We’ve officially hit 2,000 books in the database! We’ve created a fun way for readers to go on a sapphic book finding mission to get familiar with this new resource. Four prizes of a $15 Amazon gift card will be awarded in drawings on November 9, 16, 23, and 30. For complete rules, click here.
Now let’s get to today’s history lesson: Helen Gahagan Douglas
On November 25, 1900, Helen Gahagan Douglas was born in Boonton, New Jersey.
Her father was unhappy when she started gaining attention for roles in school plays, and she was sent to a school in Massachusetts. She started taking classes at Columbia University, but Douglas quit after two years to pursue acting.
She became a successful Broadway star and when she was twenty-six, she switched to opera after taking voice lessons. Douglas toured Europe and received critical acclaim.
In 1935, Douglas starred in the movie She, playing an “ageless ice goddess.” That role inspired the Evil Queen in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
After Franklin D. Roosevelt’s election in 1932, Douglas joined the Democratic Party. Unhappy with the atmosphere of Hollywood, Douglas became politically active. She was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives serving 1945-1951.
In 1950, she ran for the United States Senate, running against Richard M. Nixon. The contest became vicious, and Nixon claimed Douglas was “pink right down to her underwear” insinuating she was a Communist sympathizer, and he attacked her Jewish husband. Douglas was the one who gave Nixon the “Tricky Dick” nickname.
Losing the election, she returned to acting in 1952. After Watergate, bumper stickers in California started appearing saying “Don’t blame me, I voted for Helen Gahagan Douglas.”
She died in 1980 from lung and breast cancer at the age of seventy-nine.
To honor Helen Gahagan Douglas, we’re asking readers to go to the BookFinder and look up books in the following Archetype category: Actor / Performer.
Find a book you haven’t read yet, or if you come across an old favorite, share it and tell us why. To enter the giveaway, share your entry in the Facebook group.
Remember, the more days you play, the more entries you’ll receive for the $15 Amazon gift card, so don’t forget to check back tomorrow for another Book Finding Mission.
Authors, if your books aren’t in the database yet, we highly recommend you submit them now. Here’s the form.
