Paula Kamen is the author of four books, including FINDING IRIS CHANG: AMBITION, FRIENDSHIP AND THE LOSS OF AN EXTRAORDINARY MIND (Da Capo, October 2007). The book, a quest to understand the suicide of her longtime friend Iris Chang, was released in paperback in 2008, and was published in China in 2009. Entertainment Weekly called it "a moving bio" (12/19/08), and in its fall/winter 2007 preview issue, Kirkus described this memior/biography as "a rewardingly complex portrait of a driven and troubled woman." The Chicago Tribune called it "engrossing" and "fascinating" and named it as one of its "favorite books of 2007." It was also a 2007 independent-bookstore "Booksense" pick, and won the 2008 American Authors Association Golden Quill Award for biography.

The book also seeks to raise awareness about bipolar disorder, the possibly dangerous effects of hormonal treatments for such patients, and Asian stigmas about mental illness. Meanwhile, it explores how journalists can protect themselves from the toxic effects of traumas they cover.

Recently, in spring 2008, she was a guest columnist for the online New York Times, in a special feature on migraine. Her commentaries and book reviews have also appeared in The New York Times print edition, Washington Post, Salon.com, Ms., Chicago Tribune, In These Times, and more than a dozen anthologies.

Paula has held the position of “Visiting Research Scholar” with Northwestern University’s Gender Studies Program since 1994. In 2008, she joined the Women in Pain Leadership Circle for the non-profit, For Grace.

She is also the author of another women's health book, ALL IN MY HEAD: AN EPIC QUEST TO CURE AN UNRELENTING, TOTALLY UNREASONABLE, AND ONLY SLIGHTLY ENLIGHTENING HEADACHE (Da Capo, 2005). It's a memoir and journalistic report about chronic pain in America, especially how it affects women. In January 2005, Kirkus described it as “sharp, entertaining, informative, and blessedly free of poor-me-see-how-I-suffered-ism.”

Paula is also the author of HER WAY: YOUNG WOMEN REMAKE THE SEXUAL REVOLUTION, (NYU Press, 2000, Broadway Books, 2002), which was noted as the first comprehensive “big picture” journalistic report of Generation X women’s changing and enhanced sexual attitudes and choices. In 2002, the book was also released in Japan by Kodansha.

Her first book was FEMINIST FATALE: VOICES FROM THE ‘TWENTYSOMETHING’ GENERATION EXPLORE THE FUTURE OF THE ‘WOMEN’S MOVEMENT,’ (Donald I. Fine/Penguin, 1991), recognized as the first post-boomer feminist book. Like HER WAY, FEMINIST FATALE is also based on interviews with a diversity of young women, and explores a central conflict about feminism: resistance to the label of “feminist,” but then support of the ideals of the women’s movement. Praised by Susan Faludi and Naomi Wolf, the book was widely covered and reviewed, in such publications as the Washington Post, Elle, and Time. Feminist scholar bell hooks calls the book “one of the most well researched and thoughtful discussions of the factors that shape responses to feminist thinking among younger women.” The LA Times wrote: “Interesting, surprising….a thoughtful book by a promising, provocative writer. Paula Kamen has done her homework and has had the courage to back up her point of view.” School Library Journal described it as “lively, well written and provocative.” Like HER WAY, FEMINIST FATALE has been used as a textbook at colleges.

Paula's analyses of young women’s sexual attitudes -- specifically activism against acquaintance rape -- also appeared in “BAD GIRLS/GOOD GIRLS”: WOMEN, SEX AND POWER IN THE NINETIES (Rutgers University Press, 1996). This essay has since been reprinted in several college women’s studies textbooks.

In theater work, she has had three plays produced throughout the United States (and once in Halifax, Nova Scotia). This includes Jane: Abortion and the Underground -- about the legendary pre-Roe feminist abortion service, which has been produced by about a dozen college campuses. The play was excerpted in several anthologies, including THE BEST WOMEN’S MONOLOGUES ’99 and THE BEST STAGE SCENES ’99 (Smith & Kraus, 2001). Writing in the Chicago Reader, critic Kim Wilson said, “Everyone -- but women especially -- should hear this story.” The original interview and archival research that Kamen conducted in the course of writing this play was used by the makers of the documentary Jane: An Abortion Service and is on file with the Special Collections Department of the Northwestern University Library. Her other two plays are "A Cure For AIDS," (20-minute play) which has won several awards, and the comedy "Seven Dates with Seven Writers," which also has been anthologized in monologue collections.

Paula is a 1989 graduate in journalism from the University of Illinois. In the past fifteen years, she has spoken at dozens of universities, including the University of Texas-Austin, Virginia Tech, Bates College, Trinity College, Colgate University, and Williams College. She was born in Chicago and grew up in South Suburban Flossmoor, Illinois. She now lives with her husband and two young sons in Chicago.

Created on 02/01/2005 08:23 AM by carolsim
Updated on 02/09/2010 03:42 AM by paulakamen