Women at a Crossroads spotlights the work, voice, and lived experiences of women in the suffrage movement. Through her work, author Jen Schneider explores the intersection of poetry, social issues, and gender justice and uses it as an opportunity to mobilize and encourage civic engagement. With this collection, she hopes to raise awareness of our continual fight against injustice and the need to actively participate in this fight. The suffragists recognized that social progress would only be realized if women had the right to vote and an associated voice in laws that govern them. This remains true today. It is critically important to find new ways to connect with diverse communities in the fight against injustice, and this book is designed to aid in this mission, with poetry and poetic verse seen as a tool to connect with local youth, young adults, and readers of all ages in schools, readings, workshops, and other appropriate settings.
Jen Schneider is an award-winning author, essayist, and educator who lives, writes, and works in small spaces throughout Pennsylvania (though she mostly spends her days on West Coast time). She writes poetry, non-fiction, fiction, and creative non-fiction, with an emphasis on (and soft spot for) interactive and hybrid forms. She especially enjoys focusing on lesser-known voices in history and spotlighting the work of women and history in her writing. She has authored several chapbooks and full-length poetry collections, with stories, poems, and essays published through traditional and independent presses and in a variety of literary and scholarly journals. Previous works include Invisible Ink; On Habits & Habitats; On Daily Puzzles: (Un)locking Invisibility; A Collection of Recollections; When Links / Blanks / Puzzles Linger; On Always Being an Outsider; Blindfolds, Bruises, and Breakups; 14 (Plus) Reasons Why; To Wish to Walk, and On (Pantry) Stock & (Kitchen) Timers. She served as the 2022 Montgomery County (PA) Poet Laureate.
