Two weeks ago, I was fortunate to speak at a TEDx in the Bay Area of California, called TEDxBayAreaWomen (TEDxBAW). The conference was a day long gathering of men and women who spoke about the International Entrepreneurship of women, and I learned a lot about business and micro-finance and global trade. It was fascinating. I chose to speak about something that all women have in common: our bodies. As a cartoonist, I deal in bodies, and my thinking was that no one else at the conference would speak about this in the way I chose to. My talk begins humorously, personally, but then I take the audience into the more serious subject of freedom for women’s bodies. We may be doing amazing things around the world--and women are--but many of us are not able to truly be ourselves or truly succeed because of restrictions on our physical presence. I discuss the appropriation of our bodies by culture, but also the violence against our bodies. I hope you enjoy.

I am excited to have the opportunity to do another TED talk, and to speak at the TEDxBAW event next week. I have been at work on my talk over several months–it is a long process to craft something using images and words into a coherent 18 minute message.  And know it so I don’t use notes.

The talk is about women’s bodies. Drawing bodies of all sorts and genders is my bread and butter; and in the talk, I explore many of the funny and serious issues that confront my own, and all women’s, embodiment.

The cartoon above is one from the talk. I also created a video, but cannot show it to you until the talk is delivered. Stay tuned!

From Sex and Sensibility:Ten Women Examine the Lunacy of Modern Love Also see:

Cartoon Marriage: Adventures in Love and Matrimony with The New Yorker’s Cartooning Couple

I’m working away on a new book, due to be published by Chronicle Books next year. Stay tuned!
Don’t forget to check out my current book, done with husband Michael Maslin: Cartoon Marriage:  Adventures in Love and Matrimony by The New Yorker’s Cartooning Couple.    Good wedding gift!