3 minute read
Publisher's Letter
Dear Reader,
I am a woman of dangerous enthusiasm, a blessing and a curse when working in war zones and magazine publishing— neither being an easy way to make a living. Still, I’ve learned that there are benefits in risking failure, and even death, if the work serves a purpose beyond my own burning little desires and opinions. In fact, there is actual joy in doing work that teaches me something relevant or humbling or just makes me crazy enough to stop complaining about partisan politics and produce a quality magazine that attempts to fuel understanding with mutual respect. Every month, I sweat and swear the newest issue is the best we’ve ever printed—and it’s true, especially this month with our annual WONDER WOMEN issue.
Forgive us, but you’re about to see the F-word quite a few times in print and inferred. Feminist. To some, it’s a dirty word or an insult, but to others, it’s a compliment. But what does it mean? The people in this issue, some of which happen to be female, live the definition. Marlene Tromp, President of Boise State University, leads with compassion spurred by respect for the equal humanity of women and men. Emily Baker, a Boisean who has worked with U.S. presidents, gives aspiring students an equal leg-up in the scholarship race. For more than 30 years, Esther Simplot has quietly built the Idaho performing arts into an enduring cultural legacy for future generations. And Harrison Berry, who writes about the personal impact of the Dobbs vs Jackson ruling from a male perspective, demonstrates how empathy supplants gender and politics.
There’s a reason a life-sized cardboard Wonder Woman stands in our IdaHome offices. The DC Superhero, aka Princess Diana of Themyscira, is the original feminist, fighting for peace in a man’s world. She symbolizes truth, justice, and equality to people everywhere. Gal Gadot aside, Wonder Woman is a cartoon. The people featured in this issue do not have superhuman powers. They’re living, working human beings just like all of us. We choose to feature these humans simply because they demonstrate purpose and results beyond their “own burning little desires and opinions.” They are superheroes to us simply because they’re contributing to the world in positive ways; large and small, by example and often, anonymously and against the odds. My hope is that as you read this issue of IdaHome, it will become apparent that we all can be Wonder Women.
Enjoy!
Karen Day
