Germaine Greer

Feminist Germaine Greer, who lives on a farm in England, believes that British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher gives women politicians a bad name. Writing in the May-June issue of Lear's magazine, Greer said Thatcher has become the "heroine of every disaster" and gave this description of Thatcher's tour of the scene of last year's London subway fire: "Surrounded by a phalanx of suited men, she stepped delicately through the wreckage.

The Geffen Playhouse has a long track record of presenting film stars acting in real time -- and in this economic downtime the Westwood stage company is turning up the name-appeal spigot for its 2009-10 season. Of the four plays announced for the five-show main-stage season, three feature Hollywood stars, with Matthew Modine playing himself, Laurence Fishburne going solo as Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, and Annette Bening taking a belated turn as a feminist author in a tale based on a bizarre episode from the life of Germaine Greer.

Shakespeare's life story is full of holes, and his wife has fallen into one of them. We know that William Shakespeare and Ann Hathaway were married in 1582, and that she stayed behind in Stratford-upon-Avon while he pursued a career in London. Beyond that, though, Ann's life is almost a complete blank, with only a few church records showing when her children were baptized and when those children buried her.

Shakespeare's life story is full of holes, and his wife has fallen into one of them. We know that William Shakespeare and Ann Hathaway were married in 1582, and that she stayed behind in Stratford-upon-Avon while he pursued a career in London. Beyond that, though, Ann's life is almost a complete blank, with only a few church records showing when her children were baptized and when those children buried her.

"The Quest," Germaine Greer titles the opening chapter of "Daddy, We Hardly Knew You," a memoir of her search for her father's past begun after his death in 1983, as if to lift her pursuit to mythic heights. But the premise of the heroic quest is that its object possesses unique, often mysterious, even sacred, value, capable of transforming at least the searcher and generally the wider world as well.

This book of essays spans the career of one of the founding mothers of the contemporary feminist movement--a matriarch lately deemed "anti-feminist" or at best a member of the "conservative, pro-family" breed of feminists like the latter-day Betty Friedan. Brilliant, witty, entertaining, incisive, always informed, the essays cover the diverse topics that are the history of the women's movement and our contemporary world. Greer's range is enormous.

Germaine Greer may be a lunatic. But after years of cautious, tepid yuppie-feminism--of being told that women do, or at least can, have it all, and that "it" is well worth having--a lunatic may be just what we need. Many of Greer's more bizarre opinions will probably bewilder, if not appall, large groups of readers. (While she considers mammogram programs sadistic, she supports female genital mutilation.

The Change," an excruciatingly correct take on menopause, could not have been written by an American. European culture is like calcium, strengthening and keeping women upright as they age. Those women are different from us; they stand on the earth as if it were theirs. Sensuality, the real stuff, is everywhere.

As a European woman living in America now, I was appalled by the way menopause is treated here by the medical male club. The menopause for me has been so far the best time of my life, with complete freedom of my biologic function. As Germaine Greer said in her book ("The Change," Oct. 18), now I'm climbing my own mountain in search of my own horizon, after years of devoting my life to others, with no thanks from the male society for the female contribution. FANNIE DYNOWICZ, BEVERLY HILLS

Feminist author Germaine Greer was held hostage over Easter weekend by a female student who broke into her home, Essex police said. Police received a call shortly after 10 p.m. Monday complaining of an intruder at Greer's isolated mansion in Great Chesterford in southern England. Karen Burke, 19, of Bath was arrested at the mansion and charged with assault and unlawful imprisonment, an official said. Greer reportedly was badly shaken but was not injured during the incident.

Re "A Costly Price of Early Feminism: Motherhood," Commentary, May 14: Germaine Greer is still, I assume, a witty, intelligent woman. I would guess Charles Krauthammer and Joyce Purnick are also pretty bright. Haven't any of them ever heard of adoption? There is no shortage of children all over the world who need a mother and/or father. It's never too late--no child cares if his/her parent is 18 or 80-plus. A child only wants love and respect. Greer, Krauthammer and Purnick need to get in touch with Sally Freeman ("She's Been Called Mom by 270 Foster Children," May 14)

Feminist author Germaine Greer was held hostage over Easter weekend by a female student who broke into her home, Essex police said. Police received a call shortly after 10 p.m. Monday complaining of an intruder at Greer's isolated mansion in Great Chesterford in southern England. Karen Burke, 19, of Bath was arrested at the mansion and charged with assault and unlawful imprisonment, an official said. Greer reportedly was badly shaken but was not injured during the incident.

Germaine Greer may be a lunatic. But after years of cautious, tepid yuppie-feminism--of being told that women do, or at least can, have it all, and that "it" is well worth having--a lunatic may be just what we need. Many of Greer's more bizarre opinions will probably bewilder, if not appall, large groups of readers. (While she considers mammogram programs sadistic, she supports female genital mutilation.

Undoubtedly, it is bad form to begin a story on feminist icon Germaine Greer by describing her dress. But it is irresistible when Greer turns up to promote her latest book looking part Golda Meir, in thick stockings and sensible shoes, and part private-school girl, in a pleated skirt and blazer. From a keen social observer, such an outfit can only be a statement. But what is Greer trying to say?

In Barbara Tarbuck's one-woman "Changes" at Stages, the playwright-actress has a particularly eloquent silent partner, Germaine Greer, upon whose writings Tarbuck has based much of her play. (Greer gave Tarbuck permission to borrow from her works but had no other input in the show.) The two central characters in the piece are Tarbuck and Greer, both of whom are portrayed as contemporaries at various stages of their lives.

In response to "How Long Do Old Women Have to Be Young?" by Ellen Goodman, Commentary, Nov. 20: In my opinion the answer is when each individual woman rejects the stereotypes, labels and discounts. If we women wait until "someone out there" gives us the approval we deserve, it will be a long wait indeed. Goodman quotes Germaine Greer: "She is allowed to say 'Now I shall let myself go.' " Why should a person at any age let herself go? We all have an obligation to present our best face to the world.

Re "A Costly Price of Early Feminism: Motherhood," Commentary, May 14: Germaine Greer is still, I assume, a witty, intelligent woman. I would guess Charles Krauthammer and Joyce Purnick are also pretty bright. Haven't any of them ever heard of adoption? There is no shortage of children all over the world who need a mother and/or father. It's never too late--no child cares if his/her parent is 18 or 80-plus. A child only wants love and respect. Greer, Krauthammer and Purnick need to get in touch with Sally Freeman ("She's Been Called Mom by 270 Foster Children," May 14)

In response to "How Long Do Old Women Have to Be Young?" by Ellen Goodman, Commentary, Nov. 20: In my opinion the answer is when each individual woman rejects the stereotypes, labels and discounts. If we women wait until "someone out there" gives us the approval we deserve, it will be a long wait indeed. Goodman quotes Germaine Greer: "She is allowed to say 'Now I shall let myself go.' " Why should a person at any age let herself go? We all have an obligation to present our best face to the world.

As a European woman living in America now, I was appalled by the way menopause is treated here by the medical male club. The menopause for me has been so far the best time of my life, with complete freedom of my biologic function. As Germaine Greer said in her book ("The Change," Oct. 18), now I'm climbing my own mountain in search of my own horizon, after years of devoting my life to others, with no thanks from the male society for the female contribution. FANNIE DYNOWICZ, BEVERLY HILLS

The Change," an excruciatingly correct take on menopause, could not have been written by an American. European culture is like calcium, strengthening and keeping women upright as they age. Those women are different from us; they stand on the earth as if it were theirs. Sensuality, the real stuff, is everywhere.