Jessica Valenti facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jessica Valenti
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Valenti in 2014
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| Born | November 1, 1978 New York City, U.S.
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| Known for | Founder of Feministing |
| Spouse(s) |
Andrew Golis
(m. 2009) |
| Children | 1 |
Jessica Valenti (born November 1, 1978) is an American writer. She focuses on topics related to feminism. Feminism is about believing in equal rights and opportunities for all genders. She helped start a popular blog called Feministing. She wrote for this blog from 2004 to 2011.
Jessica Valenti has written several books. Some of her well-known books include Full Frontal Feminism (2007), The Purity Myth (2009), and Why Have Kids? (2012). She also helped edit a book called Believe Me: How Trusting Women Can Change the World (2020). From 2014 to 2018, she wrote articles for The Guardian newspaper. Many people see her as an important voice in modern feminism.
Contents
Early Life and School
Jessica Valenti grew up in Long Island City, Queens, in New York City. Her family is Italian-American. She went to Stuyvesant High School and graduated in 1996.
After high school, she studied at Tulane University for a year. Then, she moved to the State University of New York at Albany. She earned a bachelor's degree in journalism in 2001. In 2002, she received a master's degree from Rutgers University. Her master's degree was in Women's and Gender Studies.
Her Work
After finishing college, Jessica Valenti worked for groups that support women's rights. These included the NOW Legal Defense and Education Fund and the Women's Environment & Development Organization.
Starting Feministing
In April 2004, Valenti co-founded the blog Feministing. She started it with her sister and a friend. At the time, she was working for a legal defense fund.
Feministing became very important for the feminist movement. It helped move discussions about feminism online. This led to many new blogs and discussion groups. It showed that feminism was still active and growing.
Experts like Kymberly Blackstock praised Feministing. She said it helped young people get involved in feminist topics. It allowed them to see current events through a feminist viewpoint. Valenti left the site in February 2011. She wanted it to remain a place for younger feminists to lead.
Writing Books and Articles
In 2007, Valenti wrote Full Frontal Feminism. This book talks about how people can benefit from being feminists.
In 2009, she published The Purity Myth: How America's Obsession with Virginity Is Hurting Young Women. A documentary film based on this book was released in 2011.
In 2012, Valenti published Why Have Kids? A New Mom Explores the Truth About Parenting and Happiness. This book explores questions about becoming a parent.
In 2020, Valenti helped edit a book called Believe Me: How Trusting Women Can Change the World. She worked with Jaclyn Friedman on this project.
Her writing has also appeared in many other books and magazines. These include Ms., The Washington Post, and AlterNet. She wrote for The Nation from 2008 to 2014. Since 2014, she has been a regular columnist for The Guardian.
Personal Life
In 2009, Jessica Valenti married Andrew Golis. He has worked in media for companies like Vox Media and WNYC.
Jessica and Andrew have one daughter. She was born in 2010.
Awards and Recognition
- 2010: Independent Publisher Book Awards for The Purity Myth
- 2011: The Hillman Prize, Blog for Feministing
- 2011: The Guardian, Top 100 Inspiring Women
- Ibis Reproductive Health, Evidence in Activism Award
- Choice USA Generation Award
