ of the helpfulness of Kandace Hawkinson and

Kathryn Sweet of Harper & Row San Francisco during the final

stages of the book's production.

Our administrative assistant, Elaine Estwick, my department

chair, Alan Sparks, and my dean, Marilyn Boxer, have all gone

out of their way to support the writing of this book. Work on

the project was supported in part by grants form the National

Endowment for the Humanities and from the San Diego State

Foundation.