Judith Levine 1919088 217767285 2008-06-07T15:59:47Z John Nevard 5585333 rvv '''Judith Levine''' (born [[1952]]) is an [[United States of America|American]] [[author]], journalist, [[civil libertarian]], and co-founder of the [[National Writers Union]], a [[trade union]] of [[contract]] and [[freelance]] [[writers]], and [[No More Nice Girls]], a group dedicated to promoting [[abortion rights]] through [[street theater]]. She is a board member of the [[National Center for Reason and Justice]] [http://www.ncrj.org/who.html] and the [[Vermont]] chapter of the [[ACLU]]. She describes her work as "exploring the ways in which history, culture, politics, and the economy are expressed in intimate life -- and vice-versa." Hence, her books and articles have ranged over gender, sexuality, aging, and consumerism. Her current monthly column for the Vermont [[alternative weekly]] ''[[Seven Days (newspaper)|Seven Days]]'', "Poli Psy" is about "the uses and abuses of emotion in politics." Levine is best known for her 2002 book ''[[Harmful to Minors|Harmful to Minors: The Perils of Protecting Children From Sex]]'', in which she suggests liberalization of [[age-of-consent]] laws in the United States and the conception of minors as [[sexual]] beings, which Levine argues is extant in [[Western Europe]]. Levine argues for weakening most [[United States law]]s governing possession of [[child pornography]], the access of [[abortion]]s to minors, and conduct classified as [[statutory rape]]. [[Social conservatism|Conservative]] commentators have heavily criticized her work; its [[book publisher|publication]] by the [[University of Minnesota|University of Minnesota Press]] caused controversy in the [[Minnesota Legislature|Minnesota state legislature]]. The book was also widely praised by advocates of liberalization<!-- "advocates of liberalization"? – that's pretty vague.|I changed it from "sexual progressives", which suggests the group's opinions are by definition correct. I am not sure what this group actually is; so I left it vague. --> and educators<!-- which educators? presumably not all. -->. It won the 2002 Los Angeles Times Book Prize and was named by SIECUS, the [[Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States]], as one of history's most influential books about sexuality. Levine is also the author of ''[[My Enemy, My Love: Women, Men, and the Dilemmas of Gender]]'', in which she analyzes traditional [[gender role]]s and the relationship between [[misogyny]] and [[feminism]]; ''Do You Remember Me?: A Father, A Daughter, and a Search for the Self'', a memoir of her father's affliction with [[Alzheimer's disease]] and a critique of the medicalization of aging; and ''[[Not Buying It: My Year Without Shopping]]'', a witty journal in which she examines [[consumerism]] and [[anti-consumerism|anti-consumerist]] movements. ''Not Buying It'' has been translated into five languages. Levine is also a journalist, who has written on sex, gender, aging, consumerism, and culture for dozens of national magazines and newspapers, including ''[[Harper's]]'', ''[[The New York Times]]'', ''[[Vogue (magazine)|Vogue]]'', ''[[AARP: The Magazine]]'', and ''[[salon.com]]''. Her column "Poli Psy," in the Vermont weekly ''Seven Days'', was named Best Political Column in 2005 by the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies. She also has written columns for ''New York Woman'' and'' oxygen.com''. ==External links== *[http://www.judithlevine.com/ Official site] *Radio interviews by [[Doug Henwood]] (links to [[MP3]] and streaming audio files): **[http://www.leftbusinessobserver.com/Radio.html#060323 On ''Not Buying It''], March 23, 2006. **[http://www.leftbusinessobserver.com/Radio_1.html#040722 On ''Do You Remember Me?''], July 22, 2004. **[http://www.leftbusinessobserver.com/Radio_1.html#020530 On ''Harmful to Minors''], May 30, 2002. {{DEFAULTSORT:Levine, Judith}} [[Category:1952 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:American political writers]] [[Category:American pro-choice activists]] [[Category:Jewish American writers]]