I'm several days late, but I wanted to mark International Women's Day. Here are two actions you can take to help women around the world:

Demand the release of two women's rights activists in Iran

Join with PEN American Center to celebrate courageous women writers and journalists and protest the imprisonment, threats and even murder that seek to suppress these critical voices.

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Our local celebration of International Women's Day, Gather the Women 2007, was such a joy this Saturday. A day of poetry and singing and activism and healing. Such a nurturing group of women. Only one person came to my writing workshop, but it ended up being a blessing--it gave me a chance to catch up with my former student Rachel, as well as her character, Sarah. You can read Rachel's account of our private workshop, and see the beautiful letter Sarah wrote to her here.